Novell Announces PerfectWorks For Kids For Windows® 95

Perfect Works for Kids to Focus on Extending Network Access Through Creativity Tools

PerfectWorks for Kids offers creative word processing, drawing and painting tools and supports Windows 95 fax and e-mail capabilities. PerfectWorks for Kids also includes integration with America Online (AOL), providing kids with one-click access to the Kids Only section of AOL for helpful content and information.

In May, AOL announced that Novell, Inc. and several other companies would begin integrating multimedia titles with their commercial on-line services. Through AOL, Novell will provide PerfectWorks for Kids users quick access to forums like National Geographic WORLD or Compton's Encyclopedia, which can be especially helpful for researching topics and writing book reports.

PerfectWorks for Kids also makes it easy to fax a note or send an e-mail message to friends or family members with a single button click in the address book. The interface takes advantage of AOL's fax and e-mail services, or any MAPI-based e-mail or fax software.

Novell's newly created Personal Access Division plans to extend network access to individuals through products like PerfectWorks for Kids and other PerfectHome products in the coming months.

"PerfectWorks for Kids makes creating colorful documents as easy and natural for today's children as it was for their parents using crayons," said Dan Rask, senior product manager, Novell's Personal Access Division. "It's unlike any other product in its category, combining a simple, talking pictorial interface; Windows 95 feature support, robust Novell word processing and paint tools, on-line access, and a guided activity structure to tie it all together. PerfectWorks for Kids provides all the tools to unleash the creative genius in kids."

PerfectWorks for Kids uses a fully-rendered, three-dimensional, graphical screen called the Creativity Workshop. Kids will enjoy exploring the screen for comical, purple, saber-toothed characters as well as a wheel-screeching pencil, sticky glue bottle, magic beans, a couple of elusive Dachshund dogs, and several other curious occurrences. Kids click on talking hot spots to start activities like an ABC book, calendars, letters, reports, signs, cards, an address book and others.

PerfectWorks for Kids includes more than 880 high-quality, colorful graphics from 26 different categories including transportation, seasons, animals, foods, fancy letters, people, clothes, decorations, holidays and monsters. The program lets kids manipulate graphics in a variety of ways including sizing characters bigger or smaller, turning them upside down or viewing them from a reverse angle.

Another advantage over competing products is the multi-layer document format. Templates in PerfectWorks for Kids are separated from the text and graphics layers that kids use. Kids can change several parts of an activity like a sign without permanently altering the original template design. This approach encourages the youngest users to experiment and also provides fun visual effects such as word balloons and "magic" words that appear when pictures are erased.

PerfectWorks for Kids supports color printing and incorporates a full parent set up menu that allows parents to customize activities for all ages and ability levels. The product also features an optional "Kid Mode" that prevents kids from switching away to the desktop or Program Manager, or from accidentally tampering with files on the computer's hard drive.

PerfectWorks for Kids also features a talking interface which provides feedback and guidance for young kids who can't read, making the program a valuable tool for getting kids started early with writing and creativity. The program also includes a text-to-speech feature that will read back to kids what they've written. For kids who want to spell check their documents, PerfectWorks for Kids incorporates a "Spelling Bee" that uses the same 250,000 word spell checker as the best-selling WordPerfect word processing program.

Pricing, System Requirements and Availability

PerfectWorks for Kids will be available in November from computer superstores, retailers and warehouse clubs or directly from Novell at (800) 451-5151.

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