Microsoft Student 2006 What do you think?

[Inspiron 0]

The report card is in, and kids aren't the only ones feeling overwhelmed when it comes to calculus homework and history reports. According to a recent independent survey commissioned by Microsoft Corp. in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany, 71 percent of parents with 12- to 18-year-olds consider themselves unprepared to help their children with homework, citing insufficient knowledge and a lack of resources as the primary areas of frustration.(1) Perhaps this is why more than half of the parents interviewed said homework is a source of tension in their household.
Based on consumer feedback and extensive research, Microsoft today introduced Microsoft® Student 2006, a comprehensive, subject-specific productivity software product designed to help middle- and high-school students efficiently complete high-quality homework assignments and achieve academic success.

"We know parents aren't always able to act as teacher and tutor, particularly as children get older and homework becomes more complex," said Karla Tharin, senior product manager with the Education Products Group at Microsoft. "Microsoft Student addresses this common frustration by providing the tools students need to get their homework done successfully in a variety of subjects, from history and foreign language to calculus and chemistry."

With curriculum-based templates and tutorials, groundbreaking Graphing Calculator software, tools for cutting through online clutter, and trusted digital reference content, Microsoft Student 2006 gives students the resources they need to effectively and efficiently tackle homework assignments.

Microsoft Student 2006 includes the following features:

* Learning Essentials for Students helps students get to the heart of the assignment by customizing Microsoft Office to meet their unique needs.(2) Learning Essentials for Students provides toolbars, templates and tutorials to help teens with a variety of subjects and assignments, from history reports and English papers to physics projects and foreign languages, using Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel® and Microsoft Office PowerPoint®.

* Teens most frequently ask for assistance with math homework, yet only a third of parents surveyed feel prepared to help with this subject.(1) Graphing Calculator software presents tools in a straightforward and intuitive manner and helps students visualize and understand difficult math and science concepts through two- and three-dimensional graphing capabilities.

* Teens use the Internet for everything from downloading music to communicating with friends and family, so it's no surprise they instinctively go to the Web when presented with a research assignment. However, the majority of parents surveyed said their children do not always find what they need online.(1) The Web Companion streamlines research, providing quick access to trusted information.

* Additional features include Book Summaries that deliver illuminating facts and insights to facilitate understanding and appreciation of many classic works of literature, Online Math Homework Help to provide step-by-step instructions and hints for solving math problems, trusted content from Microsoft Encarta®, an Interactive World Atlas, and extensive multimedia to bring learning to life.

More information on Microsoft Student 2006 can be found at http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ and https://imagine.microsoft.com/en-us.

Oh so now Bill Gates' target market is the teens in town.
I don't think it would quite work well...
Teens are good at cracking software isn't that?

[canpolitics 0]

Good idea in theory though. We'll have to see how it pans out. Anything M$ makes is genereally junk for the first couple of versions, but generally they steal enough code to make a product half decent. I hope M$ actually put the time in to properly test this product for glitches and made it a good useful product. Only time will tell.

[ameribass 0]

Hmm, I went to the microsoft site with the link provided and looked at the interactive demo. I must say that it looks pretty impressive.

[fffanatics 0]

It seems like a very smart marketing campaign for microsoft since their "student" versions normally do not sell to well. I think that it is a very good idea that if it is done right will help out students everywhere because other companies and OS' will follow trying to smash microsoft if you know what i mean. Overall this is a positive event in computing

[brainiac ghost 0]

i really hope it works well and i must say it does look nice hell i may even order it

[wariorpk 0]

Microsoft is trying to take advantage of people who have a hard time with homework. That is really low (this is comming from someone who despises homework).

[sonyguy 0]

Microsoft is trying to take advantage of people who have a hard time with homework. That is really low (this is comming from someone who despises homework).

161028[/snapback]

I agree, it is pretty low, but I must admit I looked at the demo, it looks pretty cool. I won't buy it until I get some good reviews though, knowing Microsoft, that won't be soon.

[rejected 0]

Microsoft is trying to take advantage of people who have a hard time with homework. That is really low (this is comming from someone who despises homework).

161028[/snapback]

That is pretty low, I know it may help some people, but that's not the purpose intended. I probably despise homework as much as you do... that's the reason I failed AP English 2 =( It's not that I have trouble with it, it's that I don't have the time.

 

Students don't have to go to the internet or their parents for help with homework! Almost all teachers have Email which they most likely check daily. You can always email them and ask for help. They're the ones teaching you, yes?

[9thcircleapostles 0]

Well, looks like Microsoft has found a useful product to work on. I wonder how much it'll run for...

[emperor 0]

This is the biggest waste of money that Billy has ever offered to his feeders. I'm going to school and it is considered one of the hardest in my city (and there are thirty high schools) and I will nver buy a thing as this.Without any doubt at the first glance you can think: "wow, it will make homework for me. I don't manage to resolve an equation, there is MSS 2006. i don't know what write on my essay about Dante, there is MSS 2006". But any sane student will understand that this is a unuseful thing. I don't know in other countries, but in Italy i can't use a PC during tests. Teens aren't just too much stupid looking TV? Now there's the homework assistant. When they will have an exam what they will do, ask to use MSS that help them? I think that all these assistants (virtual or real) are foolish things, a student must manage alone to study well. And if he/she can't study, he can choose jobs different from physician, executive or engineer.A suggestion, don't waste your (or your parents) money in foolish things like this.