PCs sold by Packard Bell NEC soon will come pre-installed with NeoPlanet's and Lycos' co-branded browser.

Beginning in early September, Packard Bell NEC will bundle an Internet access package called Urocket onto its sub-$1,000 consumer PCs.

When PC users sign up and access the Internet through Urocket, they will do so via the NeoPlanet browser, which allows users to customize the "skins" and other features on the browser.

The browser's subject channels have been preset with over 1,000 Web destinations gleaned from the Lycos web portal. The program will also feature improved search through Lycos, including Lycos' MP3 search service, which finds downloadable music on the Web.

The full story is online at www.techweb.com .