On the specific note of fundamental writing tools, Word 2007 now features (rather prominently, I discovered it within about an hour of non-directed playing with Word 2007) citation and bibliography management tools.
Right now, I've got to admit that I'm pretty happy with Microsoft. They offer really deep discounts for Students. Office 2007 is about $60 right now from theultimatesteal.com, and students can get Microsoft's developer tools and a copy of Server 2003 for free, which is pretty awesome. Plus, I've got to admit, Windows Vista kind of rocks. I've had it on the ThinkPad since September and it's been just about rock solid. I really don't need to (but probably will) reformat it. Even then, I'm waiting until summer, just so I can back everything up and do a proper job of it all.
Unfortunately, I really dislike to add dislike to threads like this, but I've got to admit, I'm really unhappy with Adobe right now. I've recently discovered that Bridge CS3 works almost infinitely better on Windows than it does on my Mac.
The Adobe thing is more of a personal complaint than anything else -- It's mainly the fact that I've now got no Mac-only apps, and the one app I expected to be awesome on my Mac, runs better on my cheap impulse-buy PC laptop than it does on my relatively high-spec iMac, and the nice iMacs at the School of Comm.
Right now, I've got to admit that I'm pretty happy with Microsoft. They offer really deep discounts for Students. Office 2007 is about $60 right now from theultimatesteal.com, and students can get Microsoft's developer tools and a copy of Server 2003 for free, which is pretty awesome. Plus, I've got to admit, Windows Vista kind of rocks. I've had it on the ThinkPad since September and it's been just about rock solid. I really don't need to (but probably will) reformat it. Even then, I'm waiting until summer, just so I can back everything up and do a proper job of it all.
Unfortunately, I really dislike to add dislike to threads like this, but I've got to admit, I'm really unhappy with Adobe right now. I've recently discovered that Bridge CS3 works almost infinitely better on Windows than it does on my Mac.
The Adobe thing is more of a personal complaint than anything else -- It's mainly the fact that I've now got no Mac-only apps, and the one app I expected to be awesome on my Mac, runs better on my cheap impulse-buy PC laptop than it does on my relatively high-spec iMac, and the nice iMacs at the School of Comm.