Microsoft Works

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Template:Update Microsoft Works is an office suite available from the Microsoft Corporation. It is generally considered a smaller, less expensive version of Microsoft Office suite; it includes the Microsoft Works word processor, the Works spreadsheet, and the Works database. The Works Suite 2006 version replaced the Microsoft Works word processor with Microsoft Word 2002 and also included Encarta, Picture It!, Microsoft Money, and Streets and Trips.

1 Characteristics
2 Version history
3 See also
4 External links

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Characteristics

Older versions of Works are similar to the Macintosh-based program AppleWorks, where all types of documents are handled by a single program (new documents are created through the TaskLauncher wizard). Newer versions, however, (5.0 and above) include separate applications for Word Processing, Database, and Spreadsheet which can be started through the less wizard-like updated TaskLauncher. New versions also include an address book, where previous versions would handle addresses through the database program.

Microsoft Works now has built-in compatibility for Microsoft Office documents, including, but not limited to, the ability of the Word Processor to open Microsoft Word documents and the ability of the Spreadsheet to open Microsoft Excel workbooks. Unlike other programs, which edit the document in its native format, Works converts the document to Works' native format, saving the converted document in the user's Temp folder. Any changes made to the converted document are first saved in the Works format in the temp folder and are then converted back to the Microsoft Office format.

Many if not most consumer grade machines, for example, those sold by HP, Compaq, Gateway, eMachines, Toshiba, and Dell, come with Microsoft Works pre-installed, as it provides standard users with a low-cost office suite, though most business users still use Microsoft Office.

The WKS file format used by Microsoft Works has been criticised for being a closed, proprietary file format. Due to this, other office suites such as OpenOffice.org and even Microsoft Office are not able to open files stored in this format. Works is, however, capable of saving to other, more open, formats such as Rich Text Format which are more interoperable with other office suites.

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