Over the past couple of years Ability Office has been appearing as the do-it-all software suite supplied with budget PCs. Designed as an inexpensive alternative to Microsoft Office, its main competitors are StarOffice, Open Office and Works.

This version has four main sections: Write, Spreadsheet, Database, and the new Presentation application, all of which have had considerable upgrades. There are also four subsidiary applications: Draw, Photopaint and the new Mail and PhotoAlbum.

Most people will make most use of the word processor, Write. Like Microsoft Word, Ability Write 4 includes Auto-Spell (to correct spellings as you type), Autotext (to automatically expand abbreviations) and a checker to pick up common grammar errors, although it uses American English.

Write is similar to Microsoft Word, but some features are an improvement. The labelling function, for example, is better laid out and easier to use with standard label sheets. The program can save directly to PDF files, a format much used for documents on the internet where accurate formatting is important.

Ability Spreadsheet has a feature for drawing graphs and charts, which is compatible with Excel. You can now stipulate which spreadsheet cells can take entries, and hide rows and columns, 'squeezing' a worksheet to show just the relevant parts.

The new Ability Presentation lets you create PowerPoint-compatible presentations with the basic features. Some extras are missing, such as pre-designed slide 'looks', but you get a range of slide transitions.

Ability Photopaint, the painting and photo program, includes full Photoshop file compatibility and better support for cameras and scanners. PhotoAlbum acts as a photo manager and can be used from within the other applications to display and organise your images.

Contact: Ability 020 7231 1004
www.ability.com

Also consider:
Star Office 7. £53. Not as good as Microsoft Office, but it comes close.