PreviousInside PowerPoint 12 (beta 1)
Photos PowerPoint gets enhanced graphics and a beefed-up library of templates to spice up presentations.
Outlook 12 (beta 1)
Preview Microsoft's desktop email client provides new skills for handling and sharing tasks, as well as a revamped search engine and built-in newsfeeds.
The Search review
Review The Search, by Wired co-founder and Industry Standard publisher John Batelle, covers the history and future of the ubiquitous search box, from Altavista through Google's IPO and on to the prospects for Tim Berners-Lee's semantic Web.
8.0 Editors' Rating
Red Hat Desktop 4 review
Review Businesses that need to support a reasonable number (>10) of Linux PCs may find that Red Hat Desktop 4 delivers an attractive total cost of ownership (TCO).
7.7 Editors' Rating
SUSE Linux 10 review
Review SUSE Linux 10 is a full Windows/Microsoft Office replacement on one DVD at a bargain price. Home users could do a lot worse, and even IT managers may learn to love it.
8.0 Editors' Rating
Apple Mac OS X on x86: a first test
Tech Guide Steve Jobs might not approve, but Apple's latest operating system can be installed on any x86 hardware. How well does it function? Read our preliminary labs test to find out.
Google Desktop 2 review
Review Google Desktop 2 does a mixed job of anticipating the content you want, but it provides a handy link to files, applications and frequently accessed Web sites; its search is powerful, too.
7.0 Editors' Rating
Wikipedia review
Review Wikipedia offers rich and frequently updated information, but you might need to verify some of its facts.
6.3 Editors' Rating
Killing the killer app
Tech Guide Does on-demand software mean we can throw out our high-end PCs?
Windows Vista: Build 5231
Preview The latest build of Windows Vista includes more tools for system diagnostics and connection, plus a more finalised Internet Explorer 7. Here's a preview and a recap of Vista's progress to date.
Inside Windows Vista Build 5231
Preview The latest build of Windows Vista includes more tools for system diagnostics and connection, plus a more finalised Internet Explorer 7. Here's a screenshot gallery.
Macromedia Studio 8 review
Review Macromedia Studio 8 is a comprehensive and professional package that designs content for dynamic, multimedia Web sites and mobile devices.
8.0 Editors' Rating
Fireworks 8 review
Review The upgrade to this top-flight Web graphics editor makes Fireworks 8 easier to use, but newcomers will confront a steep learning curve.
7.7 Editors' Rating
Blog! review
Review Five years from now, blogging will be such a commonplace tool that people will marvel we ever had to analyse how we might use it. For now, though, this book is a useful mine of ideas.
8.0 Editors' Rating
Alternatives to Microsoft Office
Buyer's Guide Corel's WordPerfect 12 and Sun's StarOffice 8 aren't the dominant productivity suite players, but they each bring strong qualities to the field, such as affordability and ease of use. But do they have what it takes to stand up to Microsoft Office? Also, find out what's in store for the next version of Office.
