PC-cillin 2000 is extremely easy to set up out of the box, particularly since there are few setup screens to wade through during installation. PC-cillin was one of the few packages that scanned memory and critical files before installing, thus ensuring that it did not further spread viruses on an infected system.

Is software or hardware you installed on your PC causing your system to crash? Perhaps you are having rouble with a USB connection or your computer takes a long time to switch between programs?

PC-cillin is no longer just an anti-virus program - it is a full internet security suite that includes a personal firewall and spam filtering - and it costs between $20 and $40 less than the equivalent Norton product.

A dreadful performer in almost every regard.

A modular scanning tool that catches most unwanted software – but not quite all

Designed for the curious enthusiast or habitual tinkerer looking to push the boundaries of knowledge, PC Toys has projects to suit the interests and skills of readers from all walks of life.

Not a bad tome to have in the computer room, the PC Repair Bench Book, by R Glister, is geared more towards the beginner tinkerer than the hardcore techie, but it's chock full of good information. Much more descriptive than "Upgrading and repairing PCs" (March 2003, page 63) but without the depth straight away, the PC Repair Bench Book is broken into 10 major sections.

This is a game that pushes PC hardware to the limit, and puts so called ‘next-gen’ consoles to shame.

Out of the old, onto the new.

101 Killer Apps for your Pocket PC is a handy reference freeware and shareware book for users of Pocket PC PDAs. It's quite comprehensive, but very application biased.

A Vista-only release that's merely a port of an Xbox game. The charm's in the gameplay, not its Vista-centric nature.

Another epic installment of the GTA series, tragically hampered by a poor PC port

In the mid-1990s a debate raged over whether we would eventually end up watching television on our computers, or whether television would take over from the PC. In 1995 a PC called the MyGeNie went on sale boasting that you could watch TV while you worked...

The tightest firewall and administration system is all for naught if an employee walks away from their PC without locking it up.

A much-hyped console epic comes to the PC, but unlike others that have made the move this deserves its press.

PDA sales are flattening, and have been for some time, but it doesn't mean that the sector's dead. Smartphones have their place and are increasing in sales in Australia, but they can't always offer the power or flexibility of a good PDA.

GarageBand very much fits the mould of a very simplified and intuitive approach to something that is traditionally quite complex - it's to music editing what iMovie is to video editing. The interface for GarageBand is very straight forward, and most functions are ready to hand. Setup is also very simple, with little need to worry about things like MIDI in/out/through or ASIO drivers and such.

It’s easy to believe that registry cleaners fall into the category of “computer voodoo”. You expect to perform a few ritualistic gestures and gain a faster, less problematic computer.

A great product, but it falls slightly behind its main competitor when it comes to updates.

Sydney Trains is a great little program. As the name implies, this is a time-tabling application for the Sydney metropolitan train network. Written for PDAs, Sydney Trains works on both Palm OS and Pocket PC.