Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP

The program is divided into four distinct categories--Digital Media, Games, Screen Savers, and Themes--each of which may be accessed through a single, convenient graphical interface. Of these, the Digital Media component is clearly the deepest and most interesting. Its handy utilities include an MP3 audio converter for transforming disk-hogging WAV and MP3 files into space-efficient WMA format, a music playlist organizer known simply as Personal DJ, an exceedingly capable CD label maker, 20-plus Media Player skins, and three animated Media Player visualizations (including one culled from the Xbox game Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee).

Music and video fans in particular will immediately gravitate to the Voice Command for Windows Media Player module, which allows users to operate most Media Player functions by issuing verbal commands into their computer microphone. Even when faced with garbled enunciation and loud background music, Voice Command faithfully recognizes commands such as "Volume Up" and "Pause." Sadly, Microsoft's seemingly innovative Speaker Enhancement tool is ultimately little more than a glorified tone control that often hinders rather than improves the sound of your speakers.

Of the three games included in the package, the most intriguing is Russian Square, a deceptively addictive puzzle affair that plays like a one-dimensional offspring of Tetris and Rubik's Cube. Far less involving are the arcade bowling knock-off HyperBowl and the three-dimensional Labyrinth, a virtual take on the real-life game that involves a tilting table, metal ball, and lots of ball-gobbling holes. Eight animated screen savers and four desktop themes complete the package, the most notable of which is the stunningly lifelike and absolutely gorgeous underwater screen saver called "Aquarium." Otherwise, the program's themes and screen savers are no better than those that can be downloaded free of charge from various Web sites.

With Plus! for Windows XP, Microsoft has assembled a multipronged mixture of useful and not-so-useful multimedia tools and lighthearted amenities into one easily accessible compilation. If you aren't the type to scout around the Internet for individual components and feel the need to spruce up your XP audio-video environment, it may be for you. --Gordon Goble

Amazon.com Product Description
With Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP, you can personalize your computer experience like never before. Built exclusively to take advantage of the power of Windows XP, Microsoft Plus! delivers exciting new features for digital music, gaming, photos, and more. Tailor your digital audio and video to your own tastes, challenge yourself with a variety of fun and exciting games, and customize the look and feel of your desktop with amazingly lifelike screen savers and images.

Everything you need to amplify your audio and video experience is included. Use the power of your voice to control Windows Media Player without lifting a finger. Easily create colorful, customized CD covers, labels, and inserts, and automatically add your own track listings and artwork using Plus! CD Label Maker. Enjoy stunning 3-D visualization effects, vibrant speaker enhancements, and a powerful personal DJ for automatically creating custom playlists in Windows Media Player. Quickly and easily convert your library of MP3 files to Windows Media Audio (WMA), saving valuable space on your hard drive.

Challenge yourself with fun and exciting new games. Take the fun and excitement of bowling in 3-D into the streets of ancient Rome with HyperBowl Plus! Edition. Labyrinth Plus! Edition rolls the classic tabletop labyrinth game into a 3-D world filled with vibrant visuals and sounds. Test your skills for quick thinking and strategy with Russian Square, an intense new puzzle game for fans of Tetris.

Customize your computer with 3-D graphics and photos. Personalize your computer with exciting new desktop visuals, including eight photorealistic 3-D screen savers and four enhanced themes, including wallpapers, screen savers, media player skins, and much more. Watch exotic fish come to life on your desktop in this amazingly lifelike recreation of a marine aquarium or display your favorite photos in a variety of custom-animated 3-D photo galleries. Even add your favorite background music.

For those who are looking to buy this, please note that you at least need a 500 megahertz computer, 64MB of RAM, and a 3D video card with 16, I repeat 16MB of video memory.

If Microsoft had added such things as an Antivirus to the program, more desktop themes, FULL EDITION Games, and less steep requirements, then I'd recommend this to everyone.

So if your at the store, leave this on the shelf!!!

PS - This program is a prime example of Bloatware.


Just not worth the money   April 15, 2002
Todd C. Spears (Valley Village, CA United States)
69 out of 73 found this review helpful

I received Microsoft Plus! XP as a gift and I really don't have the heart to tell my friend that they wasted their money. Oh, there are a couple of good things on the disc but nothing that really merits the purchase price. It's almost like the software was an afterthought - let's see what we can put in it since we don't really have anything.

First off lets start the Digital Media collection. Nothing here really to speak of that's worth anything. A voice recognition system for the media player? It's not worth fighting with to run just a media player. The label maker, speaker enhancement and personal DJ? They don't do anything that really matters (or other software doesn't do without spending the extra cash). Media Player skins and Visualizations? You can download those for free from a number of sites - and again without paying for it. As for the MP3 audio converter, yes the new files are smaller but the only player you can use is the Microsoft one and the sound quality is not as good as an MP3.

The games - there are only three and only one is a full version. The other two require downloads and additional purchases. The Bowling game is difficult to control and well, boring. The Labyrinth game isn't too bad but it's very difficult. The winner is Russian Square which is actually fun and addictive.

As for the themes and screen savers - most aren't anything that special or noteworthy. The one exception is the aquarium screensaver which really is something to look at. But again, if you want the full version of the program you have to pay an additional cost. The rest aren't anything that really merits the cost of the program.

Overall I'm really disappointed in the entire package - the cost is far too high for what you get and I can't help shaking the feeling the entire package is just a cheesy gimmick to sell you even more software. "Look at the great things in Microsoft Plus! XP" then when you buy it you find out you have to pay even more for the rest of the programs.


Don't waste your money!   August 21, 2002
38 out of 39 found this review helpful

You get the game "Hyperbowl," Right? Wrong. You get to sample it. Basically you get 2 lanes...you have to buy the full version on line.

You get the aquarium screen saver, Right? Wrong. You get a sample of that too. If you want more than 3 fish, guess what? You have to buy the rest of the fish on line.

This entire package is nothing more than samples trying to get you to buy software online.

Don't waste your money on a teaser that should be free.

This is absolutely the worst software product I have ever bought.


The usual from Microsoft   November 10, 2001
Marzouq Alghanim (Santa Clara, CA United States)
28 out of 28 found this review helpful

There is nothing special about microsoft plus. The 3-D is nice, and games are entertaining, but this package isn't worth $.... The games offered in the package have very limited play and so you have to purchase other packages to play the game completely. The screensavers are okay, but there many screensavers that you can download from many sites. This product improves how Windows XP looks but it doesn't improve everything dramaticly. Also Plus! needs a lot of Video Memory at least 16MB, so dont buy it if you dont have enough Video Memory. There are only 4 themes, so overall this product is not worth $.... It should come with Windows XP without having to purchase it on its own.


Much better products to spend money on...   October 1, 2002
26 out of 26 found this review helpful

I bought this product simply because I wanted to give XP a facelift. I like none of the very few themes that ships with XP. I considered buying windowblinds ... but wanted something a little more MS endorsed. What a mistake.

There are only two really noticeable themes in this version: essentially the aqua ..., I mean, luna interface shaded green instead of blue and grayscale instead of blue. The new themes simply use these two new color shadings, plus the original blue, to make six or so listless and boring variations. The new screen savers are crude adaptations of Microsoft's "3D" set that shipped with NT many moons ago. They lack any refinement at all, such as antialiasing or better bitmapping. Leonardo's helicopter happily flies through all the textures without casting a shadow. ... Also included are a few screen savers that try very pathetically to simulate flowing or dripping water. Even on a high-end 3d graphics card, these are hopelessly lackluster or even the antithesis of eyecandy.

The one potential screen saver, SereneScreen's aquarium, *should* have made this Plus! collection worthwhile. Unfortunately, it's rather annoying stripped nagware that lacks the additional fish, wire frame mode, frame count, etc. And along these lines, most of the other worthwhile programs are merely crippled versions.

It's insulting that Microsoft would try to pass a collection of junk, demo programs, and Plus! ... versions as a complete product. ...

You'd be much better off picking the exact products your interested in and buying them individually from the original authors than you would this ... collection.