So i have gotten the opportunity (unfortunately) to work on some 8.1 machines. (well rather the first incarnation of W8) and coming from a tech this is about as dysfunctional as an OS gets. I have hit roadblocks before in computers, but normally i could find a way out of it, but this you just cant. Microsoft should have been bankrupt by now, but somehow selling 200 million licenses it’s hard to tell whether they are succeeding or not with this OS, but with the constant complaints i get on this OS it’s a wonder that MS continues on with this W8x metro/start screen nonsense.

It’s almost that time for XP to disappear and if you’re one of those users that want to stay secure now is the time to upgrade to Windows 7. This is probably the best OS from Microsoft yet and while this OS is not perfect, it’s very stable, secure and less resource intensive than Vista. It is also very fast, the UI is very appealing and has some great security features.

While I did not expect much with McAfee Internet Security 2009 it did, at least, meet my expectations. As someone that works in the computing industry I know how the consumer level anti-virus packages can be below par and really cause headaches for the end user. Corporate level packages are much better, but I will get off topic here… McAfee Internet Security 2009 was decently quick during the installation and updating phases.

I am not an avid Lightroom user, although I have used it many times. I have always wanted to dive into the tools and techniques of the software more and this video series has definitely put me on the right track. The series does an excellent job of not only giving you a general tour and reference to what is available in Lightroom, but also diving into more important aspects that you do not pick up on out of the gate.

I’ve been using Family Tree Maker for a number of years, mostly on Windows. So this is my first Mac version, but I’ve been around the software before and use it extensively with ancestry.com sync features. At first glance, FTM for the Mac 3 Deluxe seems to be fairly feature complete, on par with the Windows version. Of course, it’s also a bit sluggish, which I’ve come to expect from the FTM products.

Wordperfect Office x7 Standard is a good business solution for those not needing a full suite of products, like Microsoft Word. We have tested it fairly thoroughly in our environment with past versions and always had some issues with document fidelity. Not everything would look or format the same. I’ve found this version to be very similar. So if you are working in an environment with Microsoft Office or Google Docs is key, then you may need to stay in those product arenas for the best results.

Autodesk Sketchbook Pro is known to just about every artist and designer for its ease of use and productive qualities. Sketchbook Pro 2011 continues that trend. It’s great for professionals, amateurs, and just about anyone with an itch to draw. Some of the enhancements for this edition include layer enhancements, additional custom brush tools, new image editing capabilities, and a new tool bar. Past versions of the software have always been fairly smooth and used system resources efficiently and 2011 is just as smooth.

I’ve used Family Tree Maker for many years now, as well as ancestry.com. If you find that ancestry.com is a bit cumbersome at times, you should give the software a try. Family Tree Maker isn’t a fully polished software application, but it does get the job done and when it comes genealogy it’s one of the few choices to complete the job. Deciding between the various versions of Family Tree Maker should be fairly simple as there are few noticeable differences.

PaintShop Pro has long been considered the cheaper (and sometimes lighter duty) alternative to Adobe PhotoShop. Each product has it strengths and weaknesses, but those considering a purchase of PaintShop Pro are usually broken into two groups: (1) you want a powerful suite to edit photos but do not want to learn PhotoShop or (2) cannot afford PhotoShop and want the best bang for your buck. Previous owners of PaintShop will likely love or hate this version.

Sketchbook Pro software is great. This was a gift to a user of the software for years and this software never seizes to amaze. However, when I first received the item it was in opened packaging. This means there was no seal on the CD case and the serial number was clearly printed on the back. This is extremely unusual for software of any kind. I promptly told Amazon about it and they sent me another copy.