Teenager Sara Willis is the envy of all her friends thanks to computer giants Microsoft.

Sara, 13, of Hanborough Close, Eynsham, will be taking a peep into the future on Monday when she gets the chance to see Microsoft's new range of CD-Roms and hardware accessories months before they reach the shops.

She is one of 23 computer whizz-kids , aged nine to 15, picked to sit on the Microsoft Young Reviewers Panel in London. She won her place through a contest in a national newspaper.

Sara said: "I have always been keen on computers and have one in my room for school work and games. I had to write 30 words on what computers meant to me and forgot all about it. Some time later I received a box with a whole lot of games and I realised I had won. I am looking forward to going up to London, it will be good fun."Normally only a handful of top journalists and a few senior people from High Street electronics stores are given the opportunity to see the new products so far in advance.The young reviewers have also received VIP invitations to attend the preview in London so they can write their own reviews of the product.

They will try out Microsoft Encarta 99 Encyclopedia, the latest version of the award-winning CD-Rom encyclopedia, and Microsoft Sidewinder Forcefeedback Wheel.

Microsoft marketing manager Richard Teversham said: "They will have a great time racing motorbikes on Motocross Madness, finding out about their holiday destinations on Encarta 99 World Atlas and producing greeting cards with Home Publishing Suite 99. And when they've finished trying out the product we're taking them to the Sports Caf for a slap-up lunch."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.