I always run hot and cold on these photo and video editing programs. Some programs offer too much flexibility (Photoshop), while others completely fall short (I’ll let you fill that one in). Some provide too many additional add-on features, some provide none. With PD5 Ultra, Cyberlink has hit the sweet spot for me, as I am not a professional photographer, but want to be able to manage and edit my work.

I tried MS Streets & Trips on my Asus Netbook with 2 GB of ram during a recent road trip. Installation of the software on the notebook went well, and I plugged the small GPS unit into a free USB port on my Asus put the netbook on the passenger seat and headed out. The software interface feels dated; I wasn’t entirely impressed with either the design or functionality. Many functions weren’t very intuitive, with multiple panes opening and closing providing different data.

Easy to use.

It was easy to use.

I’ve used Norton Internet Security on my PC for many years. I’ve never gotten a virus and compared to other products it doesn’t slow down the computer that much. I had one issue with the auto renew but that was resolved with one phone call to Norton. As long as I keep a PC I’ll continue to use this product.

Seems to be working.

Easy to use.

It worked. Easy to use.

I switched to Win8 awhile back, and my go-to video editing software, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 14, doesn’t seem to appreciate the new operating system. I was thrilled to be able to try out Cyberlink PowerDirector, as it has consistently been winning against Pinnacle in head-to-head testing. At first glance, the two programs have very similar appearance and ease-of-use within their full-feature editors. I found Pinnacle to be slightly easier to understand as far as being able to import folders and keeping different photos in those folders while I’m working on a project, otherwise both are equal in creating a photo-montage production, which is what I use this type of program for the most.

I’m in charge of keeping 5 computers healthy and bug-free (two at home, 3 at work), so I am always on the lookout for easy programs that work quietly in the background to keep them all working well. All my computers are currently running this setup:nAvira AntiVir Personal (free edition at home, paid at work)nWindows Defender (free)nCC Cleaner (free)nAd Aware (free)nAusLogics Disk Defrag (free)nEusing Free Registry Cleaner (free)nSpybot - Search & Destroy (free)nnSome of these programs run in the background and offer protection (Avira, Windows Defender).