From Ms L. Calleja

While thanking Jesmond Saliba for kindly pointing out that the Microsoft package offer is available on-line, I would like to assure him that I HAVE come across the adverts announcing this.

However, it is a pity that these only appeared a considerable time after the day designated for students to collect their package from Valletta.

Surely the poor souls who stood out there had, like me, not come across them. It is debatable whether they would have braved the elements – some even opted to start queuing at 5am, or so we were told – when they could have procured their package with a mere click of a mouse.

Were we meant to marvel at the queues and consider this a very successful marketing exercise?

The same thing had happened with the offer for Windows XP, when many more had been foolish enough to stand in a queue, some for five hours, only to learn a few days later that they could apply on-line.

On this occasion many bided their time, expecting the same to happen, and were proved right. Perhaps next time round, when and if there is an offer, the ministry will not test students' gullibility but merely announce a website for applications.

Louise Calleja