Still the best choice for speed and security, but most new additions are eye candy.

We’ve tested dozens of applications that claim to be the best way of removing sensitive data from your computer, but let us tell you a trade secret: the best of the bunch is free.

You might think making sense of numeric error codes is no big deal now that we've got the web, but it's not quite that simple yet.

ClipMate is kind of like the Windows Clipboard on steroids.

We knew that Outpost Personal Firewall Pro 2 would improve on its predecessor, but this version is a major upgrade. I'm not just talking about the superb revamped interface, which couples simplicity with power, but a quick look under the pretty skin confirms that this is a serious development.

There are the odd occasions in this line of work when I’m presented with an application that causes me to exclaim ‘I don’t believe it’. Office Mail from Burrotech is one such example.

Copernic Agent 6 Professional

A software firewall has to really stand out to succeed in the crowded market, but ZoneAlarm Pro 3.5 with Web Filtering does just that.

With less hand-holding and a greater feeling of control and configuration, Norton is definitely geared more towards the advanced user than McAfee. Although the interface is quite different, it's undoubtedly a more professional product.

With less hand-holding and a greater feeling of control and configuration, Norton is definitely geared more towards the advanced user than McAfee. Although the interface is quite different, it's undoubtedly a more professional product.

At first glance, not much appears to have changed from version 3. A closer look, however, reveals that the engine in version 4 has been tweaked and optimised towards a more powerfully specified product.

Don't confuse Microsoft Works with a slimmed-down version of Office, because Works is for the home productivity market.

The first problem you face when reviewing a Linux reference title is that you know youre on to a loser.

Sometimes a book gets everything right, including the back cover bumpf. The Complete Reference: Web Design is a fine example - flip the book over and youre promised all you need to plan, build, and maintain dynamic Web sites that balance form and function.

As regular readers are already aware, Im not too keen on books that supposedly teach complex and technical subjects in a short period of time. The reason is simple - 99 per cent of the time it isnt feasible for the average punter.

This is another one of those doorstop Wrox titles in the Programmer to Programmer series. Its no surprise then that its not just another overview of the Internet business revolution, nor a business school primer for the would-be e-entrepreneur.

Upgrading and Repairing PCs is now on its 11th Edition, and it just keeps growing.