Cyberlink PowerDVD is pricey - but good - software that will allow you to watch Blue-Ray in its full quality on your PC, tablet, smartphone, etc. I was always able to watch DVDs - Blue-Ray or otherwise - on my laptop, but this just ups the quality. The most convenient feature for me is the ability to organize media files in a library. Photos can be organized with the same feature.

I’m not very tech savvy and look for comprehensive virus/Internet protection that is simple to install. Norton has fit the bill for many years. Norton does require renewing your licenses every year - as do most other makers of virus protection - but I feel that I get something for my buck as they constantly add additional features. I used the disc to download the software and it was hassle-free. (I see that others commented on downloading from Norton’s website to ensure that you’re getting the latest version, but I find the disc download much easier and faster)nnI don’t own a Mac or any Android devices, but really like that Norton extends protection to iOS as I can now protect my iPad and iPhone.

Very cool software! I am new to the world of photo editing/re-touching, so perhaps others’ comments that this is good for beginners rings true. If you were wanted to edit that annoying person out of an otherwise perfectly good photo, or to slim yourself down (at least in a photo), then this software is for you. It easily installs on Windows (can’t speak for Macs) and is Windows 8 compatible. Import your photos and play way.

Not sure how this buggy program made it into production! The description for the software advertises transcribing audio files front and center…and this software does not even come close to doing a passable transcription. I used an audio file with one person speaking clearly. What I got back from Dragon Dictate was incoherent and nowhere near what was actually spoken. As this was the main feature I was looking to use, Dragon Dictate was a complete waste for me.

Media Expressions Platinum 3 is great entry level product for anyone who loves to work with their photos, organize them, add special effects, etc. The software is very intuitive and makes it easy to get around to different features - I skipped the manual and dug right in. I’ve always been really intimidated with Corel (not to mention it’s a lot more expensive), so Media Expressions is a great alternative.

CorelDraw is a pleasure to use - user-friendly with a new and improved interface, wide variety of both customized and preset options, ease of accessing open documents with tabbed documents bar, etc. The price tag is certainly steep but with Adobe moving to a cloud platform, CorelDraw is certainly one of the best options currently available.

I installed this security suite on my laptop and desktop. Both operate on Windows XP, and have specs well above what the stated requirements are on the McAfee box. I’ve never been a fan of any security software and have used my computers unprotected for many years with no problems, but I figured it was time to upgrade. I’ve tried Norton, Panda, and a variety of other software and wound up uninstalling them after a few days.

There is a lot of video editing software out there that is priced much higher, so I started using VideoStudio Pro X6 with low expectations. This is one case where the low price is definitely not indicative of value. I think video editing pros may want more features than what VideoStudio has to offer, but for people new to editing videos like myself it’s an amazing tool. It was easy to install and I though fairly intuitive to use.

Corel VideoStudio is a great, affordable and user friendly software for editing videos. I’m not very tech savvy and usually find most video editing programs too complicated and too cumbersome to use. I am amazed at how much you get with Corel for under $70!nnThe included instructions were also very helpful in getting started with the software, figuring out tips and tricks, etc.

Sage 50 Complete Accounting is very similar to Sage 50 Pro Accounting; the main difference to me is that this is a 3-user edition and of course, the bigger price tag. It is a decent choice for doing bookkeeping for small businesses. It’s been re-branded from Peachtree to Sage but not a whole lot has changed. Most important features for me:nn- ability to pay billsn- to create invoices, handle accounts payable and accounts receivablen- track inventoryn- budget and organize financesnnThe software itself is not intuitive in my opinion, but the customer service line has been able to answer all my questions so far.