Talk:MSDN Academic Alliance

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are there any restrictions to using this software?

- Yes there are, for example the software cannot be used for commercial purposes but students may keep installed software after finishing their education program.

CS classes = Computer Science classes? ~K

this is the best part of being in uni, i got windows xp x64 for sod all, hehe, also visual studio pro 2005, access 2003, the list goes on, this is great

  • Does the non-commercial usage restriction extend to Windows XP in this hypothetical situation: a student designs and builds a commercial website using non-Microsoft tools but in the XP operating system obtained through MSDNAA. Mikesc86 23:54, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
Write email to msdnaamicrosoft.com with your question. --TAG 05:38, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

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Is the student version identical to the original, if not how is it different?


The software is 100% of the commercial software. You are only limited by the agreement. For example, only a registered student or staff member can install and use the software, but they are not allowed to let anyone else (spouse, child) use it. "MSDN Academic Alliance Program Usage Guidelines Quick Summary" posted at http://msdn.microsoft.com/academic/program/usageguide/default.aspx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 153.18.150.92 (talk) 00:58, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Few legitimate uses

After looking at the EULA terms (using the link in the article), while it is true that students can keep the software even after they are no longer eligible under the terms of the license, the software's use is still bound by the terms laid out. As far as what the students are allowed to install on their own personal computers...

(a) to develop, support, conduct, or take the STEM (ed: science, technology, engineering and math) courses, labs, or programs you offer; (b) in non-commercial STEM research on your behalf; or (c) to design, develop, test, and demonstrate software programs for the above purposes.

I don't see anything that would allow, for example, the student to install and play World of WarCraft on an operating system obtained with this license. Even if the student were to install an office suite on it, the only legitimate use would be to create files related to their coursework in these "STEM" classes; even writing a paper for a humanities course on such a system seems to be outside the grant of the license. This seems to preclude the software's use even for self-study outside the realm of the courses the student is enrolled in at that point in time.

Additionally, the uses are married to "programs you offer" or "on your behalf," where the "you" in question is the academic institution. While the license does grant the students the right to keep the software after they are no longer eligible for the program (graduation, withdrawal, etc.), it seems that any legitimate use of it can only be when the student in question has an ongoing relationship with the school.

I realize that this all borders on original research, but the terms of the license itself seem to at least support the changes I made to the article. As a personal observation, at least as far as the operating systems are concerned, it seems students could accomplish more and have more freedom of use with the free 120-day trials that Microsoft hands out than they could with software obtained through the MSDNAA program (such as install more than one copy). Guppy313 (talk) 04:51, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Most of the points made here are irrelevant as it would be impossible for Microsoft to enforce these license terms. As far as I know, it would be illegal for them to probe your machine in order to catch you doing a humanities paper on a copy of windows licensed for STEM Lovefist233 (talk) 22:58, 1 March 2008 (UTC)