The full product, including extensive online help, is available online today from O'Reilly & Associates (http://www.oreilly.com or 800-998-9938). The CD with the same software and help will be available in late October. The software sells for $39.95 suggested list price, with a $10 discount for owners of Windows 98 Annoyances. A 30-day trial version of the software is available online at O'Reilly's Web site.

O'Reilly Utilities for Windows 98 Annoyances includes numerous automated, point-and-click features which fine-tune system performance and provide Windows 98 users more control over their desktop, browsers, and files and folders, without having to manually tamper with the Windows Registry. The software provides automated solutions for many of the key annoyances identified in the book, and also offers significant enhancements to Windows 98.

The utilities address some of the most limiting behaviors of Windows and other applications. Web Browser Delegate is one of the most powerful (and requested) tools. Its graphical interface enables users to choose their default Web browser, email program, and news reader, and then easily restore those preferred settings if a new Internet Explorer or Netscape browser installation overwrites them. LinkShare, another Internet-related utility, lets users move easily between Netscape bookmarks and Internet Explorer Shortcuts. O'Reilly Utilities also offers modular control over Internet Explorer desktop integration, and lets users selectively disable features such as ActiveDesktop and the Channel Bar.

"Until now, configuring Windows 98 to operate at top form and suit your way of working required tracking down and modifying obscure Registry keys," said Gina Blaber, Software Director. "O'Reilly Utilities makes working with Windows 98 an easier and more productive experience."

Windows users who are annoyed by the tedium of naming an entire directory, file by file, will appreciate another utility, Power Rename, which lets users rename any number of files with the ease of renaming a single file. Users will save time as they apply flexible operations such as changing a file extension,or adding incremental prefixes and suffixes, to file names, and do it all using drag-and-drop or the browser interface. Power Rename can be added to context menus or can be opened from the Start button.

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O'Reilly Utilities is a trademark of O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. All other names may be trademarks of their respective companies.