Microsoft Works Suite 2001

Unless you've been interested in computers for a long time and have a good memory, the concept of an integrated package might need some explaining. It combines the features of a word processor, spreadsheet and database in a single program. Works is practically the last of the breed, and the only reason for its survival is that Microsoft continually repackages it to satisfy the changing expectations of its users.

Works Suite 2001 consists of Works plus Encarta World Atlas, Money, AutoRoute and Picture It. All these programs are dressed in their latest clothes for 2001, and the ones you choose to install are added to the main menu of Works so that they look as if they're part of the integrated package.

Looks are deceiving though, and if you want to use two or more programs at the same time, you'll soon tire of swapping disks. Works installs itself onto the hard disk of a PC and you can switch effortlessly between the word processor, spreadsheet and database; but when you're using the add-on programs you have to juggle six supporting CDs containing maps, data, clip-art and additional programs.

If you've been counting, you may have noticed that we've named only four of the five supporting programs. The fifth is Word 2000, which occupies a rather special position in relation to Works. Rather than simply being added to the Works central menu, it becomes part of the program itself, replacing the less sophisticated Works word processor with a fully-featured professional one that's always on tap, regardless of which CD is in the drive. Although Word doesn't have a 2001 tag, it really is the latest version of the program and is identical to the version included with Office 2000.

In fact, all the programs in Works Suite are complete and up to date, and have not been cut down in any way. AutoRoute 2001, for example, covers Britain down to street and postcode level, and can plot routes from door to door in the UK and from town to town in Europe.

Money not only records the ups and downs of bank and credit-card transactions, but also monitors investments and can be used for budgeting and planning. Encarta World Atlas includes all the videos, photos, 3D images and interactive features of the separate product.

If there's a weak link, it's Picture It. Though called a publisher, it's more of an assembly-line for items such as cards, calendars and banners. If this is what you need, it does the job admirably.

Features new to this version of Works are Portfolio, a visual scrapbook into which you can drag text, pictures and web pages for later use, and Format Gallery, a set of coordinating colour and font combinations you can apply to an entire document in one go.

Any criticisms we have of Works are relatively minor. We don't like the way the setup program forces an upgrade to Internet Explorer 5.5 during installation, and we find the ability of Works to share data with handheld PCs and mobile phones is over-hyped. Works shares appointments and addresses with portable devices because it uses the standard Windows Address Book and Outlook Calendar, not through special capabilities.

And despite its commendable versatility and the ease with which it can be learned, Works requires a far more powerful PC than Microsoft's optimistic minimum specification would suggest.

Even if you had the time and inclination to shop around, the six programs in Works Suite 2001 would cost over £300 to buy separately. For the home user looking for a ready-made library of easy-to-use software, it's an irresistible bargain.

Contact
Microsoft 0345 00200, www.microsoft.com Ease of use **** Performance **** Features ***** Value for money ***** Overall ****.

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