by Joyce Kohl
April 17, 1998
There have been many attempts to produce a suite of software for the Home PC user. Few have succeeded to include all the necessities until Microsoft's Home Essentials 98 was released. This package contains the full and latest versions of the programs.
None of the programs are cut-down or "lite" versions. Advertisements claim Home Essentials 98 is the "Total Solution" for home users. And it IS! There is no better description; there is no better all-around software; there is nothing easier to use. Wizards and onscreen assistants are plentiful, and there are complete guides every step of the way.
Changes
Here are the details of the changes between Home
Essentials 97 and Home Essentials 98. Clicking on the hyperlinks below
will take you down the page to the specific review area.
Word 97 is updated to Word 97(a)
Encarta 98 Encyclopedia is a new version
Works 4.5 is a new version
Greetings Workshop is a new version
Money 98, new to the suite
Puzzle Pack contains a new game
Internet Explorer updated to version 3.02
Updated offer of two months free MSN from MCI
Word Processing: Microsoft® Word 97 What is
the number one activity when using computers? It's word processing.
Whether it's writing a note, a memo, addressing an envelope or a label,
publishing a newsletter or creating a business brochures, writing a report, or
writing the next great American novel, Word 97 provides the tools to accomplish
it all.
Home Essentials 98 includes a Word 97 printed manual as well as comprehensive help available within the program. Microsoft Word is the most popular of all word processors. It's used in elementary schools as well as colleges.
Whenever a new project is started, a dialog box pops up with a selection of templates with tabbed categories. The question icon (in the top right of this screen shot) is used for context sensitive help. Drag it to whichever area you'd like to have explained. Notice the tab marked "Web Pages?"
Word 97 can even help create pages in HTML for a Web site on the Internet. In the screenshot below, my home page was imported into Word 97. Word 97 will save any page in HTML format. Notice the paper-clip character in the lower right-hand corner - this is an animated intelligent assistant. It's always on top and available to help, do a search, and even reports errors.
Or open an already saved page for editing. Clicking on any of the hyperlinks launches Internet Explorer (also included in Home Essentials 98) and transports the user to that particular site or an area within a site.
Microsoft Word 97 has automated tasks such as a grammar checker and a spell checker, and proofreading which operate as you work. There's a comprehensive thesaurus, too. Other features include context sensitive help, macros (shortcuts for regularly used tasks such as a return address), and drawing tables. Word 97 is a top-of-the-line word processor which is easy enough for the new PC user or the professional author.
A note of interest: Purchasing the stand-alone upgrade version of Word 97 has a low street price - I found it for $78. Lowest cost of Home Essentials 98's street price I found was $85.92. The best buy for the average home user is obvious. For a difference of only $7.92, purchasing Home Essentials 98 is the best buy even if you want only Word 97.
Encarta 98 Encyclopedia
"So easy a
child can use it." That's not just a cliche - it's a fact.
Using Encarta's wealth of comprehensive content IS easy, fun, and educational. Not only does Encarta contain more than 30,000 articles, it has 2,5000 Web Links and monthly article updates. If the look of Encarta articles doesn't suit you, there's an option to change the text size. You may also turn on Closed Caption to display spoken works as text for audio, video, and animation clips.
You'll enjoy the depth of the coverage and the delightful graphics and
multimedia sounds and movies that help you learn. Encarta Encyclopedia is
a world-class reference resource with a powerful search engine ensuring that you
find the information you're looking for quickly. Assistance is always
available by clicking the help button.
Microsoft Works v4.5Gift tags
to certificates; newsletters to bibliographies; memos to business letters;
recipe cards to calendars, Works 4.5 provides more flexibility and creative
possibilities.
Included features: Spreadsheet, database, word processor, drawing tools, communication tools, 7,000 NEW clip art images, 100 plus NEW templates, task launcher, 30 plus task wizards to create address books, home inventories and more.
Step-by-step instructions for every feature enables the beginner to create professional products quickly. Include labels and pictures to clarify information in the databases you create. You can design forms to precisely match a printed form.
Greetings WorkshopThe opening
screen has clickable areas for cards, banners, calendars, labels, stationery,
etc.
With more than 10,000 ready-to personalize templates, Greetings Workshop creates Hallmark-quality products to print or send and receive documents with your modem. There are enough activities in Greetings Workshop to satisfy the entire family's needs for desktop publishing.
Roger, the animated dog in the lower right-hand corner, is your assistant. Before selecting an activity from the opening screen, touch Roger with your pointer - he loves to be petted.
Make your own wall calendars and personalize with your own special dates. You can turn any date into a "red letter" date by clicking the option available. Or create calendars (and other pages such as to-do lists) for your organizer.
Have you ever checked your calendar and discovered you forgot to "snail mail" a birthday card? With Greetings Workshop, it's easy to send it e-mail over the Internet.
Money 98 Standard Edition 
Manage and
organize your personal finances easily.
Features include built-in online banking, bill payment and Web access.
Customize according to your needs.
With Microsoft Money 98, you'll always have
your checking account 100% accurately balanced.
When you're finished updating your account, writing checks and depositing checks, exiting the program will always remind you to create a backup.
You'll find a lot of help at Microsoft's Money Web site.
For example:
Entertainment Pack: The Puzzle CollectionAn original compilation of 10 graphically oriented brain teasers.
There's something for everyone!
If you like puzzles requiring intense concentration or fast thinking when under pressure, you'll find yourself quickly addicted to these games. Set the options for skill levels and you'll be playing all day long!
Games include:
Internet Explorer v3.02 
My my personalized Internet Explorer appears at the
left. Customizing it was simple - I merely followed the instructions, and
voila: I got my "very own "browser.
You can browse the Internet and send e-mail easily with Internet Explorer 3.02.
Internet Explorer's advanced security features, HTML and style sheets make Websites come alive, and the ability to personalize it to your tastes makes this the preferred Internet tool for browsing.
Setup was quick and easy. If you want to upgrade to version 4.0x of Internet Explorer, you can get continued free upgrades directly from Microsoft.
Two Free Months of Premium Content from MSN
That's
right! The keyword is "FREE." Here's the promise on the
box:
"MCI Internet provides fast, free access to the Internet and to great premium content from MSN. MCI provides top-ranked customer service and more than 300 local access points."
MSN, the Microsoft Network, is among the leading online information services and MCI is a big bandwidth provider so you assured of getting a robust and fast connection!
Conclusion
Home Essentials 98 gives home computer users
the sophistication, power and versatility of a broad range of applications put
together from Microsoft's leading categories of software. Home Essentials
98 addresses almost every activity a user needs - from novice to expert, this
suite of programs is an excellent choice - and it's a bargain even at full
retail price. But DO look around. I found it for $85.92, a savings
of $23.08. You can find more information online here. The
only thing I don't like about Home Essentials 98 is that it installs Internet
Explorer without asking permission. Not all home users have modems nor
are all home users on the Internet. This should be an optional
installation.
I personally think this suite of programs is one of the best software bargains available. The average home PC user won't go wrong in selecting Home Essentials 98. I give it four out of five Go Inside Review Lights.
Copyright © 1998 by Joyce Kohl
"Go Inside" is a David
Boles Trademark