I have used in the past MacAfee and AVG antivirus software, I have always struggled to use them as they have multiple add-ons you have to buy and install depending on what area you want to be safe in (though common sense dictates if I use a computer and buy an anti-virus I expect to be safe everywhere when using my computer)nnI had the opportunity to grab a copy of Norton 360 and I am very glad I did.

I have used in the past MacAfee and AVG antivirus software, I have always struggled to use them as they have multiple add-ons you have to buy and install depending on what area you want to be safe in (though common sense dictates if I use a computer and buy an anti-virus I expect to be safe everywhere when using my computer)nnI had the opportunity to grab a copy of Norton 360 and I am very glad I did.

I have been using McAfee total protection for months now and while at first I thought their performance issues were fixed, eventually the PC scans start slowing the PC and affecting performance in general. When I was given the choice to try Norton 360, which I had already used before but did not renew when it expired, I didn’t think it twice. First of all, installation was fast and without any issues, unlike McAfee which asks you to download and install a bunch of stuff you would assume is already in the disc.

I have been using Norton 360 for years, renewing as required after some bad experiences with McAfee. My prior Norton 360 license was about to expire when I was offered the 2014 version, which I did not hesitate to order. The first difference I noted is that, contrary to prior installs, this time I had to uninstall the old license to be able to install the new one (rather than simply updating the required files), the whole uninstall/install process took less than ten minutes.

After using Corel Ulead Video Studio 11.5 for years, I was given the opportunity to give VideoStudio ProX7 a try. The first thing I noted was how similar the interface is between those two, true they’re both Corel, but I would have thought after 6 years it would be quite changed. This is not bad at all, if you like me, have used a similar software in the past, you should have no problems getting used to the new version and its enhancements.

Well things have changed. I was expecting an installation CD but what you get is actually a subscription key card, this allows you to download the applications, but not before asking you to create a Microsoft account (or link to an existing one)nnThere really isn’t much to say about Office that you don’t already know. The reason I ordered this is because my home-laptop, a Toshiba Satellite, did not include the office applications.

I ordered this item as I purchased last year a Toshiba Satellite that included a DVD Movie factory by Ulead that works pretty well, very cool templates and other functionalities that have allowed me to create very good-looking DVDs. There were some opportunity areas (for example, if you add a music file to a menu you have no way to edit the audio file or select a portion of it, I have to use Cool Edit to format the audio file to what I need) So I thought the retail version would have more functionalities than the one I already had and decided to get this one.

After TurboTax’s pricing and feature faux pas a couple of years ago I’ve used HRBlock. It seems to do the job but the 2015 edition seemed to have some minor but annoying issues.n-More than once I found nothing when doing a search on a specific topic but then stumbled upon the exact issue when manually plowing through the user guides. This looks like poor indexing or bad logic in their search engine.

Been using NIS for nearly a decade without being invaded by internet infidels. I do not always stay in safe zones but NIS had managed to keep the goblins out. Installation and updates are so easy a caveman could do it. Occasionally for no apparent reason my browsers get blocked by the firewall (verified by turning off firewall and the block is gone). What seems to be a fix is to turn the firewall off, open a browser, then turn the firewall back on.

I’m the multi-generational extended family ‘tech guy’ so naturally I get all sorts of calls about computers being broken. Broken is defined by the rest of the family as pretty much anything on a computer, tablet or smartphone that confuses them. A few years ago I noticed that with a single exception nobody had any antivirus/firewall/etc. on their systems after the trial periods of manufacturer bloatware ran out. Thank goodness for Norton multi-device&platform security products.