Product: Works 2001 aka Works 6.0
Company: Microsoft
Website: http://www.microsoft.com/works
Estimated Street Price: $54.95
Review By: Julien Jay

First Start

    So what is Works and what can it does for me, you’ll ask? Well Microsoft Works 2001 is what we call an integrated software that regroups in one low cost software, essentials tools your PC and you need to be productive like a word processor, a spreadsheet, a database, a calendar, an address book, and electronic messaging tools. That means you can type a letter as well as creating a contacts database using the same software that truly features an homogeneous interface. The other advantages of Works are its unrivalled ease of use, its simplicity, its various features and its cheap price. I still remember the old Works 3 for Dos word processor module where I can’t even insert pictures I have scanned in my document... I have had to insert blank spaces in the document print it, print separately my scanned picture and cut it in order to paste it on the works letter and then I Xeroxed the whole thing! Those days of painful manipulations are hopefully over and now Works 2001 is just as powerful as Word.

Interface

    The main interface of Works 2001 has been totally revamped comparing to the old version 4.5 and now features the latest innovations in software ‘look’ like a flat toolbar, menu with icons and more! If it still looks like the new interface introduced by Works 2000 you’ll notice it has been softly streamlined. When you start Works 2001 it offers you to choose the activity you want to execute right now through the outstanding task launcher.

Microsoft Works 2001 Task Launcher

As Microsoft Works 2001 is perfectly integrated to the Microsoft personal productivity range of software if Money or PictureIt are installed on your system you’ll be able to launch them directly from the task launcher. But that’s not all! The task launcher lets you choose the kind of document you want to start editing so you’re guided efficiently, over more than 250 templates to choose from, since they’re sorted by tasks (the task launcher also grants access to wizards & existing documents). Just like in Microsoft Internet Explorer the history pane of the task launcher lists the recently created documents so you can open them quickly with a single mouse click: great for novice users that won't be lost into folders to find back the file they want to work on. Microsoft engineers have expended treasures of ingenuity to offer users tons of projects to dive into: creating a video or audio CD/tapes’ database, creating curriculum vitae, invoices, recipes’ books, invitations, letters, newsletters, is just a mouse click away from your finger due to the unbelievable templates richness of Works 2001. Microsoft also included spreadsheet based projects so you can easily manage your family budget or analyse your real estate or car loan.  Obviously each project is fully customizable so you can tweak it to best fit your special needs.  The tasks launcher also gives you quick access to internet tools like Outlook Express or Internet Explorer: so you can work with Works 2001 all the day without exiting it as it gives you access to the most current used programs!

Works 2001 Word Processor GUI

Works 2001 SpreadSheet GUI

Works 2001 Database GUI