It’s by Microsoft, it’s for the Macintosh and it’s free. Microsoft Corp. says its Empowerment Pack for the Mac provides users with tools designed to enhance their presence on the Internet, increase their computer's performance and improve their system's memory. The pack includes Microsoft Internet Explorer version 2.0 for the Macintosh; Internet Assistant 2.0 for Microsoft Word for Macintosh; Internet Assistant for Microsoft Excel for Macintosh; the Microsoft Word 6.0.1a Update for Macintosh; and, finally, System 7.5 Update 2.0 and System 7.5.3 Revision 2 from Apple. Also available is a special memory offer from Kingston Technology Corp. of 8MB of desktop memory for only $69. “The Microsoft Empowerment Pack for the Mac is part of our ongoing effort to bring our customers new, powerful technology that improves their overall experience with the Office applications,” said Dave Meltzer, group product manager for Macintosh applications at Microsoft. Registered users of Microsoft Office 4.2 for Macintosh, Microsoft Word 6.x for Macintosh, Microsoft Excel 5.x for Macintosh, and the Microsoft PowerPoint presentation graphics program version 4.x for Macintosh will receive free Microsoft Empowerment Packs by mail. Users of Microsoft Office 3.0 applications who registered after April 1993 will receive a mail-in card for The Microsoft Empowerment Pack for the Mac. All other customers can download the software from the Microsoft Web site at http://microsoft.com/macoffice/.  by Elizabeth Martin    Connectix has annouced RAM Doubler 2, a major upgrade of its best selling RAM management utility. It is expected to be available August 7, 1996. Gina Clark, Connectix Utilities Group product manager, said RAM Doubler 2 “enables users to run even more applications by providing triple memory, running faster than the original RAM Doubler, and remaining just as easy to use.” RAM Doubler 2 carries an expected street price of $60 US. Owners of earlier versions are entitled to a $25 upgrade rebate. Anyone buying RAM Doubler between July 1 and August 7, 1996, is entitled to a free upgrade to RAM Doubler 2. Connectix Corp.’s home page is http://www.connectix.com.   by Elizabeth Martin    If you want more control over your life, help is at hand. Due out later this summer is Claris Organizer 2.0 for Macintosh and Power Macintosh. The upgrade, announced July 15, 1996, makes Claris Organizer “Internet savvy with email and web links," said Guerrino de Luca, president of Claris. The new version will allow users to launch Internet programs like Netscape Navigator or Claris Emailer from within Claris Organizer. The URL or email address will be automatically pasted into the web browser or email message right from the contact card. ClarisWorks or MacWrite Pro can also be launched, creating a letter automatically linked to the contact card. Claris Organizer 2.0 for Macintosh and Power Macintosh will sell for $69 US, with a $20 rebate in the box for upgrade customers. Information about upgrading is available from Claris (800) 544-8554. The upgrade is $49 US. by Elizabeth Martin    Life is not a bowl of cherries over at CE Software these days. On June 27, 1996, the company announced an executive change and a large one-time charge for the third quarter. The anticipated one-time charge in the quarter which ended June 30, 1996 will be up to $900,000. Along with this bad news, CE announced that Ford H. Goodman, President and CEO of the operating company, CE Software, Inc. since 1993, has received Board approval to head an Internet subsidiary business unit which would utilize certain technology and intellectual property owned or licensed by the Company. Richard A. Skeie, a Company founder and board member, will assume the duties of President and CEO of CE Software, Inc. As the operating company's President and CEO until 1993, Richard Skeie was instrumental in building the Company's revenues to over $10 million annually. Skeie stated, “The Board supports Ford's request to focus on the exploding Internet market. Concurrently, I look forward to maximizing the performance of our core business and improving operating results. In July, via our Web site, we will be making available public beta versions of a new suite of plug-ins for our Internet information organizer, WebArranger. Plug-ins include Internet POP email, Internet Tour Guide, and others. The new QuicKeys will be released by the end of July and we have additional, exciting new product development in the wings.” by Alex Narvey    Getting bought out by SteamLogic doesn't seem to have affected FWB Hard Disk Toolkit. FWB proudly announced version 2.0 at the end of June. The new HDT is optimized for System 7.5.3 and for PCI Power Macs, handles both SCSI and IDE drives and sports a "vastly simplified" interface. Other power features include batch processing, so you can format multiple disks at once. The company promises increased performance from the new Power Mac native disk drivers with over 700 different IDE and SCSI disk drives individually tuned, tested, and directly supported. FWB is being cagey about the retail price for the new version. A two page PDF file at the company's web site only lists part numbers at various retailers and mail orders but no pricing. Current users can upgrade for $49 + shipping by filling out the online order form at: http://www.fwb.com/order_hdt2.0.html   by Alex Narvey    Multi-Ad Services Inc. has beefed up its Multi-Ad Creator, releasing its fastest version yet. A demo of version 4.0 can be downloaded at http://www.multi-ad.com/Creator.html. The program's performance boost is across the board, from printing to manipulating images. The importance of print in advertisements has not been played down: the program includes a spell checker and hyphenation components. The advertisement-creation program seems to have been designed with the industry in mind, featuring the following:   A production-oriented one-page layout program.   A starburst tool, borders, style models and masking.   A built-in database of standard layout sizes.   Advanced drawing capabilities and multiple text effects. One of the trumpeted features of Multi-Ad Creator is its ability to rotate and align text and objects. When rotating a figure, the user sees the entire object, not just an outline. Version 4.0 allows users to export ads as TIFF or GIF files. The GIF files, although limited in the number of colors, can be saved using an optional interlaced format, letting the image be displayed progressively. Images placed in ads can be viewed at variable resolutions; picture previews are seen in Open and Place dialog boxes. The program is priced at $995 (US). Upgrades from Version 3.8 or later are $140. Other upgrades are $200. The company's home page is http://www.multi-ad.com   by Elizabeth Martin