Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP

A new PC or an upgraded one with Windows XP has a lot of new features and fun bits to play with, but if you want still more, Microsoft is only too happy to supply, in the form of Plus! for Windows XP. The extras included in this add-on pack can be divided into three areas: audio and video, games and graphics.

In the audio and video corner, there's a converter from the popular MP3 sound standard to Microsoft's more economical, proprietary WMA one--something many would say should have been in Windows XP anyway. Voice control for Media Player can be handy and there's a utility called Personal DJ which helps you build personalised play-lists of your music to play in it. A simple print application enables you to design CD Labels easily for your music and the Plus! Speaker Enhancement aims to improve the sound quality of your speakers.

On the graphics side, there's a good selection of new desktop themes and screen savers, including an excellent, photo-realistic aquarium of tropical fish. There are a series of new skins for Media Player, too.

There are three games in the pack, though the 3D bowling game, called Hyperbowl, is a limited edition. There's a computerised version of the labyrinth game where you try to guide a ball around a maze without it dropping through holes and a game called Russian Squares, where you win by lining up rows and columns of the same colour to remove them. There's some worthwhile stuff in this pack, though some that should have been in Windows XP from the start.--Simon Williams

Everything you need to amplify your audio and video experience is included. Use the power of your voice to control Windows Media Player without lifting a finger. Easily create colourful, customised CD covers, labels, and inserts, and automatically add your own track listings and artwork using Plus! CD Label Maker. Enjoy stunning 3-D visualisation effects, vibrant speaker enhancements, and a powerful personal DJ for automatically creating custom playlists in Windows Media Player. Quickly and easily convert your library of MP3 files to Windows Media Audio (WMA), saving valuable space on your hard drive.

Challenge yourself with fun and exciting new games. Take the fun and excitement of bowling in 3-D into the streets of ancient Rome with HyperBowl Plus Edition. Labyrinth Plus Edition rolls the classic tabletop labyrinth game into a 3-D world filled with vibrant visuals and sounds. Test your skills for quick thinking and strategy with Russian Square, an intense new puzzle game for fans of Tetris.

Customise your computer with 3-D graphics and photos. Personalise your computer with exciting new desktop visuals, including eight photorealistic 3-D screen savers and four enhanced themes, including wallpapers, screen savers, media player skins, and much more. Watch exotic fish come to life on your desktop in this amazingly life-like recreation of a marine aquarium or display your favourite photos in a variety of custom-animated 3-D photo galleries. Even add your favourite background music.