Microsoft Office 2010 Home Student offers limited access to the Office suite of programs, and it may be worth the additional money to get the full bundle. It includes Word, One Note, Excel and Powerpoint, but leaves out many other important applications. Students can benefit from these basic tools, but there is no reason to upgrade to the professional edition in order to enjoy the full functionality that Office can provide.

Applications such as Publisher and Outlook are powerful components to the Office bundle, and students should consider purchasing these as well. Creating eye-catching reports, publications and managing emails is not possible with the Student edition.

There are free demo versions of all of the Microsoft Office components that students can utilize in order to see which applications will work best for their particular needs and budget. The Student version is not bad on its own, and it includes Word and Powerpoint. These two programs are at the core of the Office system, but total access to the entire Office suite can be obtained for just a few dollars more.

Microsoft Office 2010 Home Student is designed to provide the basic essentials that are necessary to write reports, create presentations and manage spreadsheets. The trial version gives students complete access to the features and benefits of the core Office platform. Students should evaluate the full range of Office products before settling for this particular edition, and these limitations can turn into major annoyances in the future.

Nothing can compare with what Microsoft Office offers to users around the world, and the Student bundle provides a limited and narrow experience that should be avoided. Office is not cheap, and students should consider other versions that include more features in order to get the most value for their purchase.