Hard sales of software

Last week, Work & Money told you about the rapid growth of tax software. Since then, we've discovered that five out of the top 10 best selling software packages in 1998 were geared to personal finance. Four of those do taxes.

Sales revenues for financial software increased by 21 percent in 1998, according to PC Data, a Reston, Va. company that tracks computer software.

Meanwhile, Microsoft accounted for more than 23 percent of all software sales last year, thanks, in part, to the popularity of Windows 98.

Top-selling software

Rank Title Average price

1 Microsoft windows 98 $88 Upgrade

2 TurboTax $30

3 TurboTax Deluxe $44

4 Starcraft $42

5 Quicken Deluxe $58

6 Deer Hunter $18

7 VirusScan3 $30

8 TaxCut $18

9 TurboTax Multi State $29

10 Myst $18