Entrepreneur's Complete Guide to Software

Integrated software is like a mini-office suite under a single roof-more like a department store than a shopping mall.

HMS Works 4.0, $45 (Windows 95), Microsoft Corp., (800) 426-9400, http://www.microsoft.com

Top seller Microsoft Works 4.0 takes up 16MB of hard-drive space and provides word processing, database, spreadsheet, address book and communications (modem) software under one icon. Task wizards help you do what you need to do by choosing an activity instead of a program.

Any business considering Works 4.0 should take a look at Micro-soft Home Essentials-which includes MS Works 4.0 and much more (see "What's Hot" below).

Other Products

ClarisWorks 4.0 Internet Edition, $99, upgrade $39 (Windows 95/NT); $99, upgrade $49 (Macintosh), Claris Corp., (800) 544-8554, http://www.claris.com

What's Hot

• You can get Works 4.0 in Micro-soft Corp.'s Microsoft Home Essentials 97, plus full versions of Microsoft Word 97, Encarta 97 (encyclopedia), Greetings Workshop (desktop publishing), Arcade (games), fonts and clip art, all for $109. The three-CD set for Windows 95 has a master-install menu that makes it easy to install just what you want at any time.
• ClarisWorks Office, scheduled to be released by press time, will contain ClarisWorks 5.0, with its latest word processing, spreadsheet, database, graphics, presentation, and Internet features.

This article was originally published in the November 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Entrepreneur's Complete Guide to Software.