Microsoft to bundle new Publisher 98 with Office

Microsoft will release a new version of its Office 97 Small Business Edition, which will ship in late March, bundling the newly released Publisher 98, Expedia Streets 98, Internet Explorer 4.0, and the Small Business Financial Manager 98. All of the Office components will remain the same as the previous edition; it will include Word 97, Excel 97 andOutlook 97. The soon-to-be released Outlook 98 will not make the cut asoriginally planned. Users will be able to upgrade to Outlook 98 for free,however, when it is released.

Also due next month is a high-end version of Publisher 98, called Publisher98 Deluxe, that will add the Picture It! image editing software along with1,600 professional templates and a color output wizard. It will retail for$129 when it is released in March