Corel Java apps on tap next week

Corel will next Wednesay post beta versions of its first Java app-lets, bolstering its bid to usurp Microsoft as king of suites. The October 16 Web site posting will cover the Canadian firm's WordPerfect word processor, plus spreadsheet, personal information manager, charting and presentation graphics tools.

Corel is committed to producing a retail version of its suites for Java in the near future, in an effort to build on its early success with low-price application suites. The advantage of producing a Java suite is that app-lets will run anywhere and demand low system resources, making them ideal for Network Computers, thin clients, palmtops and other emerging system categories.