Hi, sheliagt.
My uncle always thought that Works was a part of Windows, too, because both
his first and second Dell computers had that package "bundled" into his
Win98 and WinXP machines. But, as Richard said, Microsoft Works is not
actually a part of Windows and must be purchased separately - unless the
computer maker decides to "throw them in" - and not all makers do. Notepad
and WordPad and several other programs ARE included with Vista; you can see
a list of these by clicking the Start orb, then All Programs | Accessories.
The Microsoft Office Suite includes the excellent spreadsheet program
Microsoft Office Excel, as well as Microsoft Office Word and other
applications. You can buy the entire suite, or just the individual
applications that you need. Every computer store, both online and
brick-and-mortar, should have them. You might want to start with the
official website:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/FX100647101033.aspx
Microsoft Works is a simpler version of Office that handles these chores for
many users. You can check out Microsoft Works 9 here:
http://www.microsoft.com/products/works/default.mspx
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta 2 in Vista Ultimate x64)