Works Suite, a bargain-priced bundle that includes most of Works (Microsoft's low-end productivity package), Word (Microsoft's professional-level word processor), and consumer applications such as Encarta and Money, has been updated. The Suite bundles more than US$180 worth of Microsoft software for US$79 (after a US$20 mail-in rebate), and it is sold through retail outlets and bundled by OEMs with consumer-oriented PCs.

What's in the Suite?

Works Suite 2005 includes the basic spreadsheet, calendar, and database applications found in Works 8, which was released in Aug. 2004. Improvements to these applications from previous versions include color-coded calendars that can be more easily shared among multiple users, automatic backup, and a preinstalled PowerPoint viewer.

Instead of the basic word-processing program included in Works 8, the Suite contains Word 2002, the version of Microsoft's professional word processor that shipped with Office XP. Microsoft chose not to ship the newer Word 2003 with Works Suite 2005 because Word 2003 requires Windows 2000 or later. This would have made it impossible for existing Suite users with older OSs, such as Windows 98, to upgrade to Suite 2005. (According to Microsoft, a sizable number of existing customers upgrade the Suite every year or two.)

Works Suite 2005 also includes the following applications:

• PictureIt Premium 10, the latest version of Microsoft's lowest-priced digital photography application, which boasts new quality correction tools and a new library for organizing pictures
• Money Standard 2005, the latest update to Microsoft's personal finance software, which includes a new way to see all accounts in a single overview and a wizard that helps track bills
• Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2005, the latest version of Microsoft's encyclopedia software
• Streets and Trips 2005, the latest edition of Microsoft's trip-planning software, which features new GPS capabilities. (However, this is not the new GPS Locator edition of Streets and Trips, which comes with GPS locator hardware that can be plugged into a USB port, essentially allowing users to convert a portable PC into a GPS device.)

For more information on Works Suite 2005, see www.microsoft.com/products/works/ ProductDetails.aspx?pid=001. Background on Works 8 and PictureIt Premium 10 can be found in "Works, Digital Imaging Software Updated" on page 25 of the Sept. 2004 Update.