I used to use NAV on all my computers. The last few years though, it has gone done hill more each year. NAV 2008 is no exception. It is more bloated and than ever. Symantec needs to start over from scratch, and put out a real new version. A version that has less bugs, doesn’t slow systems down to a crawl, and doesn’t require 100’s of MB’s of disk space. The only reason I don’t give it one star is that the program does do a decent job of stopping viruses.

Cyberlink PhotoDirector 6 Ultra is a great program, especially for photo-editing beginners. If you have already mastered Photoshop programs, you probably won’t be abandoning your programs for this one as there are simply not too many complex features that may make you stick around. I’d say this program is a very complex version of Windows Paint and then some. If you like Windows Paint and want more additional features without spending too much time on tutorial then this is definitely worth your look.

The Good:nn* A wide array of tools and scanners, as well as firewall and virus protectionn* Gamer Mode/Laptop Mode customizes your experiencen* Optional online back-up tooln* 2-YEARS/3 PCs subscription makes this a great valuennThe Bad:nn* With the in-your-face alerts, it feels clunky at timesn* File Vault feature is cumbersomennThe Bottom Line:nnA great protection from BitDefender that is also a great value as you get not one, but 2 YEARS of protection for up to 3 PCs.

Year after year, Norton provides very solid protection from online threats. One feature that stands out is that is it very unintrusive: You simply install it and pretty much forget it and let it work in the background. This is very ideal to install for someone who isn’t a computer expert, thus taking away most of the decision-making away from their fingertips. It is barely a resource hog, although with the powerful machines these days, the days of anti-viruses slowing down your PCs are long over, unless you are still running an ancient system.

Year after year, Norton provides very solid protection from online threats. One feature that stands out is that is it very unintrusive: You simply install it and pretty much forget it and let it work in the background. This is very ideal to install for someone who isn’t a computer expert, thus taking away most of the decision-making away from their fingertips. It is barely a resource hog, although with the powerful machines these days, the days of anti-viruses slowing down your PCs are long over, unless you are still running an ancient system.

The Good:nn*Simple to use; user-friendly interface.n*An ability to create multiple vaults(from 50MB to 4GB) to keep your hidden files organized.n*Easy Access through your System Tray.n*Auto-Lock feature provides extra security if you leave your PC and forget to lock your vault(s.)nnThe Bad:nn*Not compatible with Windows Vista 64-bit(at the time of this review.)nnThe Bottom Line:nnFinally a simple program to hide the files you don’t want others to see. The program starts by asking you the master password.

Great interface and drag’n’drop capabilities make Serif PagePlus Essentials a great choice if you are looking for a budget project software. Sure you won’t confuse it with MS Publisher or Photoshop, but hey, who says that’s a bad thing? Some people prefer to keep thing simple and that’s what PagePlus is about. You can create fliers, documents, cards, calendars and other similar projects. Not familiar with this type of software? No problem as a step-by-step tutorial is included.

The Good:nn* Set it and forget itn* Traditional firewall and scanners you expect from a suite and then somen* Innovative features like anti-theft protection, keystroke encryption and wi-fi detector on your browser(tested on IE and Mozilla)n* Provides Mobile security for many PDAs as wellnnThe Bad:nn* Anti-Theft protection could’ve been extended to do much morennThe Bottom Line:nnA great product from Trend Micro. Once you install it, you forget that its even there.

This is definitely not your dad’s mapping program. I expected this to be an upgrade over something simple as MapQuest, but this obviously much more than that. From the moment you start using it, you will realize this is indeed for business and not for personal use. There are a lot of business terminology that confused me and took time to learn what it all means. The interface is average and actually shows its age as it is not innovative, but those who used Windows programs before should be able to recognize it.

This is a good program for the following tasks, which includes: Creating a card, calendar, photobook, a slideshow, photobook and even a disc back-up. This program has the ability to fix the red-eye and crop a photo. It also can upload a photo to Facebook, Flickr and other websites. While it is not as in-depth as other similar programs, it is fairly simple to use and has a friendly interface which will be suitable for most users.