SEATTLE -- A sanctioned version of "Scrabble for Facebook," released this week by video game maker Electronic Arts Inc., boasts animated graphics and true-to-the-board-game design.

But underneath its flashy exterior, the new "Scrabble's" features are very similar to those of its wildly popular but unauthorized competitor, "Scrabulous." And that makes me wonder whether lots of people will switch unless, as threatened, "Scrabble" rights holders Hasbro Inc. and Mattel Inc. shut "Scrabulous" down for copyright infringement.

When I fired up the official "Scrabble" game, my first thought was: There goes my favorite office time-waster.

Where "Scrabulous" uses text links and muted colors -- giving me the illusion, at least, that my co-workers won't notice when I'm playing -- "Scrabble" employs rich reds and blues and sends digital replicas of the game's iconic wooden tiles dancing across the screen.

The two versions -- both of which are free -- offer most of the same bells and whistles. They each have a built-in instant-messaging application, a dictionary for looking things up and a list of "Scrabble's" precious elements: valid two-letter words. "Scrabble's" design is more polished, though, which helped one of my opponents discover features he didn't know existed in "Scrabulous," such as an archive of completed games.

Beyond the bolder, more professional look, "Scrabble's" designers added numerous cosmetic touches that set it apart from the minimalist, two-dimensional appearance of "Scrabulous," which was created by two brothers in India.

The "Scrabble" tile rack is much larger, and it's easier to rearrange letters by dragging them with the mouse. Buttons to shuffle or alphabetize the tiles are big and easy to identify, as opposed to the tiny, unlabeled dots that serve as buttons on "Scrabulous."

At best, the legit "Scrabble" saves time and mouse clicks, as when my opponents' moves magically appear on screen without my having to reload the page.