Nearly half of all Americans say they turn to the PC to achieve personal goals such as getting more organized and being more productive.(1) To help transform those goals into reality, Microsoft Corp. today announced the latest version of its home productivity software, Microsoft® Works Suite 2005, which offers six popular software titles in one affordable package.
An incredible value, Works Suite 2005 delivers Microsoft Word 2002 and the latest versions of Microsoft Works, Microsoft Encarta® Encyclopedia Standard, Microsoft Money Standard, Microsoft Picture It!(R) Premium, and Microsoft Streets & Trips. This comprehensive package enables consumers to keep track of the household schedule, complete homework assignments, edit photos, manage personal finances and more using their home PC.
“Our lives are busy, and we know people are turning to technology to help make their daily routines more manageable,” said Kim Schaefer, product manager for home productivity at Microsoft. “Microsoft Works Suite 2005 has everything a family needs to convert the home PC into an affordable productivity powerhouse, making it easy to accomplish daily tasks and more.”
Market research firm Gartner Inc. estimates that nearly 100 million computers will be replaced this year and another 120 million will be exchanged in 2005.(2) Works Suite provides two options for consumers who want to upgrade their computing capabilities. Those who are looking to extend the life of their existing PC can simply give their machine a digital makeover for less than $100 with the new software package. Consumers who are in the market to buy new hardware can head to popular suppliers for affordably priced PC offerings preloaded with Microsoft Works Suite.
“More than ever, our customers are looking for PCs with software that can help them tackle daily tasks,” said Chris Homeister, vice president of software product planning at Gateway Inc. “Products like Microsoft Works Suite deliver the essentials combined with ease of use and value, which enables us to provide the right combination of features in our machines. We look forward to working with Microsoft to bring the latest version of Works Suite to our customers.”
Microsoft Works Suite 2005 provides powerful tools to accomplish everyday tasks, including the following new and enhanced features:
—New Edition! Microsoft Works 8 is an easy-to-use home productivity
software package that combines word processing, spreadsheet, database
and calendar programs with an e-mail client, Internet tool and more.
Whatever the task, Works 8 includes the tools needed to get things done
quickly and easily.
* New! Dictionary provides quick and easy access to definitions for
help with homework and document writing or for a quick reference.
* New! PowerPoint Viewer lets consumers see Microsoft PowerPoint®
presentations on the home PC, even if they don’t have Microsoft
Office or PowerPoint.
* Enhanced! Calendar now allows up to four people to create separate
calendars, which can be color-coded and viewed separately or
together, making it fun and fast to manage schedules for the entire
household.
—Microsoft Office Word 2002 is an ideal word-processing program for
home, school or work and makes it easy to create professional-looking
documents, communicate ideas and share information.
* Spelling Dictionary and Grammar Checker scan documents for
grammatical and spelling errors, flag mistakes, and display possible
corrections with a right click of the mouse.
* AutoCorrect saves time by automatically identifying and correcting
common multiple-word typographical and grammatical errors, as well as
capitalization mistakes. Smart tags make it possible to control and
modify this automatic behavior.
* Track Changes makes it easy to see edits in a document by
automatically color-coding and identifying changes made by other
users. Screen tips show which edits were made when and by whom.
* Tables are a simple yet sophisticated way to arrange thoughts and
data in ways that make sense to the people the user is trying to
reach.
* Templates and wizards help the user create impressive documents from
start to finish—letters, memos, faxes, agendas, awards, calendars,
newsletters, resumes and more.
* Mail Merge Wizard makes it simple to create customized letters,
labels, envelopes, directories, e-mail messages and faxes.
—New Edition! Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2005 is the latest version
of the best-selling(3) reference software available today. Students can
learn through videos, photos, maps and more than 41,000 articles that
are fun and engaging, and parents have the peace of mind that their
children are exploring and learning in a safe, trusted environment.
* New! Encarta Search Bar makes it faster and easier than ever for
students to stay focused and get relevant results. The search bar
appears in the Windows® Task Pane even when Encarta is closed, so
students always have access to the Encarta database.
* Update Encarta provides refreshed content every seven to 10 days,
keeping Encarta current as the world changes.
—New Edition! Picture It! Premium 10 makes organizing, enhancing and
sharing digital photos fun and easy for the whole family. This complete
software solution is ideal for the first-time digital photographer, yet
provides sophisticated photo-editing and organization tools that even a
more-advanced user would appreciate.
* New! Picture It! Library offers even more ways to organize and share
images.
* New! Auto Fixes offers quick and easy ways to enhance images.
* New! Color Auto Fix analyzes and corrects the color balance in the
image by changing the light source, color temperature and color
channel balance.
* New! Exposure Auto Fix automatically adjusts the overall brightness
and contrast in an image.
* New! Camera Phone Auto Fix improves images taken on mobile phone
cameras so they look great on other devices.
—New Edition! Money Standard 2005 is an automated personal finance
solution that provides a quick and easy way to view, improve and
optimize the family’s finances. Money makes handling finances easy with
speedy setup, automated tools that reduce the need for manual entry,
and adaptable features that provide a more personal experience.
* Enhanced! Setup Assistant enables consumers to quickly get started
using the software program and see a snapshot of their finances in
just two easy steps. Also, Money offers connections to thousands of
banks, brokerages and credit card companies, providing convenient
access to timely account information with little or no manual entry.
* New! Essential Register keeps account information up to date,
providing a current snapshot of statements and balances for consumers
who want just a basic view of accounts.
* Enhanced! Spending Analysis automatically generates a pie chart of
expense categories over various time frames, and shows dollar amounts
and percentage breakouts for each area.
* New! Bills Wizard automatically tracks bills and identifies when they
have been paid and when they are due.
—New Edition! Streets & Trips 2005 makes it possible to travel with
complete confidence. It’s easy to plan any trip with comprehensive,
customizable and current maps, driving directions, advanced routing
options, road construction updates and points of interest.
* New! Enhanced GPS support includes three new features exclusive to
Streets & Trips 2005 that make GPS easier than ever to use: an
intuitive GPS task pane, GPS Trail and Re-route from Here.
* Enhanced! Accurate mapping data for the United States and Canada
includes more than 5.4 million miles of local, city and highway roads
and more than 1.8 million points of interest. Free road construction
updates are stored online and are available for download at any time.
* New! Pocket Streets for Smartphone makes it easy to download maps to
a mobile device and take them anywhere.
Availability
Microsoft Works Suite 2005 is available in stores now for $99.95 (U.S. estimated retail price), before a $20 (U.S.) ($40 CAN) mail-in rebate.
