Microsoft's first batch of Macintosh software was launched last week with promises of more to come. Microsoft File and Microsoft Chart are both new, while Word and Multiplan were previously available on MSDOS machines.

All are priced at £170.40 except Chart. This costs £113.85 and is a graphics routines which takes data from a spreadsheet to produce bar, pie and other charts.

But deliveries to IBM and Apple dealers are slightly haphazard with Chart currently being shipped from the US, Word arriving at the end of June and File in August. the spreadsheet is available now.

Microsoft denies that it is changing horses from IBM to Apple. A spokeswoman said the company would continue to make products for the IBM PC and Apple's Macintosh and "will be going for Apple and IBM dealers in a major way."