Google announced Google Pack beta, a free collection of software from Google and other companies that improves the user experience online and on the desktop.

In just a few clicks, users can easily discover, install and maintain software to surf the web faster and safer, communicate better, and effectively manage information.

"We've heard from countless new computer owners that it can take days or weeks to install all the software they need to make their computer useful," said Marissa Mayer, VP of search products and user experience at Google. "We developed Google Pack to give users a way to painlessly install all the essential software they need -- pre-configured in a sensible way -- in a matter of minutes. Better yet, users don't have to keep track of software updates or new programs -- we maintain and update all the software for them."

Google Pack offers programs that meet Google's high software standards and are considered best in their class, including:

-- Adobe Reader 7

-- Ad-Aware SE Personal

-- GalleryPlayer HD Images

-- Google Desktop

-- Google Earth

-- Google Pack Screensaver

-- Google Talk

-- Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer

-- Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar

-- Norton AntiVirus 2005 Special Edition

-- Picasa

-- RealPlayer

-- Trillian

Google Pack also includes Google Updater, a new tool that intelligently downloads, installs and maintains all the software in the Google Pack. Google Updater alerts users when updates and new programs become available and ensures each program is always up-to-date. Google Updater can also be used to monitor the status of installation, run software that's been installed, or easily uninstall software.

Users can easily select which programs they want to install. For programs already installed on a computer, Google Updater checks whether the latest version is running. If not, Google Updater will install the latest version.

Every program included in the Google Pack is free, has earned a reputation for excellence, and was evaluated to ensure it meets Google's Software Principles. Google respects users' rights to control their own computers and does not include software that is spyware, generates pop-ups, or that is difficult to uninstall. Additional information on Google's Software Principles is available at http://www.google.com/intl/en/corporate/software_principles.html.

Google Pack beta is available in English, runs on Windows XP, and supports Firefox 1.0 and higher and Internet Explorer 6.0 and higher. More info on Google Pack is available at http://pack.google.com.