The buzzword in Excel 2003 is XML, best illustrated by the new mapping feature. This lets you map cells, columns and ranges to data held in XML data sources, so you can create Excel workbooks showing data from Web Services or other back-end data stores. The XML data is validated on input into Excel against a custom XML Schema under your control. Excel can also save your work in a native XML workbook format, which keeps any formatting but avoids the proprietary XLS file format. You may also, however, save data as a pure XML data file, leaving any formatting in the template. This XML data file can be put through BizTalk or imported into a back-end database.

A rewritten front end makes Excel’s significant power far more accessible than before.

Just over four months on from our massive hard drive roundup (October 2002, page 74), and Serial ATA (SATA) hard disks have finally arrived. Phew.

In the mid-range backup market, no other tape format has proved to be as popular as LTO Ultrium. We bring you a first look at the fourth generation.

Protect your personal data with these essential downloads that offer spyware protection, data encryption and more

The Maxtor Blackarmor has one thing that other USB hard drives don’t - military grade data security in a very stylish package

HP gets the best out of iSCSI with a smart backup appliance that’s easy to manage and good value for small businesses.

Protect your PC from itself and yourself

Again, SharePoint and XML support separate Access 2003 from its predecessors, and Access can now import and export XML data using custom Schemas. Exports can employ XSLT transforms to match data formats to other custom Schemas, and you may include related data such as look-up tables so you export structured data.

A simple package whose two detection engines ensure great malware detection, but it fails to inspire in other areas.

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.

The easyStore is basic, but it’s good value and its iSCSI capabilities give it an edge over the competition

Crystal Reports creates structured reports from databases by selecting fields from source data and grouping them appropriately.

The Dell 1100MP is a data projector for the most part, but was submitted by Dell for this review with the home theatre projectors.

The fastest test results, but the most expensive data packages make BigPond a fall-back only for those with no coverage from other providers

Welcome enhancements in all areas mean there’s something for everyone – even database novices

This version sees a new maturity, with more server integration and easier-to-use controls online forms.

While it's won't come cheap, this portable 32GB USB stick may be just be what frequent business travelers have always wanted. Now there's space for everything - except the office water cooler.

Tandberg delivers an innovative hard disk-based alternative to tape for small-business backup operations.

If backing up data is your thing, then it's worth considering the Thecus N5500 for your networking needs. The sturdy 5-bay NAS incorporates dual DOM support and easy-to-use data software.