Microsoft Works, the bare bones Office cousin that's included for free on most PCs, has joined Bob and Clippy on the great hard drive in the sky. Microsoft has killed Works in favor of a stripped down version of Office itself, one that will include ads.

Office Starter 2010 will be included on new Windows computers that carry the full version of Office 2010, slated for availability next year.

"Office Starter 2010 will provide new PC owners with immediate exposure to the Office 2010 experience on new PCs right out of the box," said Microsoft officials, in a blog post Thursday. The suite will include starter editions of the Word document application and the Excel spreadsheet tool.

"Office Starter 2010 will replace Microsoft Works, offering a consistent Office user experience, such as the Ribbon, with a simple path to upgrade to a fully-featured version of Office 2010 directly from within the product," said the officials.

Microsoft's retiring of products and features isn't without precedent. Office used to carry an animated paper clip named Clippy that eagerly guided users around the program. Earlier versions of Windows included "Bob", a cartoonish interface that provided a simplified computing experience.

Microsoft also is looking to make it easier for consumers to upgrade to the full version of Office 2010 from pre-loaded trial versions. The company is partnering with retailers to offer separately packaged product key cards that can be purchased at any time to unlock the full version.

It "enables a faster path for consumers to begin using any of three full versions of Microsoft Office," the officials said. Office 2010 comprises the Home & Student, Office Home & Business, and Professional editions.

Office 2010 also includes a Web-based version of Office that consumers can use at no cost.

Office Web has online versions of Word, PowerPoint presentation software, and the OneNote message pad.

They'll be available through Microsoft's Windows Live portal and launch directly within a user's browser. Office Web apps will include Internet-friendly features like social bookmarking and collaboration tools, but will not offer the full horsepower of the desktop versions.

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