Because of the intensive graphics and speech-recognition feature in the pack, the system requirements for running Plus! for Windows XP are high. Microsoft recommends at least a 750-MHz processor and 128MB of RAM, though we here at TechTV Labs encourage anyone running Windows XP to have at least 256MB of RAM. Additionally, your graphics card should have at least 16MB of memory. If you don't have that much memory, some of the features will be disabled. We do not recommend running the software if your PC has shared graphics memory -- if it derives its graphics power by sharing the RAM.

Plus! for Windows XP comes bundled with three games: "Hyperbowl," "The Labyrinth," and "Russian Square." The addictive nature of these bowling and puzzle games should keep you entertained and interested for hours, which is more than we can say for the rest of the package. There are also some cool new screen savers included in the package. (See it up close.)

Summary: Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP contains impressive themes and graphics that will wow a lot of users. TechTV Labs thinks, however, that it doesn't provide enough with its $40 price tag. The history of Windows tells us that we will eventually get new themes that will be downloadable for free from sites such as Tucows. We recommend that you skip this inessential tool. If you really need to change XP now, then get this pack, but be forewarned that the themes get tiresome quickly.

Pros: Excellent graphics; addictive games

Cons: Tiresome themes; doesn't pack enough themes to justify price; high system requirements

Company: Microsoft
Price: $39.95
Available: October 25
Category: OS utilities
Platform: Windows
Requirements: PC with 750 MHz or faster processor recommended; 500 MHz minimum required (single or dual processor system); Intel Pentium/Celeron family, AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended; Windows XP Home Edition or Professional OS; 128MB of RAM or higher recommended (64MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features); 300MB of available hard-disk space; Super VGA (800x600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor; VGA resolution minimum required; 3D graphics accelerator card with 16MB of memory minimum, compatible with the Direct3D 8 API (all ATI Radeon and Rage 128 chips; all Nvidia Riva TNT2 and GeForce chips; Matrox G400 and G450; SiS300; Trident BladeXP128; 3-Dlabs Permedia 3); CD-ROM or DVD drive; keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device; Plus! Voice Command requires a PC microphone (speech recognition engine available in U.S. English, and Japanese only)