It’s Cookie Time

It’s that time of year when we busily rush around while reflecting on what kind of year it’s been and how thankful we are for the great customers we have. We continue to be amazed by you and your success and humbled to be a small contributor. So thank you for another amazing year of learning and challenges; we enjoy every minute of it. Please accept these home-made cookies as a token of our appreciation.

We had a busy week of planning, shopping and baking last week and over the weekend. The cookies are being packaged and delivered this week by our very own delivery elf.

I know some of you wait by the door to be the first to grab them as they enter, so keep an eye out this week. The elf is on her way!

-Amy

Upgrading to Windows 8.1

If you have a Windows 8 computer, then your upgrade to Windows 8.1 is free. This is the latest version of Windows 8. This upgrade is also being delivered in a new way. It is coming down via the Microsoft Store and Microsoft expects therefore that ALL Windows 8 computers will be updated to the new version. They so much so expect this that they are withholding updates to Windows 8 and only publishing them for Windows 8.1. As the first example, Microsoft released Internet Explorer 11 to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 but not to Windows 8.

The short story is that we need to upgrade your computer to Windows 8.1 and we need to do it soon. While it’s free to download, it is also a long slow process to complete. In fact it takes about two hours from end to end.

We’ve gone through and updated all of ours. They went off without a hitch so we’re optimistic that yours will too. Charley will be contacting all of you with a Windows 8 computer to schedule the time to perform the upgrade.

I’ll post some of the more interesting changes in Windows 8.1 is another blog once this project gets rolling.

-Amy

Free Office for Students

Microsoft announced that starting December 1st your school district can start handing out Office 365 free to its students.

Educational institutions, whether K-12 school districts or those in higher education, that license Office Professional Plus 2013 or Office 365 ProPlus -- the former is traditionally-licensed software while the latter is a subscription -- can now also hand Office 365 ProPlus subscriptions to students, free of charge.

Schools and universities must have licensed Office for staff and faculty institution-wide, according to Microsoft, to be eligible for the student give-away. When students graduate, their Office 365 subscription expires.

Office 365 ProPlus includes rights to download and install copies of the newest Office desktop applications on up to five Windows PCs or Macs owned by the student, as well as rights to run the iPhone or Android editions of Office Mobile.

This assumes that your school district uses Microsoft Office. If they don’t, then I have to wonder how good of job they can possibly be doing. Every business uses this software so every student needs to know it. I read recently that 85% of all job listing in Monster list proficiency in Office as a requirement. School districts are eligible for nearly free/severely discounted licenses themselves so there’s really no excuse for them not to participate.

But if yours doesn’t then there’s this option:

Students, faculty and staff at universities that do not equip employees with Office can instead pay a flat $80 for a four-year subscription to Office 365 University. That subscription program allows Office 2013 to be installed on up to two PCs or Macs, and Office Mobile on as many as two mobile devices.

Do note that just like in your business when the licensing allows multiple installations, it is multiple installations on devices used by a single individual never at the same time. So for example you can install it on your desktop and your laptop. Or your laptop and your phone. Or your desktop and your tablet.

-Amy