It has been over two years since we previewed Office XP, but Microsoft has finally given us a glimpse of Office 2003. The finished version should be on the shelves by the end of July, but will it be worth the upgrade? The answer could be an emphatic 'yes' if you're a Tablet PC user, as Microsoft has just launched OneNote (see page 59), making full use of electronic ink. The company is also introducing InfoPath (see page 59) for designing electronic forms, with the flexibility of XML. The classic apps have also had their seen refurbishment, with Outlook (page 56) getting the most attention, and FrontPage and Publisher (page 58) a bit of a revamp.

Best Operating System

Microsoft has four key 'visions' for Pocket PC 2003 (PPC 2003): make it easier for manufacturers to innovate, improve the 'wireless experience', bring easy instant messaging to the PDA, and expand the 'media experience'.

One day Microsoft might realise that forcing its customers to have a Bill Gates issued 'passport' to use services on the internet sticks in people's gullets like a jagged fishbone. In the case of Microsoft Money you need a passport if you want to take advantage of its online banking services, but once you do sign up you find that it is the one area of an otherwise excellent program that does not work properly.

Encarta Premium Suite claims a base of 130,000+ articles, along with 25,300+ photos and illustrations and 1.8 million map locations. That's more than a bit of bedtime reading, although of course there are really only two reasons why people buy digital encyclopedias these days -- either they've got kids to educate, or they're after some verifiable and quotable facts for a research project. For almost anyone else, of course, there's Google.

Microsoft finally recognises that web authoring needs a standards-compliant tool, albeit on its own terms.

A marvel of programming, art and science.

A big improvement from Microsoft, but there’s still some way to go. OneCare can now call itself a serious security contender.

Efficient photo management and sharing, but let down by some surprisingly underpowered editing.

A much-hyped console epic comes to the PC, but unlike others that have made the move this deserves its press.

There is little doubt that digital photography will take over from film, and it will happen sooner rather than later. As more people buy and start to use digital cameras there is an ever increasing demand for simple-to-use photo editing software that will allow them to get the best out of their photographs.

Don't confuse Microsoft Works with a slimmed-down version of Office, because Works is for the home productivity market.

A Media Center Extender, upscaling DVD player and great games console

PreviewA good attempt at all-in-one system security, fully integrated into the OS.

Improvements all round keep PowerPoint well ahead of the competition.

Behind-the-scenes changes make a huge difference, even if the interface is inconsistent.

Useful new features and a total interface overhaul make this the best Office ever.