RSSMicrosoft Loads Apps into Works Suite
By Nate Mook | Published October 27, 2005, 11:54 AM
Microsoft on Thursday announced a new release of its Works Suite, which doesn't include any new core features, but instead bundles a number of consumer-oriented software titles. Microsoft Works is intended to offer a low-cost alternative to Office, while focusing more on home environments.
Works 2006, priced $50 more than the standalone $49.99 Works 8, includes the latest editions of Microsoft Money, Streets and Trips Essential, Digital Image Standard and Encarta. The idea, says Microsoft, is to help families be more productive with better organization and easy to use tools.
"Whether you're a multitasking mom or dad, your time is precious," said Kim Schaefer, product manager for Works Suite at Microsoft. Using the bundled tools, families can share photos and burn picture CDs, keep their finances up to date, lookup encyclopedia information and plan vacations.
For the new Works release, Microsoft has chosen not to update Word 2002, a sign that home users don't need the latest features found in Microsoft's flagship Office System. Works 8, released last year, was also not updated for the refresh.
"That's revealing about potential future plans for the suite and which components may be more appealing to consumers," says Jupiter Research senior analyst Joe Wilcox. "I do think the decision conveys a dangerous message, that Word 2002 (and maybe even Office XP) is good enough for most consumers and a time Microsoft evangelizes Office 2003 and Office 12."
Microsoft Works 2006 will be sold in retail stores for $99.99 USD, with a $20 mail-in rebate. Additional information can be found on the Works Web site.
Obviously Joe Wilcox is confused because he doesn't remember the fact that ever since the early days, Microsoft has ALWAYS used the previous version of Word in the Works product. From way back in the DOS days, when a new version of Word came out, Works was upgraded with the older version.
This is old news and has been the same for a long time.
Tom
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|Works is always going to suck badly, until it's fully file format compatible with the grown up MS Office. At the moment, there are a couple of flakey import filters. It may get acceptence when it's efault formats become XLS and DOC, PPT formats...
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|Actually, the word processor that Works uses is MS WORD 2002. :)
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|Actually, the Word 2002 vs. Word 2003 issue is simple. Word 2003 only runs on Windows 2000, Windows 2003 and Windows XP. It doesn't run on Win98, Win98SE or WinME. Lots of home users still have Win98 or WinME.
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|haha why does Works still exist?
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|Cheaper, easier to use, does more of what home users want to do.
I saw another user elsewhere say, "It's called OFFICE for a reason, don't ya get it? O-F-F-I-C-E."
It's a great point... people tend to complain about cost, and "bloat"/"feature creep" and yet they refuse to acknowledge/use low-cost alternatives.
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|I'm surprised this app is still around; even more surprised that anyone would pay $100 for it when Office Standard retails for $125 on the street.
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|Ahh, but companies like Dell and HP will sell a pc with MS Works cheaper than Office Standard, by like $150 or so. THAT's the kicker.
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|No, the Office Standard *Upgrade* is $125-150, depending on where you buy it... Unless you qualify for Student-Teacher, then you can get the "non-upgrade" price for $150.
Regardless, if you actually read the article-- $100 gives you the Word, Works, Money, Streets and Trips, Digital Image, and Encarta... a much better solution for home users and students than, say, Office Standard which features Word, Excel, PowerPoint (the only real benefit compared to Works), and Outlook.
The only thing you really lack with Works is PowerPoint, which is a shame, but you can just as easily use Word to create "Slides" for printout versions, and then save as "HTML" to view it.
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