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Microsoft Corp.'s next version of its Office desktop programs will reach consumers next year, though not likely in conjunction with the Windows 7 operating system.

Microsoft ( MSFT - news - people ) is set to announce Wednesday that Office 2010 will be finished and ready to send to manufacturers in the first half of next year.

From there, it can take six weeks to four months or more for the programs to reach PC users, said Chris Capossela, a senior vice president in the Microsoft group that makes Office. The timing will differ for big businesses and individual consumers, and for people who buy packaged software versus those who download it.

Some industry watchers had expected a new version of Office this year, but Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer extinguished that rumor at a meeting with analysts in February.

Capossela declined to be more specific about a launch date. Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista, is scheduled to reach consumers by the end of January 2010.

Office 2010 - previously known by the code name "Office 14" - will include slimmed-down versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote that let people create and edit documents in a Web browser. Consumers will have access to a free, ad-supported version, and Capossela said the company is still hammering out what to charge businesses that want a version without ads.

Microsoft plans to let hundreds of thousands of people test a technical preview of the new Office portfolio starting in the third quarter of 2009, Capossela said. The company did not say whether average PC users will have a chance to test a more polished beta version.

Microsoft also said a new version of its Exchange e-mail server will be available for purchase in the second half of 2009. When paired with the next version of Microsoft's Outlook e-mail program, Exchange 2010 aims to prevent e-mail faux pas and would warn people against trying to "reply all" to a huge distribution list. Microsoft said it can also be tweaked to stop people from sending e-mail outside the organization, helping businesses cut down on unnecessary e-mail and prevent leaks.

IBM PC Keyboard Scan Codes

Char.  Decimal Pair     Hex Pair    Char.  Decimal Pair    Hex Pair

ALT-A     (00,30)    (0x00,0x1e)    ALT-B    (00,48)    (0x00,0x30)

ALT-C     (00,46)    (0x00,0x2e)    ALT-D    (00,32)    (0x00,0x20)

ALT-E     (00,18)    (0x00,0x12)    ALT-F    (00,33)    (0x00,0x21)

ALT-G     (00,34)    (0x00,0x22)    ALT-H    (00,35)    (0x00,0x23)

ALT-I     (00,23)    (0x00,0x17)    ALT-J    (00,36)    (0x00,0x24)

ALT-K     (00,37)    (0x00,0x25)    ALT-L    (00,38)    (0x00,0x26)

ALT-M     (00,50)    (0x00,0x32)    ALT-N    (00,49)    (0x00,0x31)

ALT-O     (00,24)    (0x00,0x18)    ALT-P    (00,25)    (0x00,0x19)

ALT-Q     (00,16)    (0x00,0x10)    ALT-R    (00,19)    (0x00,0x13)

ALT-S     (00,31)    (0x00,0x1a)    ALT-T    (00,20)    (0x00,0x14)

ALT-U     (00,22)    (0x00,0x16)    ALT-V    (00,47)    (0x00,0x2f)

ALT-W     (00,17)    (0x00,0x11)    ALT-X    (00,45)    (0x00,0x2d)

ALT-Y     (00,21)    (0x00,0x15)    ALT-Z    (00,44)    (0x00,0x2c)

PgUp      (00,73)    (0x00,0x49)    PgDn     (00,81)    (0x00,0x51)

Home      (00,71)    (0x00,0x47)    End      (00,79)    (0x00,0x4f)

UpArrw    (00,72)    (0x00,0x48)    DnArrw   (00,80)    (0x00,0x50)

LftArrw   (00,75)    (0x00,0x4b)    RtArrw   (00,77)    (0x00,0x4d)

F1        (00,59)    (0x00,0x3b)    F2       (00,60)    (0x00,0x3c)

F3        (00,61)    (0x00,0x3d)    F4       (00,62)    (0x00,0x3e)

F5        (00,63)    (0x00,0x3f)    F6       (00,64)    (0x00,0x40)

F7        (00,65)    (0x00,0x41)    F8       (00,66)    (0x00,0x42)

F9        (00,67)    (0x00,0x43)    F10      (00,68)    (0x00,0x44)

F11       (00,133)   (0x00,0x85)    F12      (00,134)   (0x00,0x86)

ALT-F1    (00,104)   (0x00,0x68)    ALT-F2   (00,105)   (0x00,0x69)

ALT-F3    (00,106)   (0x00,0x6a)    ALT-F4   (00,107)   (0x00,0x6b)

ALT-F5    (00,108)   (0x00,0x6c)    ALT-F6   (00,109)   (0x00,0x6d)

ALT-F7    (00,110)   (0x00,0x6e)    ALT-F8   (00,111)   (0x00,0x6f)

ALT-F9    (00,112)   (0x00,0x70)    ALT-F10  (00,113)   (0x00,0x71)

As much as antivirus companies trumpet their evolving abilities to root out viruses, worms and Trojans on your PC, the cybersecurity industry leaves out one important piece of information: all the malicious code they're not detecting.

Luckily, someone is scanning the scanners. On Thursday, the Austrian nonprofit firm AV-Comparatives released its annual report based on a year of testing the cybersecurity industry's antivirus offerings, systematically pitting each one against more than 3 million samples of malware pulled from computers around the world.

The best performers in the firm's tests? Two names most Americans have never heard of: the German company Avira and the Slovakian firm ESET. And those rankings, cybersecurity analysts say, may reflect just as much on the industry's growing pains as they do on the two firms' ability to clean up your hard drive.

Avira, based in Tettnang, Germany, won AV-Comparatives' label as the overall best antivirus product of 2008, based on its ability to pull more malicious files off hard drives than big name competitors like Symantec (nasdaq: SYMC - news - people ), McAfee (nyse: MFE - news - people ) and Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) in less time and with less impact on a PC's performance.

In the latest AV-Comparatives tests performed last month, for instance, Avira found about two-thirds of the previously undetected malware--collected over a four-week period--installed on the machines it scanned. ESET's NOD32 program found 51%. Symantec and Microsoft, by comparison, found only 44% of those samples, while McAfee's detection rate was below 30%.

At 9 inches wide and weighing in at just 2 pounds,Asustek's pint-size Eee PC doesn't look like a heavyweight contender.But the ultraportable notebook, dubbed a "netbook" for itsInternet-centric applications, has delivered what may end up being aknockdown blow to the global PC industry.

Masterminded by AsustekChairman Jonney Shih and Chief Executive Jerry Shen, the classicallydesigned $300 to $400 Eee PC aimed to reach what was viewed as anunderserved demographic: young children, seniors and otherinexperienced notebook users. These were people who didn't need a fullPC but didn't want a toy. What's happened is that the Eee, once thoughtto be an extra revenue stream for the then largest motherboardmanufacturer in the world, has transformed the Taiwanese company andchanged the global PC industry along with it.

When the Eee PC was released last year, Taiwan's supply sold out in30 minutes. Demand continued to outpace supply after a worldwiderollout, and the company was surprised that many buyers already hadcomputers. It became the number one "Most Desired Gift" on Amazon.com (nasdaq: AMZN - news - people )during last year's holiday season and, eventually, a Harvard BusinessSchool case study. By the end of the year it expects to have sold 5million Eee PCs since its launch.

Rival computer companies soonnoticed that one of their main hardware suppliers was now competingagainst them as the Eee brand took off. So Asustek spun off itscontract and original-design manufacturing business to quell concerns.At the same time, these competitors launched their own netbook productlines one by one. First was Acer with its Aspire One. Then came Lenovo, Toshiba (other-otc: TOSBF.PK - news - people ) and Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ) with the IdeaPad S10, NB100 and Mini 9. Eventually Hewlett-Packard (nyse: HPQ - news - people ) announced its Mini 1000 netbook line.

Inthe latest quarter, how quickly PC companies reacted to the rise of theEee PC largely dictated their market performance. Computer giant hplost its top position in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, thanks toits slow entry into the netbook segment, according to technologyresearch firm Gartner. Acer, a crosstown rival in Taipei and firstresponder to Asustek's innovation, has since surpassed Asustek tobecome the number one company in the mini-laptop category. CitiInvestment Research estimates that notebook shipments will grow 15%globally next year, with almost all of that growth coming from low-end,$300 to $500 netbooks. Desktop shipments, it estimates, will decline21%.

Meanwhile, it's still too early to tell whether netbookshave created a new global product segment or cannibalized traditionalones, says Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa. Asustek is confident thatit's pioneered a new category, however, and says its market disruptionmakes that point very clear. For its innovation and disruption, theAsustek Eee PC is FORBES ASIA's Product of the Year.

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Nice design, lots of handy ports, great value

The Bad: Premium sleeves are a little gimmicky

As it turns out, Dell's (DELL) new Studio Hybrid PC has little in common with Toyota's (TM) thrifty Prius sedan. No high-end batteries. No carpool lane privileges. And I'm pretty sure it won't do much to improve fuel economy on your daily commute.

Instead, this "hybrid" PC is a small computer that puts a dual emphasis on energy efficiency and design. Dell is trying desperately to break from its past reputation as a maker of mind-numbingly beige PCs. The Studio Hybrid is one of its first products to have been styled by former Nike (NKE) design whiz Ed Boyd. (Read more about Boyd's efforts to make Dell cool (BusinessWeek, 11/6/08).)

Like all Dell computers, the Studio Hybrid is available in a dizzying array of configurations. The most basic model features a zippy Intel Pentium Dual Core processor, DVD burner, generous amounts of RAM and hard drive space, and it costs just $499. But while a wired Ethernet port is standard, that price doesn't include a wireless card, so plan on adding another $70 for that vital accessory.

As with similar small form factor computers such as Apple's (AAPL) Mac mini, ASUS's (AKCPF) Eee Box, and Hewlett-Packard's (HPQ) Slimline series, the Studio Hybrid comes without a monitor. Such computers are generally aimed at college dorms, living rooms, or as second family computers. To that end, the Studio Hybrid is small enough to sit on a crowded desk or be tucked underneath a television. Lying flat, it's about the size of a Thomas Pynchon hardback.

Dell vs. Apple?

Still, when I first heard about the Studio Hybrid, I was a bit skeptical. Dell? Design? Yeah, right. But if Dell wants to swim in Apple's pool, so be it. Still, as a pretty dedicated Mac user, I was more than a little shocked to find that the Studio Hybrid gives the Mac a run for its money—both in terms of hardware and industrial design.

For the money, the Dell represents a better value than the Mini with more plentiful and up-to-date features. (Admittedly, the Mini is in desperate need of a refresh.) An HDMI port that allows the computer to plug into a high-definition television is a standard option, as is a 7-in-1 media reader for camera memory cards. Normally, feature-packed PCs like this look more like 80s-era boom boxes, overloaded with blinking lights and buttons. But taking a cue from Apple's design manual, Dell integrated these extra ports so that they disappear seamlessly into the black case.

The model I tested also included a slinky, removable bamboo sleeve, which is a $100 built-to-order option. Bamboo is the green material du jour for consumer electronics and therefore teetering on the brink of cliché. But in this instance the sleeve transforms an otherwise humdrum box into a distinctive, attractive case. Other premium shells made of brown or black leather also cost $100. Six significantly less interesting colored plastic sleeves are available for free.

ENERGY EFFICIENT

Dell says the hybrid moniker comes from the computer's use of some laptop components to help reduce its energy usage (it meets Energy Star 4.0 standard). The company also claims the Studio Hybrid uses about 70% less power than a typical desktop, while the power supply that plugs into the back of the PC is 87% more efficient than is usual. These savings won't really affect your energy bills; they simply help mitigate green guilt and supply bragging rights. What is useful is that Dell designers really thought about the physical design of the power supply too, turning out a slim, flat black box rather than the usual unseemly brick.

One of my favorite things about the Studio Hybrid is likely its least sexy feature, the packaging. Bucking the Apple-led trend to enshrine consumer electronics in intricate packaging, Dell ships the Studio Hybrid in a modest, minimalist brown box that would surely warm Al Gore's heart. Overall, the packaging is 95% recyclable and contains about 75% less printed materials than typical tower desktops. This is a significant feat considering Dell ships most of its PCs through the mail and its packaging meets rigorous standards—computers must survive repeated drops, bumps, and knocks, after all.

It would have been easy for Dell to check off one or two of these boxes and still label Studio Hybrid a green PC. But it really seems the computer maker's designers tried to think through every element of the computer to meet its green mission. For that and an overall handsome design, the Studio Hybrid is a compelling PC for those who must run Windows.