Microsoft Office System's installation process hasn't changed since Office XP. Choosing Customized installation allows you to add Word and Excel but nix PowerPoint. Choose Typical installation, and the complete Office package chews up 260MB to 590MB of disk space, depending on the edition.

Office System retains the controversial Microsoft product activation, the antipiracy scheme that debuted in Office XP. Product activation locks Office to a specific computer and requires reactivation if you need to reinstall the software. The process is obnoxious to those who think activation is an invasion of privacy, but we found it painless. It took just seconds for Office to connect to the proper Microsoft server and match our machine with our copy.

Office System lets you decide which major components of each application to stick on the hard drive.

Recently, Microsoft relaxed its licensing requirements for the Office System Student and Teacher Edition, letting you install that version on up to three different Windows machines, making this the best deal for people with young children still in school or for those who are continuing adult education. All of the other retail editions--Standard, Professional, and Small Business--allow installations on only two computers.

Unfortunately, Office System runs only on Windows 2000 and XP. So, if you're using Windows 98, Me, or NT, skip this Office.