FREE Windows & Blog Contest

Monday, May 17, 2010 dfg 0 Comments

Microsoft has been notoriously known for charging a hefty price for their products. Well, not anymore! Microsoft are sharing to us their software and services that you can use and download absolutely FREE. Aside from that, there is also an I am an Explorer blog contest currently running on their Facebook account. Simply share a challenge or activity you want to accomplish this summer and narrate your experience on your blog. The best stories will get to snag away a Netbook with Windows 7.



FREE Microsoft Products
  • Microsoft Office 2010 beta FREE download until October 2010
    • The whole Microsoft Office 2010 beta is absolutely FREE for download. It includes Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneNote and other applications that are usually bundled with Microsoft Office. What's great about the new Office 2010 is that you can upload and sync your files straight to your Windows Live account using Sky Drive. You can even open and edit your files online. Some of the nifty features are:
      • Trimming video clips
      • Real time collaboration of documents online
      • Convert presentations to video with audio recording
      • Blog publishing
  • SkyDrive and Windows Live Mail
    • Files can now be accessed online with the SkyDrive. With up to 25 Gigabytes of online storage, you have the capability to share, store, and access your files so long as you have internet connection. To make your life easier, you can install mesh.com into your PC so you can keep your desktop files into the Sky Drive. Most email services today only allow attachment of files up to 10MB. However, the Windows Live Mail just announced that they are allowing up to 10Gb of attachment in a single message. It uses the storage of SkyDrive to create a link for the attachment of the file. Pretty useful for heavy email users such as myself.
  • Photosynth
    • This may be the coolest web application of Microsoft. This tool that takes all pictures taken within a place and stitches them together to form one holistic panoramic picture. The first time I saw this was in Obama's inauguration last 2009. It was so cool to see all pictures come together in one huge canvas that you can zoom, turn, twist to see each individual photos.

FREE Upgrade

Those who have or plan to buy a Microsoft Office 2007 can avail themselves a FREE upgrade of Office 2010 with the Office 2010 Technology Guarantee program. To be eligible for the upgrade, you need the following:
  • Purchase Office 2007, or a new PC with Office 2007 from an authorized reseller between March 5 - September 30, 2010
  • Office 2007 dated sales receipt and Product Key

To upgrade your Office 2007 to Office 2010 you need to:
  1. Create a Windows Live ID
  2. Install and activate your qualifying Office 2007 product by September 30, 2010
  3. Activate your Office 2007 25-character Product Key
  4. Log-on to www.office.com/techg to redeem your Tech Guarantee
  5. Make the upgrade before October 31, 2010
Check out office2010.microsoft.com for more information on how to upgrade


Here is the I am an Explorer Blog contest mechanics. Good luck to those who will be joining

Contest Requirements:
  • Open to all bloggers in the Philippines
Contest Mechanics:
  1. Be a fan of the windows7ako Facebook Page
  2. Take on any challenge, project or activity of your choice this summer. The more unusual or unexpected the challenge, the better.
  3. Create a blog post about your experience throughout the entire challenge period. Share your thoughts, emotions, success stories, mishaps, blunders and whatever else you think will make your blog interesting.
  4. Entry Guidelines
    • Have a minimum of 500 words per entry
    • Always sign off or end with the line: “I am an Explorer and I use IE8!”
    • Link back to the Windows7ako Facebook Page
  5. Email the blog post URL to iamanexplorer@live.com. with the subject title: IE8 SUMMER BLOG CONTEST
  6. Once your link has been posted, you need to promote your blog
  7. Keep it updated and post your succeeding entries in the Windows 7 Facebook Page
  8. Judging Criteria
    • 40% Explorer Spirit (how adventurous your selected activity is)
    • 40% Creativity (how interesting your blog is)
    • 20% Popularity (i.e. number of likes or readers your blog gets)
  9. View complete contest mechanics
Contest Period: May 1 - June 1, 2010

Contest Prize:
  • 3 bloggers will EACH win a Netbook with Windows 7
Upside:
  • FREE to do
  • Only about 10 entries as of writing this post
Downside:
  • Prize not specific