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American software house Gribnif produce more desks than MFI. Well, replacement desktops, that is. Their latest is really quite impressive.

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Most programs for your ST are specific in purpose: word processors for word processing, art programs for drawing and games for playing. NeoDesk, however, one of the most popular pieces of serious ST software, does none of these things. The previous version of this FORMAT Gold-winning, widely-used replacement desktop scored 94% in 1990. But does the new version live up to its promise?

NeoDesk 4 comes with a user-friendly installation program, which you use to set up NeoDesk on your system simply by clicking on the options presented on screen. NeoDesk can be configured to run automatically every time you boot up your computer, and once it's installed, the plain ST icons and empty-looking desktop are replaced by more ornate, pictorial NeoDesk icons.

NeoDesk enables you to create icons for programs and folders on the desktop, which you can double-click to run the program directly. This means you can start all your favorite software without hunting through your hard drive to find it. Once you've put your chosen software on the desktop, just select Save Configuration from the drop-down menu, and your new setup is always presented. Although NeoDesk is much more useful to hard drive owners than those who just have floppy drives, it will run on and enhance any ST system, and is fully compatible with the TT and Falcon.

And there's more! But you don't buy NeoDesk merely to improve the look of your Desktop and icons. Loads of clever features are included which improve any ST's general performance — see the 'What's new...' panel below for its most important features.

If you just use your ST or Falcon to play games, or only occasionally use applications, you don't really need NeoDesk. If, however, you've got a hard drive, utilize plenty of serious software, and like to extract the maximum power and performance from your system, you won't want to live without it. There are many helpful things it can do: you can name disks using up to 20 letters instead of GEM's eight; you can view text and picture files just by clicking on them; and it copies and moves all your files smoothly. NeoDesk works in a similar fashion to the standard Atari Desktop, which makes it easy to pick up, and the more you play with it, the more little enhancements and features you'll discover. The upgrade to version 4 from NeoDesk 3 is an essential investment, and good value at £25. If you intend to go in for multitasking, NeoDesk 4 plus Geneva or MagiC make a great combination. The price of version 4 is much higher than version 3 (which is £19.99), but if you can stretch your wallet, you won't regret it.

STF PETER CRUSH

Highs • Easy to use • More powerful than ever • Compatible with multitasking

Lows • Dearer than NeoDesk 3

What else? TeraDESK, a PD alternative desktop, from all PD libraries. Better than the ST's Desktop but can't compete with NeoDesk.

Ease Desktop, Recently released, partners MagiC — watch out for a full review