Two important announcements from Corel this month:

• New WordPerfect Version Slated for 2001

  True to their policy of releasing an upgrade each year, Corel has announced that WordPerfect Office Suite 2001 is slated for release first quarter 2001. I'll provide more details as they surface.

• Service Pack 4 Update Released

  Service Pack 4, the latest upgrade to WordPerfect Office Suite 2000 (WordPerfect 9), is now available. Details are scant, so I can't list what it fixes or enhances, but generally you'll want to apply the service pack if you have problems or hope for specific improvements ... Note that using the service pack software is extremely easy — just a couple of clicks and it finds the appropriate directory, updating only the components you have installed. It takes 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the speed of your PC and the number of components you've installed.

  Usually, service packs are available for download from Corel's web site, but not this time. (I was told because the files are so large.)

  Service Pack 4 is available only on CD, for a shipping fee of $9.95. Order it from the Corel Orders desk: (800) 77COREL, that's (800) 772-6735.