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BY NOW, EVERYONE KNOWS you need to protect your PC with an antivirus program, or you'll suffer an inevitable attack from a virus, Trojan horse, worm, or other virtual nasty. […]

YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO BE A technophile to be aware of the destruction computer viruses and their ilk can cause. In recent months, malicious bugs like the Blaster worm […]

INTRODUCTION BY SEAN PORTNOY You're supposed to back up your PC's data like you're supposed to floss your teeth: regularly. Those ubiquitous denture-cleaning commercials give you an idea how many […]

GIVEN THAT IT'S FREE, Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 is a good choice for morn-and-pop shops that need accounting software on the cheap. If you're new to accounting software in […]

MICROSOFT STREETS & TRIPS 2007 with GPS Locator is a bargain alternative to pricey, PDA-size GPS navigators. The 2007 version has some helpful improvements over earlier editions. Compatible with any […]

QUICKBOOKS PREMIER 2007 is a minor upgrade of last year's groundbreaking 2006 version, which overhauled Intuit's best-selling small-business accounting program with an easier-to-navigate home page and a faster SOL database. […]

EVEN IF you've never heard of Kaspersky Lab, chances are you've used its security technology before: The Russian vendor's antivirus engine is used to power dozens of better-known viral crusaders. […]

COREL HAS a winner in its $299.99 WordPerfect Office X3, a feature-packed productivity suite that's less expensive, just as easy to use, and in many ways more innovative than industry […]

H&R BLOCK'S TAXCUT PREMIUM 2005 and Intuit's TurboTax Premier 2005 are solid, comprehensive tax-management programs that step you through filing annual taxes without demanding knowledge of IRS lingo. Their high-end […]

SUN MICROSYSTEMS' StarOffice 8 ($99.95 boxed version; $69.95 download) is an able productivity suite that costs significantly less than its main competitor, Microsoft's $399 Office Standard Edition 2003. StarOffice includes […]

MONEY AND QUICKEN are easy-to-use, elegant programs that help households keep track of their finances. Both allow you to pay bills electronically and see your expenses and income from multiple […]

ONFOLIO 2.0 is an excellent tool for gathering, browsing, and organizing Really Simple Syndication (RSS) news feeds. It comes in two versions: Onfolio Personal Edition costs $29.95, while the $99.95 […]

FEW THINGS are more frustrating than trying to find a data file, image, e-mail, or MP3 on a cluttered computer. Even the most fastidious person is capable of forgetting where […]

BOOKKEEPING CAN BE a logistical nightmare for today's small businesses. Intuit's QuickBooks Online Edition aims to answer the challenge with the convenience of around-the-clock accounting from any Windows PC connected […]

DON'T GET US WRONG: QuickBooks Premier Edition 2005 is a terrific business accounting app. It's packed with high-end analytical tools, and it also provides plenty of tutorials and wizards for […]

IF YOU FIND A CONVENTIONAL word processor too rigid for collecting and storing your digitized information, consider one of these programs. Your note-taking will be changed forever. EVERNOTE (BETA) EverNote, […]

LOOKING FOR A SOFTWARE PACKAGE to handle antivirus protection, firewall blocking, and Internet privacy? These are our four leading choices in Internet security suites for 2005. MCAFEE INTERNET SECURITY SUITE […]

THE $129 Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 With GPS Locator is a bargain alternative compared with expensive car-navigation systems. Combining the latest version of Microsoft's popular mapping software with a […]

AS A $49.95 (before a $10 mail-in rebate) alternative to full-featured office suites, Microsoft Works 8 is a nicely integrated productivity package for home users. That said, Works' talents are […]

QUICK TO LOAD AND EASY on the wallet, Computer Associates' eTrust EZ Antivirus 2005 6.2 is one of the speediest antivirus apps we've tested to date. Given its $29.95 price, […]

IN THE WORLD of personal-finance software, two names have faced off for the top spot over the last 13 years: Intuit's Quicken and Microsoft's Money. For the past few years, […]

A SOLID CHOICE FOR CASH-STRAPPED USERS who want a powerful productivity package, Sun Microsystems' $79.95 StarOffice 7 offers plenty of tools, although it lacks file polish of its competitors and […]

c|net Editor's Choice WITH A COMBINATION OF ADVANCED AND novice accounting tools, as well as comprehensive (yet pricey) technical support and slick integration of online premium services, Intuit's $299.95 QuickBooks: […]

THE $249 MYOB PLUS 2004 IS A FINE ACCOUNTING tool for small business owners more interested in managing the books than fussing with forecasting and cash-flow-projection tools such as those […]

COREL'S $299.99 WORDPERFECT OFFICE 12 IS A feature-rich productivity suite and an affordable alternative to Microsoft Office for small-business, student, and home users. But companies standardized on Microsoft Office should […]

X1 TECHNOLOGIES' X1 SEARCH IS SO FAST THAT it can find any file or e-mail on your PC in less time than it takes to read this sentence. This speedy […]

INTUIT'S $499.95 QUICKBOOKS PREMIER EDITION 2004 is the best and most comprehensive small-business accounting program out there. With its sophisticated forecasting and business-planning tools, as well as a thoughtful interface, […]

MICROSOFT'S $99.99 WORKS SUITE 2004 IS A BLEND of the old and new. The old is Works 7.0--Microsoft's all-in-one utility that includes a spreadsheet, database, calendar, and other productivity apps--and […]

INTUIT'S TURBOTAX IS THE CHIEF ACCOUNTANT OF tax software, and for good reason. Its comprehensive interview steps you through the labyrinth of tax preparation, and it does a superior job […]

A TAX ACCOUNTANT MAY BE THE EASIEST SOLUtion to April 15, but why pay someone hundreds of dollars to fill out IRS forms when today's tax software makes it a […]

ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER battle between Intuit's Quicken and Microsoft's Money for supremacy in personal financial management. With robust online support for access to your banking and investment accounts, both packages […]

THE $53 F-SECURE ANTI-VIRUS 2003 IS A SPEEDY VIRUS stopper that is rather pricey, given its skimpy feature set. On the plus side, the program's interface is easy to navigate, […]

COMPUTER ASSOCIATES' $24.95 ETRUST EZ ANTIvirus 6.1 is a lean, mean scanning machine. This bargain application detects and destroys viruses, worms, and Trojans on the same level as more-prominent antivirus […]

WITH ITS 20021 VERSION, TREND MICRO'S $49.95 PC-cillin regains its rank among the top antivirus programs on the market. While it's marred by a few minor glitches, it's an excellent […]