Microsoft's Ultimate Steal is back, but you can do better

In an attempt to stop a new generation of workers from defecting to free online replacements as cash gets scarce, Microsoft has revived its Ultimate Steal program for college students. Right now any student with a .edu address can get Office Ultimate for only $59.95, a relative steal compared to the $369 price tag for Office Ultimate 2007 at Amazon.com.

Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 comes complete with mainstream programs such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access and Accounting Express 2008.

A nice price, sure. But most college students simply don't need all of these programs, and unless they are taking a Microsoft specific course, can likely get by with Open Office. If you do need Office and can suffice with the more basic programs like Word, Excel, Publisher, Outlook and Access, check your campus bookstore where you can find Office 2007 for $25 or lower.

There are still a few deals to be had for college students as part of the Ultimate Steal. The promotion also includes Microsoft Visio for $55 and the Office Language pack for only $9.99. Students are also eligible to purchase the Vista Ultimate (RED) Upgrade software for only $65, a savings of almost 75%, though you may want to just wait for Windows 7 to upgrade your computer since it should run better on older hardware.