Softsquatch.com

SCHOLARBUYS LAUNCHES NEW DISCOUNT SITE FOR COLLEGE MARKET

2010-08-06T09:23:00.002-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 6, 2010

Contact: Naomi Cadwallader

Marketing & Product Manager

press@scholarbuys.com

Toll Free: (877) 999-9294

Fax: (866) 593-1834

SCHOLARBUYS LAUNCHES NEW DISCOUNT SITE FOR COLLEGE MARKET

VarsityBuys.com offers discounts to Students & Educators

CARPENTERSVILLE, IL— According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities “At Least 46 States Have Imposed Cuts That Hurt Vulnerable Residents and the Economy” as a direct result of the nation’s poor economy. According to the report 33 states and the District of Columbia made budget cuts to K-12 programs and 43 states cut funding for higher education. (http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1214)

Painful, nationwide cuts like these impact our nation’s educational system tremendously, making it critical for schools and universities have access to low-cost supplies, equipment, hardware, and software to avoid the devastating impact of budget cutbacks.

Based in Carpentersville, Illinois, ScholarBuys recently launched their newest division, VarsityBuys.com. The company offers deep discounts to students, teachers, professors, and educational institutions. They offer a wide variety of products including animation, marketing, business, digital publication, engineering, CAD, music and audio, security, utilities, web, and design software.

Discounts are also available on a variety of hardware and equipment including art tablets, audio equipment, calculators, cameras, computers, printers, toner, and scanners. Budgetary restrictions, federal funding cutbacks, and municipal belt-tightening make it necessary for educators and students alike to spend wisely. www.ScholarBuys.com and www.varsitybuys.com allow you to do that.

ScholarBuys Academic Marketing is headquartered in the historic "Old Town" area of Carpentersville, Illinois; ScholarBuys is one of the fastest growing, academic marketers in the United States. A value-added reseller of computer software, hardware and peripherals, ScholarBuys is committed exclusively to the academic market. Their highly experienced management team is composed of seasoned executives with a strong background in academic software licensing agreements. For more information, please visit www.scholarbuys.com www.varsitybuys.com or www.softsquatch.com

ScholarBuys Academic Marketing Partners with FIICU

2010-08-05T10:10:00.002-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 5, 2010

Contact: Naomi Cadwallader

Marketing & Product Manager

press@scholarbuys.com

Toll Free: (877) 999-9294

Fax: (866) 593-1834

ScholarBuys Academic Marketing Partners with FIICU

Federation/Scholarbuys/Studentbackup.com Program offered

CARPENTERSVILLE, IL— ScholarBuys Academic Marketing is pleased to announce that we have partnered with The Federation of Illinois Independent Colleges and Universities (FIICU) and Studentbackup.com to offer students an online backup solution for $39! StudentBackup.com is a secure, fast, and affordable online system for a daily offsite backup of student’s important files and data. The automated process only requires a student to connect to the internet each day. The custom software scans the students “My Documents” folder and transmits a copy of all documents to an offsite data facility via a secure internet connection. Additionally, each subscription includes a Laptop Locator feature. This service assists in tracking the location of a stolen laptop or PC in the event that it is lost or stolen. When the computer is connected to the internet, Laptop Locator will transmit:

• A still picture of whatever is in front of the computer (PDF format).
• A :20 second video of whatever is in front of the computer
• A :20 second audio of whatever sounds are in front of the computer
• The IP address

In the event that a laptop is stolen, students can remotely delete files, and retrieve data through the Student Backup service.

1 Year Subscription - $39

Student Backup is available to purchase on VarsityBuys.com. Each FIICU institution receives a customized portal with a unique URL (vStore). Each VStore is tailored to list only the products available to that specific institution including Microsoft & Adobe Student/faculty licensing.

ScholarBuys Academic Marketing is headquartered in the historic "Old Town" area of Carpentersville, Illinois; ScholarBuys is one of the fastest growing, academic marketers in the United States. A value-added reseller of computer software, hardware and peripherals, ScholarBuys is committed exclusively to the academic market. Our highly experienced management team is composed of seasoned executives with a strong background in academic software licensing agreements. For more information, please visit www.scholarbuys.com www.varsitybuys.com or www.softsquatch.com .

ScholarBuys Academic Marketing to Launch Softsquatch.com

2010-08-02T14:25:00.002-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 2, 2010

Contact: Naomi Cadwallader

Marketing & Product Manager

press@scholarbuys.com

Toll Free: (877) 999-9294

Fax: (866) 593-1834

ScholarBuys Academic Marketing to Launch Softsquatch.com

Win Portable Desktop PC by Sending Funny Softsquatch Videos

CARPENTERSVILLE, IL— ScholarBuys Academic Marketing LLC is launching a revamped www.softsquatch.com later this month. The Softsquatch character was initially introduced as the ScholarBuys mascot to promote special academic discount offers. The character became extremely popular on the social networks Twitter and Facebook. Seeing the massive online following of Softsquatch, ScholarBuys decided to launch a microsite - softsquatch.com. The success of the Softsquatch microsite has led to the development of a fully interactive website.

The new Softsquatch.com will focus on Humor, Hacks & How-to. The company plans to formally launch the website in late August 2010 once the designing process is complete. The website will tie into numerous social networking sites and is said to be very user-friendly. Currently, the company is running a contest for all the Softsquatch fans by giving away an Eee Box Desktop PC. Those who wish to participate in the contest can submit their own Softsquatch webisode videos to Softsquatch.com. The details of the contest are given at http://softsquatch.com/promo.htm.

Softsquatch.com basically aims at promoting Humor; Hacks & How-to by encouraging college students to create their own funny videos as well as technology related “How-to” and “Hack” videos. There will be numerous contests, giveaways and fun activities for the users upon the launch of the website. Softsquatch fans who submit their original content will be eligible for regular prize giveaways.

Softsquatch.com is powered by ScholarBuys Academic Marketing LLC. Headquartered in the historic "Old Town" area of Carpentersville, Illinois, ScholarBuys is one of the fastest growing, academic marketers in the United States. A value-added reseller of computer software, hardware and peripherals, ScholarBuys is committed exclusively to the academic market. Our highly experienced management team is composed of seasoned executives with a strong background in academic software licensing agreements. For more information, please visit www.scholarbuys.com www.varsitybuys.com or www.softsquatch.com .

Special Back-To-School Price On Microsoft Office Pro

2010-08-01T21:46:00.001-05:00

VarsityBuys.com : Offering a substantial discount to K12, higher education students, faculty and staff

August 1, 2010— In today’s turbulent economy, it’s important to have a business partner that cares about your financial welfare. As another school year begins, you’ll want Microsoft Office Pro 2010 in your toolbox and VaristyBuys.com powered by ScholrBuys Academic Marketing LLC, is committed to bringing this to you at a price you can afford.

At retail Microsoft Office Pro 2010 sells for $499.99. VarsityBuys.com brings it to you for the amazing price of just $94.95. To purchase your Microsoft Office Pro 2010 at the low price of $94.95, visit us at VarsityBuys.com, you’ll be glad you did!

As a value added reseller of computer software, hardware and peripherals; ScholarBuys is committed exclusively to the academic market. Underneath the ScholarBuys Academic Marketing umbrella, the company has created new brands in an effort to pinpoint the market into multiple segments. This has resulted in VarsityBuys.com and is good news for you, the consumer.

ScholarBuys is a privately held company that is self funded and debt free. Our spectacular success amidst a down market often prompts people to inquire about the secret to our success. Our philosophy is simple; we run a very lean operation, incorporate innovative strategies, and focus on building long term relationships.

About VarisityBuys
VarsityBuys.com is powered by ScholarBuys Academic Marketing LLC. ScholarBuys Academic Marketing serves niche markets within the academic space. Our highly experienced management team is composed of seasoned executives with a strong background with academic software. Simply put, we can get your product in front of our interactive and loyal customers.

ScholarBuys Sees Significant Growth

2010-07-28T09:30:00.002-05:00

ScholarBuys Sees Significant Growth
Company Offers Economies of Scale to Decentralized Academic Purchasers of Technology

Carpentersville, IL / July 28 / -- ScholarBuys, a value added reseller of computer software, hardware, and peripherals to decentralized academic institutions around the U.S., announces that it has seen unprecedented growth recently despite the increasingly challenging economic environment. ScholarBuys brings substantial benefit to decentralized academic institutions that are purchasing technology due to the purchasing power it can offer such customers in the aggregate as well as the firm’s unique knowledge about technology licensing requirements. Dealing with technology licenses and their associated contracts is time consuming and challenging for academic purchasers. With academic departmental budgets seeing cuts across the board, turning to a solution provider such as ScholarBuys is a logical choice.

A company spokesman remarked, “In today's turbulent economy, it's nice to have a stable business partner that you can rely on. ScholarBuys is a privately held company that is self funded and debt free. Our spectacular success amidst a down market often prompts people to inquire about the secret to our success. Our philosophy is simple: we run a very lean operation, provide great pricing and focus on building long term relationships.” The company prides itself on its excellence in service, innovation, optimism, and creativity. Customers ranging from Adelphi University in New York to the Great Falls, Montana public school system give the firm high marks for its ability to consistently exceed expectations.

As a result of its track record and increased market demand, ScholarBuys is in expansion mode, targeting new customers and publishing partners. ScholarBuys has uniquely focused on the academic marketplace – schools with grades K through 12 and institutions of higher education, as well as academic purchasing cooperatives and consortia. Many academic purchasers don’t know if their institution is covered under a purchasing agreement for academic technology. ScholarBuys often works with such institutions to investigate and assist with establishing an agreement.

About ScholarBuys

ScholarBuys is a value added reseller of computer software, hardware, and peripherals with an exclusive focus on the academic market. The company’s highly experienced management team is composed of seasoned executives with a strong background in academic software licensing agreements. Headquartered outside Chicago in Carpentersville, Illinois, ScholarBuys is one of the fastest growing academic retailers in the U.S. today. For more information on ScholarBuys, please go to: http://www.scholarbuys.com.

Sony Creative Software- Get Free Headphones

2010-07-09T08:59:00.002-05:00

Want some free hardware or software?

2010-07-06T10:43:00.001-05:00

Softsquatch.com is undergoing a huge makeover and will soon feature many more videos, reviews, and user submitted content.

Currently, Softsquatch.com is looking for product reviewers! We will send you software or hardware items for free in exchange for your 500 word blog review.

Here’s how to apply:
Email the following information to us at info@varsitybuys.com

Your name, phone number, school, and whether you are a student, faculty or staff member
Answer one of the following questions:

What do like most about VarsityBuys.com?
What can VarsityBuys.com improve on?
What is your favorite Softsquatch.com video (can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/scholarbuys) and why?

The fine print stuff: The ScholarBuys staff has the right to accept or deny any reviewer’s applications. We will contact you by email to get your address before sending the product to you, and will let you know an expected date of delivery. Your blog review is due within 10 days of receipt of the product. ScholarBuys reserves the right to use any content submitted by you via email or otherwise in materials going out to customers, vendors, distributers, etc. ScholarBuys also has the right to with-hold or remove parts of your review before posting.

Microsoft Student Discount Promotion

2010-07-05T10:34:00.001-05:00

ScholarBuys has partnered with colleges all across the country to provide Microsoft at super low contracted discount! Visit VarsityBuys.com to get see if your school participates in the discount program.

With your purchase of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac you will get a free pair of Skullcandy2XL Spoke Earbud headphones. *While supplies last

If you purchase Windows 7 with media via student select from VarsityBuys.com you will also receive a free one year subscription to Kaspersky Internet Security 2010. *While supplies last

Twitter Contest

2010-07-02T10:26:00.000-05:00

Did you know ScholarBuys, VarsityBuys.com, AND Softsquatch.com all have a twitter account? Check them out often to find out more about what is going on with us as well as what is going on in the world of technology. Our accounts have updates about blogs, product promotions, and of course GIVEAWAYS!

Right now we have a giveaway for a Computer Accessory Bundle valued at $400, and it is so easy to enter!
1. Make sure you are following VarsityBuys.com on Twitter (www.twitter.com/VarsityBuys)
2. Let us know what you think of VarsityBuys.com with a @VarsityBuys response. For every Tweet you send we will enter you into the drawing for this great prize package

Prize package includes:
Moshi clearguard – keyboard cover
Tucano second skin computer folder (fits laptop up to 15.4")
Clickfree automatic backup 250gb
Clickfree docking station
HP USB flash drive v100x 2gb
Kaspersky Internet Security 2010- 1year license
LoJack for laptops 1yr subscription
2XL Spoke earbud headphones by Skullcandy
Tucao computer bag (fits laptop up to 15.4")

The fine print stuff: Once a winner has been selected, we will contact you via Direct Message on twitter and ask for your mailing address so that we can send you the prize. Please do not tweet your address at us; we do not want everyone seeing it. If you do not reply within 5 business days of the message we will choose another winner. No purchase necessary to win.

Softsquatch.com is giving away a computer!

2010-07-01T10:21:00.001-05:00

We are very excited to introduce our newest giveaway! We are giving away an Eee Box PC Desktop to the user who submits the best video to us

In order to be eligible to win this sweet prize you are going to need to do some stuff for us

1. Submit an original funny video, Softsquatch webisode, or technology related how-to video. Videos can be sent to us via email or via Softsquatch.com. If your movie is especially long or a large file size, please use a web service such as yousendit.com to get it to us. We will post your video to our Youtube channel and on Softsquatch.com (You can enter as often as you would like)

2. Share, Comment or "like" your favorite videos

3. The video with the most "buzz" will win the prize!

a. "Buzz" meaning comments, views, likes, etc.

b. This will also be to the discretion of Softsquatch

Launch of VarsityBuys.com

2010-06-30T15:37:00.005-05:00

ScholarBuys LLC is excited to announce the launch of VarsityBuys.com! This new website was created specifically to manage discount agreements made available to students and faculty.

Unique Features of VarsityBuys.com:

* VarsityBuys.com is a fully functional ecommerce site that is designed to manage purchases made online via student/faculty technology agreements.

* The site supports a number of agreements including but not limited to; Microsoft Student Select, Microsoft Campus Agreement Work at Home and Adobe Student/Faculty licensing.

* Each enrolled institution receives a customized portal with a unique URL (Vstore). Your Vstore can be accessed directly via the custom URL or via the drop down menu on the VarsityBuys.com home page. This makes word of mouth promotion of the discounts much easier at the school/department level.

* Each Vstore is customized and tailored to list only the products available to that specific institution. This is crucial because not every institution has the same discount programs available to their student/faculty population.

* VarsityBuys.com offers a quicker check out process by offering “eVerify”. This service can authenticate most higher education students instantly online by using the Academic Student Clearinghouse database.

* For those students not covered under eVerify (as well as faculty) an academic ID or class schedule can be uploaded directly to their VarsityBuys.com account.

* Most Microsoft products are now available via ESD (Electronic Software Download). ESD with single license key delivery has been shown to significantly lower the cost of goods sold while improving the end users acquisition experience.

* We now offer ESD for the Microsoft Campus & School Agreement. Eligible institutions can offer Work at Home copies of their licensed Microsoft software to faculty/staff for just $9.95 per title!

* The site also has all the necessary Microsoft End User License Agreements (EULA) built in and automated during the check-out process. So there is no need for additional paperwork to be filed by the school or customer.

* Most software products can only be purchased one time per 365 days via publisher rules. The site has a feature built into it that will prevent end-users from purchasing more than one of the same product in a 365 day period.

* Once academically authenticated the student/faculty member’s account stays active for 365 days. After that it is required to be re-authenticated. This insures current academic status and compliance.

* Customer Service for the site is supported via Live Chat M-F 8-5 Central. Additionally the site is very web 2.0 friendly and customer service is also supported via Twitter 7 days a week.

We are requesting that each enrolled institution post their custom Vstore link somewhere on their website for easy access to the student/faculty discounts. Additionally, we are encouraging that this link be posted on each institution’s Twitter and/or Facebook account.

Additional Marketing Support Available:

· PDF Flyers

· Posters

· Email copy

· Newsletter copy

· Facebook/Twitter copy

For additional information or marketing material please contact our marketing department.

info@scholarbuys.com

877-999-9294

2010 C2ES CONFERENCE

2010-06-18T15:03:00.004-05:00

Last week I attended C2es, a technology conference for the K-12 through higher education market, hosted by Douglas Stewart in Madison, Wis. For most guests it was a time to meet face to face the sales reps that only exist on the phone or through email the rest of the year, or to learn “How College Students Think” (break-out session 1), or to eat mashed-potato cocktails (in martini glasses- clever idea!), or snack on the hour every hour.

For me, it was a time to geek-out, which is my way of explaining my face suddenly flushing and the goofy grin I had when by a vendor I particularly liked. This “reaction” happened most notably around the Wacom, Adobe, Skullcandy, Quark, Mindjet, Dell, V-moda and Techsmith tables. They also happen to be some of my vendor favorites. Weird…

Here’s a brief vendor breakdown:

For one thing the Techsmith reps were full of helpful tidbits, not only about their products but about everything else as well. Have you ever heard of Jing? Well now you have- check it out. Do you know how vendors can give away such awesome, customized swag for free? I do. Industry secret, can’t tell you.

Skullycandy had a Plinko board and dj, V-moda the svelte laid back reps that oozed L.A chic. Dell had a bunk bed and was giving away 4 Netbooks while Abode gave away a full CS5 suite (I can’t believe I missed that!)! And around the corner Professional Cable used an iPad app to randomly choose a winner…for the iPad!

Insanity ensued.

And although I didn’t win the Netbook, CS5, the iPad or that trip to the World Cup (kidding), I did win a Flip HD camera (thank you Nuance Communications), a pair of Skullycandy and V-moda headphones. Expect reviews in the near future.

The Wacom reps let me take over their Cintiq demo and bombard them with fan-dom questions while NovaThink wowed me with their solar powered recharge station for the iPhone. Chill Pill’s speakers made me wish for college days in the Quad and William from Moshi is probably the biggest Bon Jovi fan I’ve ever met.

The On Your feet breakout sessions were an innovative and fun way to network and Alloy Media (yes, THE Alloy Media) had some helpful tips as well. The Douglas Stewart Company fed us about every 3 hours with snacks in between on the dot: I ate far too much. The hotel was easy to navigate, which was great for a first timer like me, and our room faced the Capital building which is quite a sight at night. In all, I had a blast at C2es 2010 and am excited for what next year’s conference will bring!

Blog Contributor
Sabella Flagg
Design & eCommerce Coordinator
ScholarBuys Academic Marketing

Review of Uniblue Powersuite 2010

2010-05-18T13:02:00.013-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to download Uniblue Powersuite 2010 by Uniblue software. The download itself was quick and easy with no hiccups. I instantly had access to a very intuitively designed control panel. The Uniblue PowerSuite is made up of three products;RegistryBooster, SpeedUpMyPC and DriverScanner.

DriverScanner 2010:
This product keeps your drivers up to date. It is a very simple program to use and does a quick scan of your computer. The scan determined that I had four drivers that needed to be updated. It located the drivers for me and updated them.

I found this component particularly interesting and useful. I cannot tell you how many times that outdated drivers have cost me hours of frustration. You know the scenario; you add new hardware such as a webcam, speakers or a printer. Then when you try to use the new product something just doesn’t quite jive. What typically happens next is a plethora of web searches to find a solution. From my experience, nine times out of ten the issue is an out of date driver.

SpeedUpMyPC 2010:
This product scans your computer processes, files and settings searching for things that are slowing you down. With a simple click of the mouse your network settings, RAM and CPU function are all scanned, cleaned and tuned for speed, while junk files are deleted for space. It does not get any simpler than this.

My laptop always seems to get bogged down every now and then. When it happens I typically search for what is slowing it down by bringing up Windows Task Manager. Next I search for items hogging space and adjust or delete them. With SpeedUpMyPC 2010 it takes the guess work out of this for you. Additionally, by scheduling the frequency of scans it makes the process “set it and forget it”.

RegistryBooster 2010 :
Over time the registry in your computer starts losing shape, accumulating obsolete, corrupt and harmful files. That is because whenever you install or uninstall software, adjust hardware or change settings, the Windows registry is updated. Left unchecked, your system can become increasingly unstable, run more slowly and crash more frequently. Registry Booster does a deep scan of your registry to identify problems and errors that can cause instability and slowdown.

After a quick scan RegistryBooster 2010 repaired and removed any harmful registry entries from my Laptop. It even managed to help solve a stubborn Microsoft XML error message I was getting every time I opened up QuickBooks.

Overall, the Uniblue PowerSuite gets the thumbs up from me based on its intuitiveness and usefulness. By merging these three solutions into one simple interface PowerSuite targets system elements tied to speed and stability. It can save you time, money and frustration! You can find this product available for download on our new ecommerce site VarsityBuys.com.

Blog Contributor
Matt Ryan
VP Operations/Marketing
ScholarBuys Academic Marketing

17 Reasons to Upgrade to Adobe CS5

2010-05-03T10:50:00.000-05:00

Below are 17 reasons why every student/educator should upgrade to Adobe CS5 today. To purchase a copy visit www.varsitybuys.com or contact your ScholarBuys Sales Rep!

1) Help students develop the skills they need—Ensure that students keep up with rapidly evolving industry standards by using the latest professional tools for creating print, web, video, audio, and mobile content.

2) Create interactive content more easily—Using new Adobe Flash® Catalyst™ CS5, students can confidently design interactive content, create functional interfaces, and add video to projects for the Adobe Flash Player runtime without having to learn how to write code.

3) Use free, standards-aligned curriculums to teach key digital communication and career skills—Adobe provides yearlong, project-based curriculum guides for teaching essential career skills in graphic design and print production, web design and development, and video design and production using new Adobe Creative Suite 5 software.

4) Present a wide range of material in media-rich portfolios—Students can share their work with faculty, peers, and prospective employers in a single, polished package using the PDF Portfolio feature in Adobe Acrobat® 9 Pro (included in Adobe Creative Suite 5 Design Premium and Creative Suite 5 Web Premium editions). Educators can distribute media-rich course content using the same feature.

5) Create and edit extraordinary images—Using Adobe Photoshop® CS5 Extended, students can more easily make complex image selections, remove image elements and pixels automatically, and explore new natural and realistic painting effects.

6) Design and develop more sophisticated websites—Educators and students can confidently use the latest technologies—including CSS, XML, and Ajax—to output standards-based websites and applications. They can view and edit web content directly in Adobe Dreamweaver® CS5, which provides new support for web frameworks like WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal.

7) Take interactive content to another level—Adobe Flash® Professional CS5 gives students and educators new drawing and graphics tools, as well as timesaving motion-authoring and editing capabilities, for creating amazing experiences that present consistently across screens of virtually any size. New code-authoring tools help accelerate advanced development.

8) Produce standout videos with an accelerated post-production experience—Students and educators can confidently use high-performance tools to create more impressive video productions, motion graphics, visual effects, and interactive experiences. They can work faster on HD and high-resolution projects thanks to native 64-bit operating system support in Adobe After Effects® CS5, Adobe Premiere® Pro CS5, and Photoshop CS5 Extended.

9) Create, design, test, and preview mobile content and applications—Students can use Adobe Device Central and other CS5 tools to design, test, and preview engaging content and applications for cell phones and other mobile devices.

10) Validate skills through Adobe certification programs—Educators can earn added credentials and students can open new opportunities by becoming certified for entry-level and professional-level CS5 skills.

11) Take advantage of professional development opportunities—Adobe offers online training and on-site workshops that help educators learn how to integrate Creative Suite 5 into their vocational or academic curriculum.

12) Extend CS5 capabilities through integration with services—By using Creative Suite 5 software with new Adobe CS Live online services*, educators and students can enhance collaboration and streamline critical processes. Adobe CS Review makes it easy to create, share, and get feedback on designs; Adobe BrowserLab simplifies website testing and previews; Adobe Story speeds up video production by streamlining scriptwriting and shooting; and Acrobat.com provides instant and more secure file sharing. CS Live online services are complimentary for a limited time. Visit www.adobe.com/go/cslive for more details.

13) Create more compelling graphics—New stroke options and brush functionality in Adobe Illustrator® CS5 give students greater creative freedom and enhanced precision and control.

14) Edit, enhance, and manipulate 3D objects—Students can take their designs and artwork to the next level by more easily incorporating 3D using the new Adobe Repoussé technology in Photoshop CS5 Extended.

15) Take advantage of flexible licensing options—Adobe provides volume licensing programs that help higher education and K–12 institutions make the most of their software budgets. K–12 School Site Licenses enable more affordable distribution of software across a single campus or throughout a district. With Adobe Student and Teacher Editions (for both higher education and K–12), individual students, faculty, and staff can purchase Creative Suite 5 products at highly discounted prices.

16) Work across operating systems—Adobe Creative Suite 5 software is available for Windows® and Mac OS, and allows students and educators to work, transfer files, and collaborate smoothly across different operating systems.

17) Focus on the work, not the technology—Productivity enhancements and automated processes help students and educators get more done in less time.

Softsquatch.com Video Submissions

2010-04-25T13:17:00.016-05:00

Have you seen some of the user generated video submissions sent into Softsquatch.com recently? We invited Softsquatch fans to send us their "Softsquatch Sighting" videos. The videos range from just plain cheesy to bizarre to absolutely epic! The videos are posted on Softsquatch.com and our YouTube Channel . Some videos have been submitted by aspiring film makers and others by students.

We hope to develop Softsquatch.com around this blog and user-generated content such as these videos. In addition to the Softsquatch videos if you have an original tech related How-to / Hack video feel free to submit it. Our site and YouTube channel have developed quite a loyal following. As of today their are over 280,000 views of the channel. If you are an aspiring filmmaker, comedian or tech guru this is an easy way to get an audience for your work!

Here is my personal favorite

Think you can make something better? Would you like to be featured on our site and channel? Feel free to submit a video today! We will soon be giving away prizes for best video submissions. The site is still in beta and many new features will be added in the coming months. If your company would like to sponsor a give-away please contact us.

Blog Contributor
Matt Ryan
VP Operations/Marketing
ScholarBuys Academic Marketing

What's Happening @ScholarBuys Academic Marketing

2010-04-13T13:23:00.006-05:00

ScholarBuys Academic Marketing continues to grow at a rapid pace. Q1 of 2010 was up 47% over Q1 2009! You may have noticed that we recently started to develop new brands underneath the ScholarBuys Academic Marketing umbrella. This was done to pinpoint market into multiple segments. We expect new websites for all three segments to launch in the next 60 days.

Our flagship brand remains ScholarBuys. As a value added reseller of computer software, hardware and peripherals; ScholarBuys is committed exclusively to the academic intuition market. ScholarBuys also has the unique focus of partnering with academic consortia throughout the country. By coordinating the acquisition power of a consortium’s constituents, ScholarBuys negotiates special agreements with technology publishers on the consortium’s behalf. These agreements allow consortium members to obtain economies of scale that they could not hope to obtain on their own.

We are currently putting the final touches on our newest project, VarsityBuys.com. We have dipped our toes into the ecommerce market previously but never fully committed enough resources to it. With VarsityBuys.com we are diving in head first and hope to make big splash! VarsityBuys.com is heavily focused on the College Student market. We expect to have the site launched by the end of April 2010. The methodology behind the site and its features will be truly groundbreaking for our industry.

Additionally, you may have noticed our newest project, softsquatch.com. The biggest question we get is “What the heck is Softsquatch”. We initially developed Softsquatch as a mascot of sorts to promote our special offers. If you were able to find him on our website you would save an additional 10-20% with his hidden savings.

After using Softsquatch to promote our brand via social media he quickly developed a cult following. We decided to create Softsquatch.com as a way to capitalize on his cult following. The site is currently in Beta but when complete will host our Blog and user generated content. Softsquatch fans can submit their own videos and Blog write ups for a chance to win via regular prize giveaways! The site’s focus is Humor, Hacks & How-to.

That’s what’s happening!

Blog Contributor
Matt Ryan
VP Operations/Marketing
ScholarBuys Academic Marketing

Apple iPad Review

2010-04-04T14:37:00.002-05:00

My iPad arrived early Saturday morning and I have not put it down since. The touch screen format is the next generation of computing. Believe it or not I decided to get a iPad because of my 3 year old son. He is always stealing my iPhone or my wife's. We were surprised to see how easily he navigated around the iPhone watching videos on YouTube and playing games.

He started out just by watching us use the iPhone. Then one day my wife handed it to him while in a doctor’s office waiting room. To her surprise he immediately knew all the touch screen functions. He was able to navigate YouTube, games and other applications just by mimicking what he had seen us do previously. So when I heard about the iPad I figured it could be a good fit for the whole family and preordered one.

When the iPad arrived and I took it out of the box my son Caden said, "That's a really big phone daddy!” That is the thing about kids; they are brutally honest and call it like it is. For all attempts and purposes this is exactly what the iPad is, a super sized iPhone. However, in my opinion that is a good thing. The iPhone revolutionized browsing and the Internet in general with the use of apps. So why not just expand on it and try and reach into new markets?

The iPad basically picks up where the iPhone left off. It allows for a much easier browsing experience given its screen size. As Steve Jobs proclaimed it would be, it is the best browsing experience hands down! It makes surfing the net and using applications much easier than with the iPhone or a laptop. You get the touch screen convenience of the iPhone with a practical screen size. Additionally, it makes reading books very practical and easy. Who knows, maybe this device will be what saves the print industry.

Now the bad, it is an unfinished product. It needs to be able to run the Mac OS to be taken seriously as a primary computing device. It may be an awesome browsing experience but the inability to multitask is a killer (It would be nice to chat on AIM while browsing). Also, Apple needs to support Flash and stop trying to stick it to Adobe. How about a webcam or USB ports as well? Additionally, if you could run Office for Mac on this device it would have an immediate legit business function. And finally, your iPhone Apps will work with the iPad but most display in the original iPhone screen size. You have the ability to expand them but they lose resolution and look distorted. Some Apps have free upgrades and will work on both devices. However, others appear to be double dipping and want you to pay for an App for each device.

Maybe Apple’s intentions are not to make the iPad a primary computing device, if so they should reconsider that stance. The intuitiveness of this touch screen device makes it a perfect fit for education and novice computer users. My son was able to immediately start using it and had fun using some of the “edutainment “Apps I downloaded for him. Overall, this is a truly awesome device and has the foundation to be a game changer. If you are looking for something to replace your laptop, I would hold off. If you are looking for a device to watch movies on, read books and play games with then the iPad might be the perfect fit.

Blog Contributor
Matt Ryan
VP Operations/Marketing
ScholarBuys Academic Marketing

Windows 7 Pro Review

2010-04-01T09:05:00.001-05:00

Windows 7 is a great upgrade from both XP and Vista. The speed of the operating system is incredible. Windows 7 will allow a computer to run twice as fast as the computer did with XP. Microsoft has created a system that is user friendly, fast, and fewer glitches than Vista. If you are looking for a modern operating system with spectacular new features, Windows 7 is the operating system for you.

Some of the improved features are the snap feature that allows you to slide one window to the right and it will self adjust for fit half of the screen, then drag a second window to the left and it will fit the other half of the screen. This allows you to use two windows at once with both windows being in the forefront of the screen. Just like Vista, it allows you to select widgets to add to the desktop. Be able to see a clock, news feeds, weather, etc. without needing to open any windows. Easily pin programs and files to the bottom toolbar for quick access. Hover over the right side of the toolbar to show all open windows. By associating more than one computer with your free Windows live account, you can share files between multiple computers.

You still have pop-ups asking permission to install new software. Some software that was well used on XP is not supported by Windows 7. Programs such as Photo Story and Steady State, which are used in education, are not supported by Windows 7.

Overall, Windows 7 is a huge improvement over Vista and XP. Microsoft has fixed most of the issues with Vista, and created a modern, usable operating system. Microsoft has also created new user friendly applications to offer ways to work with multiple windows at the same time, quickly open programs and files that are frequently used.

Blog Contributor

Josh Wiechert M. Ed. Tech.

Instructional Technology Specialist

Franklin Middle School

Champaign, IL

Skullcandy Lowrider Review

2010-03-28T15:10:00.000-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to try a pair of Skullcandy Lowrider headphones. Being an audiophile and a musician, I was excited to put them to the test. I am pretty hard on my headphones. With the exception of my Shure E2c’s, I usually go through about 3 pairs a year. I don’t physically break them but the wires usually come loose and then I end up having to throw them out. I have seen the Skullcandy products in the stores before, but I have typically passed them up in order to purchase from brands that I was more familiar with, such as Sennheiser, Sony, Shure, etc. So when I received a pair of these headphones to try out, I was interested to see how they would stack up against the competition.

First, let me tell you how they look. They are definitely not your standard old style headphones. Skullcandy gives you plenty of options when it comes to colors. The pair I tried was blue and white and decorated with the Skullcandy logo. Most other brands only offer a single color option.

The headphones felt really comfortable to wear as well. The headband was padded so you never felt that hard plastic feel that you get from other headphones. The earpieces also had a nice padding to them and felt comfortable on my ears. Another added benefit is that these headphones had a decent amount of metal construction. This helped me feel secure that these headphones would take a decent beating and still hold up well.

The warranty on these headphones and all other Skullcandy products also reassured me that these headphones were made for me. This is from their warranty information “Aggressive Listening Discount: All Skullcandy products that fail due to "aggressive listening"--that is, if Skullcandy products fail or break due to a crazy crash on the mountain or a violent head-banging session... or any other reason that is not a product defect, we will still hook you up! Send in whatever remains of your product, and we will send you a coupon good for 50% off any product in our Online Shop.

Defective Product Replacement: We will gladly replace any defective Skullcandy product. Please write a detailed description of the problem below so our team can serve your needs quickly.” With a warranty like this, this may be the last pair of headphones you ever need to purchase. It will definitely save me money over the course of a year should they fail.

Now, let’s get to how they sound. I like to “break in” my headphones and speakers first before I put them to the test. So I set my iPod to half volume and played music through the headphones for 4 hours. This allows the speakers a breaking in period. I then played various styles of music from Classical to Heavy Metal and everything in between. These headphones sounded great no matter what I played through them. I also played music at all volume levels. At the lowest volume, they still cranked out enough sound to block the sound around me. At the loudest volume, they hurt my ears, yet still produced crisp sound that was not distorted. The highs were crisp and the bass was there but not over bearing. I really like these headphones and now carry them with me all the time much to the disappointment from my Shure E2c’s that now just sit on my shelf.

Do yourself a favor and purchase a pair of Skullcandy headphones. You will not be disappointed.

Blog Contributor
Chris Skrzypchak
Consolidated School District 158
Computer Literacy Educator

Wacom Intuos4 Review

2010-03-23T16:45:00.001-05:00

Having never used a tablet before, I was really excited to try one out, especially since I was starting with a tablet that is made to be pretty sweet. Initially, it was hard to get used to using the tablet (and admittedly I was just excited to write my name successfully), but I would hope this would be the case with anyone who hadn’t used a tablet before.

The Intuos4 is extremely sensitive, and with the slightest touch to the tablet you are in action! The touch ring (similar to an IPod control) allows for zooming, scrolling, and changing brush sizes quickly. There are also a lot of software features that are fun to use, including a flick feature which can help you navigate internet pages or folders with a quick flick right or left acting as the forward or back button, and a flick up or down scrolling the page up or down.

Features I haven’t gotten to use yet: Express keys, which I honestly don’t know if I will use much because I am used to working with keyboard short cuts. Different pen nibs and a nib remover are inside the pen holder so you can switch out the nibs for different types of work (which I admit, I didn’t catch onto until today) FREE SOFTWARE: Including Photoshop Elements 7 (or 6 for Mac), Autodesk Sketchbook Express 2010, or Corel Painter Sketch Pad. Check out this link for more info on the other free software you can get with an Intuos4 purchase

Windows 7 (and Vista) has A LOT of features for tablets, and working with the Wacom, I can use the pen input for just about any program. And easily accessible on-screen keyboard and handwriting input even allow me to skip the keyboard if I want to.

Cons: It might be TOO much for me to handle, with a lot of features and functions I may not ever use. With research, I am sure it would be easy to find all of the cool things that come with using an Intuos4.

Pros: The tablet itself is really easy to use and catch on to, even if you don’t use all of the features, it makes photo retouching and illustrating a lot easier. It is very realistic, allowing for the feel of pen to paper as you move the pen around. It’s really small! It is great to just throw in my laptop bag and travel with. I bring it to and from work easily so I can use it on any computer I am using.

Blog Contributor
Naomi Cadwallader
Operations Manager

ScholarBuys Academic Marketing

**By the way, if you are interested in your own tablet please call us. We are very aggressive with our Academic Discounts!

Camtasia Studio 6

2010-03-17T10:47:00.000-05:00

Camtasia Studio Overview

I recently had the opportunity to download and use TechSmith's Camtasia Studio 6. If you are interested in screencasting look no more! This product has become the industry standard in screencasting. If you are not familiar with the term screencasting you are probably familiar with its function. Screencasting allows you to capture what is on your computer screen and display it in video or picture format. This is very helpful when creating tutorial videos or demonstrating a products functions online.

Techsmith provides a number of tutorial videos (screencasts) within their product. There is a learning curve with this product and the videos help immensely. I am the type of person who refuses to read the instructions on anything. I am not sure if it is out of laziness or my chronic adult ADD. Either way, I was able to just start this product up and use it. Anytime I got stuck I would refer to the tutorial videos for assistance. If only IKEA's furniture came with screencasts!

I highly recommend this product and plan on using it on future blogs. Screencasting allows you to review software, websites and anything on the web. You can add captions, audio, narration etc. So you will be seeing allot of this product in use on future posts!

Blog Contributor
Matt Ryan
VP Operations/Marketing
ScholarBuys Academic Marketing

Office 2010

2010-03-12T12:14:00.003-06:00

Microsoft plans to release Office 2010 on June 15 2010. Any ScholarBuys customer who purchases Office 2007 between March 5, 2010 and September 30, 2010 will be given a free copy of Office 2010 when available. Currently selected customers can purchase Microsoft Office 2007 for $69 through our Student Select Portal. If your school is not listed on our portal please contact us for further instruction.

Taking advantage of this offer allows you to get Office 2010 at the current low Office 2007 price!

www.shopscholar.com

Blog Contributor
Matt Ryan
VP Operations/Marketing
ScholarBuys Academic Marketing

Bamboo Touch Review

2010-03-09T13:12:00.002-06:00

If you’re just starting to wean yourself off “The Mouse” and into the tablet arena or a designer who sometimes needs to quickly fly across the screen, Bamboo Touch is a great tool for you. With its small almost-paper-thin frame this Tablet takes up no room at all while being pen and touch enabled. It can replace your mouse and laptop touch pad if you want!
Cons: Sensitivity with the Bamboo Touch will get the most basic jobs done but graphic artists and illustrators may want to invest in one of Wacoms more specialized tablets (like the Intuos) for higher sensitivity and bigger size.
Pros: It’s small! Would easily fit into a suitcase, backpack or the pockets of those oversized harem pants you’ve been dying to wear.
Purchase Here
Video
Reviewer:
Sabella Flagg

ScholarBuys Academic Marketing

eCommerce & Design Coordinator

ScholarBuys

2010-01-15T10:19:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the ScholarBuys blog! Contributors for this blog include ScholarBuys staff, customers and guest bloggers. We hope you find the content useful and interesting!