Microsoft Announces Immediate Availability of Microsoft Plus! 98

REDMOND, Wash., June 25, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of Microsoft® Plus! 98, in conjunction with the launch of the Microsoft Windows® 98 operating system. Plus! 98, the consumer companion for Windows 98, extends the advanced functionality in Windows 98 by adding new utilities, themes and games to let customers further manage, customize and enjoy their PC.

“Microsoft Plus! 98 is a natural choice for anyone looking to get the most out of their Windows 98-based PC,”
said Brad Chase, vice president, Windows marketing and developer relations at Microsoft.
“With a bevy of new Windows-based utilities and entertaining desktop themes, Microsoft Plus! 98 is the ideal companion to Windows 98.”

Plus! 98 provides powerful utilities to extend the
“self-maintenance”
features in Windows 98 by offering the following:

  • Network Associates’ McAfee
    ®
    VirusScan
    ®
    software , with six months of free updates,* is integrated with the Windows 98 Maintenance Wizard to make scanning for viruses easy and trouble-free.

  • File Cleaner , licensed from CyberMedia Inc., was added to the Windows 98 Disk Cleanup feature to further optimize hard drive space by offering suggestions for files that can be deleted.

  • Start Menu Cleaner , also added to the Windows 98 Maintenance Wizard, cleans up the Start menu by removing broken or nonexistent links and empty folders.

  • Compressed Folders is an archive tool that lets users save disk space by simply dragging and dropping files. Compressed folders look and act like regular Windows folders but offer up to 90 percent compression.

Plus! 98 also includes the following features to make the Windows-based computing experience even more fun and entertaining:

  • New themes allow users to customize their PC’s wallpaper, screen savers, cursors and sounds. These include such popular cartoon themes as Cathy, Doonesbury, FoxTrot, Garfield and Peanuts, as well as other exciting themes such as Architecture, Cityscape, Corbis Photography, Falling Leaves, Fashion, Geometry, Jazz, Photodisc, Rock’n’Roll, Science Fiction, Universal’s Horror Channel, Windows 98 and World Traveler. In addition, the Direct3D® API-accelerated Organic Art screen savers from Computer Artworks Ltd. provide users with dynamic and exciting computer art.

  • Deluxe CD player , which plays music CDs while automatically downloading the title, artist and song names from the Internet, makes finding information about music, artists and genres easy through the linked Web sites Billboard Online, MusicBlvd.com and Tunes.com.**

  • Picture It!
    ®
    Express , a basic version of Microsoft Picture It! personal imaging software, lets users edit and store their favorite images, soften edges, adjust contrast, and even get rid of
    “red eye”
    from photographs.

  • Popular games include Microsoft Golf 1998 Lite, the intense Spider Solitaire and the fast-paced Lose Your Marbles
    ™
    from SegaSoft Networks Inc.

Estimated retail pricing for Plus! 98 is $44.95 (U.S.). For more information on Windows 98, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/ ; for more information on Plus! 98, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/plus98/.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

*For a period of one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of installation of Microsoft Plus! 98, you are entitled to download free Network Associates product revisions, upgrades or updates, excluding any online service charges.

After the specified time period, you have no further rights to receive any revisions, upgrades or updates without the purchase of a new license for the Network Associates product. Use of this feature requires Internet access. Access to and use of the Internet may require payment of a separate fee to an Internet service provider.

**Use of this feature requires Internet access. Access to and use of the Internet may require payment of a separate fee to an Internet service provider.

Microsoft, Windows, Direct3D and Picture It! are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

McAfee and VirusScan are registered trademarks of Network Associates Inc.

Lose Your Marbles and SegaSoft are trademarks of SegaSoft Networks Inc.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.

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