microsoft surface rt - student

capefear

http://www.businesspost.ie/#!story/Technology/Technology+News/Schools+offered+Surface+RT+tablets+for+%E2%82%AC155/id/19410615-5218-51c3-15ed-724b39155387.

Seems like a good price anyone no where to buy them.

paddydriver

So how do I get access to that price? Have 3 young kids.. our house is like a school;)

They have to bought in bulk by a school/college. Not really a bargain alert.

yosser hughes

It is a great deal if you're in college. Has any student out there heard anything about it? I see nothing on DIT's website about it, for example.

machalla

It was only announced in the last few days but I don't think its active yet in any way. The closing date is the end of August in any case. I think there's a conference on next week that Microsoft are supposed to be announcing more details about it so next week.

andrewdeerpark

I have a Surface RT about a week and it is some tablet. Got the free touch cover with it and the VGA out accessory.

It comes with a full version of Office including the brilliant Onenote 2013. All these files can be saved to skydrive seamlessly. The device has a full size USB 2.0 port so you can plug in USB sticks, a USB hub etc and they all work, prints easily enough to. It will play flash enabled sites perfectly so YouTube and rte player works without any "apps".

At a student price of 199 its a bargain.

Allyall

I'd imagine it's trimmed down and has loads of restrictions in place.

But that's just a guess.

More news about it here - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9240149/Microsoft_slashes_Surface_RT_prices_by_60_for_schools

Dman001

The don't have to be bought in bulk by a school, but you do have to agree and order it through your school/college/University.

The deal was announced a bit too early, and will go live on June 24. He is the form about the offer, that has since been pulled until the offer goes live:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/30585337/Surface%20For%20Education%20Brochure%20and%20Order%20Form.pdf

I'd say you'll have a very hard time getting your school/college on board but is a great price non the less.

I don't think it's a trimmed down version by any means, my guess is Microsoft has a stock pile of them to get rid of before the second generation comes out. From what I've used of tablets (an iPad to be precise), they are a fantastic companion for a student. With the included Office suite and keyboard, and the cheap price, the Surface would defo be a great buy for a student.

zom

Source from Microsoft:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_in_education/archive/2013/06/19/it-s-true-we-re-putting-surface-rt-in-the-hands-of-educators-and-students-schools-and-universities.aspx

I must say, whatever Surface is useful or not, this may be GLOBAL bargain of the year if really happen. Can image how big demand on this can occurs. A bit worried if MS can really afford it.

Dman001

Dman001 wrote: »

The don't have to be bought in bulk by a school, but you do have to agree and order it through your school/college/University.

The deal was announced a bit too early, and will go live on June 24. He is the form about the offer, that has since been pulled until the offer goes live:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/30585337/Surface%20For%20Education%20Brochure%20and%20Order%20Form.pdf

Hmmm, the few news sites I've been looking at seem to imply that you have to put a bulk order on to that form. Time will tell I guess.

Edit: Actually just looking at that form, that definitely looks like a bulk order form. I'd imagine they'll be doing something similar to what Google did with Chromebooks in DCU.

Shoutcast Ireland

wouldnt mind one of these my sell,cant go wrong for 200

Skerries

bad time of year to buy in bulk for students when they aren't around to show if there is an interest

yosser hughes

Deleted User wrote: »

Hmmm, the few news sites I've been looking at seem to imply that you have to put a bulk order on to that form. Time will tell I guess.

Edit: Actually just looking at that form, that definitely looks like a bulk order form. I'd imagine they'll be doing something similar to what Google did with Chromebooks in DCU.

What did Google do with Chromebooks in DCU?

yosser hughes

yosser hughes wrote: »

What did Google do with Chromebooks in DCU?

Here

bad time of year to buy in bulk for students when they aren't around to show if there is an interest

Now would be the best time. They will sell more to students at the start of the year than halfway through when students have already bought a laptop in the meantime.

Dman001

ZDNet screen grabbed the info document before it was pulled, it confirms there is no minimum quantity that has to be ordered to avail of the deal.

http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-launches-surface-rt-discount-for-schools-7000016919/

Dman001

Dman001 wrote: »

ZDNet screen grabbed the info document before it was pulled, it confirms there is no minimum quantity that has to be ordered to avail of the deal.

http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-launches-surface-rt-discount-for-schools-7000016919/

I understand that there isn't a minimum quantity but I still take from that it is a bulk order process, i.e. the school will order a certain amount with the one form and then put them on sale accordingly in September.

yosser hughes

Deleted User wrote: »

Here



Now would be the best time. They will sell more to students at the start of the year than halfway through when students have already bought a laptop in the meantime.

DCU will be providing the Chromebooks to students on a small number of selected programmes at no charge.

They gave them away for free? how is that the same as this offer?

andrewdeerpark

It is an official offer and will be available in Ireland my sources tell me. This in my opinion is a far superior device to the chrome book.

The chrome book needs constant internet access and does not have the flexibility of Windows RT plus Office 2013 is the best for documents though google docs has improved.

yosser hughes

yosser hughes wrote: »

They gave them away for free? how is that the same as this offer?

Who said it was the same? Certainly not me.

yosser hughes

Deleted User wrote: »

Who said it was the same? Certainly not me.

Indeed.

Eoin

andrewdeerpark wrote: »

I have a Surface RT about a week and it is some tablet. Got the free touch cover with it and the VGA out accessory.

It comes with a full version of Office including the brilliant Onenote 2013. All these files can be saved to skydrive seamlessly. The device has a full size USB 2.0 port so you can plug in USB sticks, a USB hub etc and they all work, prints easily enough to. It will play flash enabled sites perfectly so YouTube and rte player works without any "apps".

I've one as well through work, and it's the best tablet I've used for work purposes by a distance. The only issue is the availability of apps. Microsoft have not made it easy to get approved on their store; our experience with the process has been very frustrating. Unless they change something it's going to discourage developers from bothering, so the app store might not improve any time soon.

Still - it's a lovely bit of kit; especially if you can get it at that sort of price.

any idea when this offer will come out exactly - in the next month or so...?
if you're not an educational institution is there any way to order one?

glasso

glasso wrote: »

any idea when this offer will come out exactly - in the next month or so...?

Yes. The details will be announced on Monday.

glasso wrote: »

if you're not an educational institution is there any way to order one?

No

mtdelany

Deleted User wrote: »

Yes. The details will be announced on Monday.



No

Is it open to all students or it is certain colleges / courses

mtdelany

mtdelany wrote: »

Is it open to all students or it is certain colleges / courses

It is open to all colleges. It is up to your college whether they will order a batch or not.

Howlin1

glasso wrote: »

any idea when this offer will come out exactly - in the next month or so...?
if you're not an educational institution is there any way to order one?

Maybe if you know someone in a college/school they might be able to get it for you?

Howlin1

Howlin1 wrote: »

Maybe if you know someone in a college/school they might be able to get it for you?

I guess that that is the way to go...
Seems pretty useful but it has some limitations - e.g. not full windows 8 like the surface pro, so for me what's important is no vba macros in office suite, limited apps in the app store also afaik.

andrewdeerpark

Versus the limitations of the iPad they are pretty trivial. For most students its the perfect device, will even play files from "torrent" sources.

zom

glasso wrote: »

if you're not an educational institution is there any way to order one?

Chase ebay for students selling them out?

zom

zom wrote: »

Chase ebay for students selling them out?

I wouldn't be surprised if most colleges bought them themselves and rented them out to students for the year with a deposit.

capefear

I'd say a lot colleges will buy some and offer them to students who register for courses.


I wonder will software4students get them.

Copper_pipe

Starting college in September hopefully and this would be handy!

doctorg

Anyone know of any links as to where I can pick of these up :P

markf1982

bought one of these recently as a present for a parent and have to say its a quality bit of kit. Have a nexus tablet myself but am thinking of getting one of these as i know a couple of teachers who can prob order one for me.

Apps are limited but has office and flash enabled explorer. plus the full size usb port is very handy.

As said, at this discounted price its hard to find too many faults

Inquitus

markf1982 wrote: »

bought one of these recently as a present for a parent and have to say its a quality bit of kit. Have a nexus tablet myself but am thinking of getting one of these as i know a couple of teachers who can prob order one for me.

Apps are limited but has office and flash enabled explorer. plus the full size usb port is very handy.

As said, at this discounted price its hard to find too many faults

Firefox with Flash for ICS works fine on the Nexus 7 if you want to view flash content, the only time I really need to is when i want to watch streaming sports, just fire up FF and away i go.

sarah88

I contacted my college (UCC) last week with regard to this offer, and they told me to contact Microsoft, which I did. Here was their reply

RE: Eligible University

Thanks for your interest in Microsoft Surface RT. Please excuse our delayed response as we are experiencing a very high volume of customer orders and inquiries regarding the Surface RT for education limited time offer.



Order Process:
We are processing orders and responding to inquiries as quickly as possible and we appreciate your patience. As your order enters the first stage of the fulfillment process, you will receive a confirmation email which may include questions and order clarifications. We will then work to process your order as quickly as possible.

Answering Questions:
If you are emailing with a question about the offer, please take a look at the program overview and frequently asked questions below. For questions not covered below, a representative will contact you soon with a specific response.

Program Overview:
Microsoft is pleased to offer special pricing on Surface RT directly to schools and universities for a limited time between June 17, 2013 and August 31, 2013.

Our mission in education is to help schools and universities, students and educators realize their full potential. One way we do this is by offering software, hardware and services at affordable prices to education institutions. Surface RT is a terrific tool for teaching and learning and we want students and educators to have the best technology on the market today.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ):
Q) Is the offer open to individuals (students, teachers & employees of an institution)
A) This offer is open for purchase by educational institutions only. This offer is not open to individuals (students, teachers or employees of an institution) for purchase through personal funds.

Q) Is there a minimum quantity requirement for the order?
A) No, there is no minimum quantity requirement

Q) What payment methods are accepted?
A) US/Canada: Payments can be made via an institution (school) Purchase Order or an institution (school) credit card.
Outside US/Canada: Payments can only be made via an institution (school) Purchase Order

Q) Which countries is the offer valid in?
A) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China (via Digital China), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States (includes Puerto Rico).

Q) Is there a different order form for each country?
A) Yes, orders must be submitted using country specific order forms with country specific SKUs and pricing.

Q) When does the offer end?
A) The Surface for education limited time offer is open through August 31st, 2013.

Q) Is the offer extended to Home schools?
A) We are unable to extend the Surface for education limited time offer to home schools at this time.

Thanks

Surface Education Team



Most of the information we already knew, but it appears that it might not be as easy as I thought to get my hands on one. I will get back to the college but I doubt they will just sell them on to students at the discounted price. Might be too much work for them.

paddydriver

Fact that it needs to all go via the school/college, is it not a bit of a stupid offer period considering most schools and colleges are closed, or near closed, for the summer? Seems like just some free PR for Microsoft.

feelgoodinc27

paddydriver wrote: »

Fact that it needs to all go via the school/college, is it not a bit of a stupid offer period considering most schools and colleges are closed, or near closed, for the summer? Seems like just some free PR for Microsoft.

3rd level colleges are open all year round, unfortunately postgrads don't get 3 months summer holidays!

blankblank

I felt another touchpad moment coming along,,,,,,,

Doubt the colleges will sell them on. Id imagine there'd be many official loops for someone in the college to jump through to get sanctioned to buy these for students using college funds and sell them on.

yosser hughes

I got in touch with DIT. At first they hadn't even heard of the offer. Then they got back to me with the following:

Hi , Microsoft have sent this on to me: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ukschools/archive/2013/06/25/academic-pricing-on-surface-rt.aspx …. Unfortunately, it looks like it isn't open to individual

Doesn't seem like DIT are too arsed about availing of it.

I got back to them saying I know it isn't open to individuals to order but would the college be ordering them to sell on to students.
I haven't heard back.

Turtwig

Doubt many institutions in Ireland will buy these things in advance and then wait to see if Students want them. Silly on MS's part. If they just let folks buy them by confirming their status at an institution and have an institution sign off on it they'd make a lot more money.

Outkast_IRE

Just posted on Microsoft facebook page, basically telling them that the promotion in its current form is flawed and that they should be accepting applications for a device themselves and using the students college email address to verify they are a student.

Might be a good idea if you like or also comment, if Microsoft are using this for free PR lets make a fuss on their page and give them some bad PR

ronanc1000

It would be good if they just let us students provide sufficient info that we are students in our respective colleges and give us the discount that way!
:cool:

yosser hughes

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Just posted on Microsoft facebook page, basically telling them that the promotion in its current form is flawed and that they should be accepting applications for a device themselves and using the students college email address to verify they are a student.

Might be a good idea if you like or also comment, if Microsoft are using this for free PR lets make a fuss on their page and give them some bad PR

What MS Facebook page did you post on? They seem to have several.

dmc17

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Just posted on Microsoft facebook page, basically telling them that the promotion in its current form is flawed and that they should be accepting applications for a device themselves and using the students college email address to verify they are a student.

Might be a good idea if you like or also comment, if Microsoft are using this for free PR lets make a fuss on their page and give them some bad PR

Exactly, they offer a lot of their software to students for free through Dreamspark. Why not use something like that?

It must be that they want colleges to start using them to give them more exposure. Oh well

Outkast_IRE

yosser hughes wrote: »

What MS Facebook page did you post on? They seem to have several.

The simple "Microsoft" one , they have deleted my comments already

ronanc1000

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

The simple "Microsoft" one , they have deleted my comments already

They have deleted mine also! Grrr!
Wonder is there a way of getting through to Microsoft Ireland?

fl4pj4ck

ronanc1000 wrote: »

They have deleted mine also! Grrr!
Wonder is there a way of getting through to Microsoft Ireland?

I tried few years back to no avail. My college was ripping students off asking to pay for licenses they got free, nobody in Microsoft couldn't be arsed about it. I was being sent from one person to another and at the end I just gave up.

Mr Sheen

sarah88 wrote: »

I contacted my college (UCC) last week with regard to this offer, and they told me to contact Microsoft, which I did. Here was their reply

RE: Eligible University

Thanks for your interest in Microsoft Surface RT. Please excuse our delayed response as we are experiencing a very high volume of customer orders and inquiries regarding the Surface RT for education limited time offer.



Order Process:
We are processing orders and responding to inquiries as quickly as possible and we appreciate your patience. As your order enters the first stage of the fulfillment process, you will receive a confirmation email which may include questions and order clarifications. We will then work to process your order as quickly as possible.

Answering Questions:
If you are emailing with a question about the offer, please take a look at the program overview and frequently asked questions below. For questions not covered below, a representative will contact you soon with a specific response.

Program Overview:
Microsoft is pleased to offer special pricing on Surface RT directly to schools and universities for a limited time between June 17, 2013 and August 31, 2013.

Our mission in education is to help schools and universities, students and educators realize their full potential. One way we do this is by offering software, hardware and services at affordable prices to education institutions. Surface RT is a terrific tool for teaching and learning and we want students and educators to have the best technology on the market today.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ):
Q) Is the offer open to individuals (students, teachers & employees of an institution)
A) This offer is open for purchase by educational institutions only. This offer is not open to individuals (students, teachers or employees of an institution) for purchase through personal funds.

Q) Is there a minimum quantity requirement for the order?
A) No, there is no minimum quantity requirement

Q) What payment methods are accepted?
A) US/Canada: Payments can be made via an institution (school) Purchase Order or an institution (school) credit card.
Outside US/Canada: Payments can only be made via an institution (school) Purchase Order

Q) Which countries is the offer valid in?
A) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China (via Digital China), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States (includes Puerto Rico).

Q) Is there a different order form for each country?
A) Yes, orders must be submitted using country specific order forms with country specific SKUs and pricing.

Q) When does the offer end?
A) The Surface for education limited time offer is open through August 31st, 2013.

Q) Is the offer extended to Home schools?
A) We are unable to extend the Surface for education limited time offer to home schools at this time.

Thanks

Surface Education Team



Most of the information we already knew, but it appears that it might not be as easy as I thought to get my hands on one. I will get back to the college but I doubt they will just sell them on to students at the discounted price. Might be too much work for them.

Hi, did u manage to get an order form for Ireland? I cannot find one anywhere!

Kevvv

yosser hughes wrote: »

I got in touch with DIT. At first they hadn't even heard of the offer. Then they got back to me with the following:


Doesn't seem like DIT are too arsed about availing of it.

I got back to them saying I know it isn't open to individuals to order but would the college be ordering them to sell on to students.
I haven't heard back.

Which address did you email DIT at? I'll send one too and get the interest going (if they care)

zom

Jernal wrote: »

Doubt many institutions in Ireland will buy these things in advance and then wait to see if Students want them. Silly on MS's part. If they just let folks buy them by confirming their status at an institution and have an institution sign off on it they'd make a lot more money.

I talked to one private educational institution and they said they are not interested at all, even if most of courses they provide are IT related. They are aware that Win RT is "dead end" and there is no point to introduce it to learning program. In fact they are quite busy during summer break, preparing for 2013-14 season.