Improved interface, object and layer handling, plus integrated 3D painting add greatly to power, usability and value

Photoshop moves beyond photo editing to conquer completely new territory.

Moving in the right direction, but it isn’t easy teaching an old dog new tricks.

Source, store & manage your colour palette

New realism for bristled brushes and automatic painting that approaches manual quality give Painter X an edge.

Improved interface and drawing capabilities, new photo matching and hand-drawn effects – and it’s still free

An improved working environment and ground-breaking colour handling make Illustrator fresher than ever.

Non-destructive image processing and creative filters feature in this comprehensive upgrade to the market leader.

New effects enable richer design results, while a host of other improvements boost productivity.

For a new release, Snapfire already looks old-fashioned and unexciting, but at least the basic version is free.

The Sony bandwagon rolls on; this is another simple to use set that produces brilliant big-screen images

A new interface delivers significant improvements, but the bundling of separate apps for related tasks raises concerns.

Best-of-breed photo management, editing and sharing with great usability and value.

Our pick of the low-cost office suites has had a much-needed overhaul, and now battles Microsoft in terms of features, not just price.

Best-of-breed photo management, editing and sharing with great usability and value.

A new interface, drawing engine and programming language, but surprisingly little new power.

Friendly paint program for children

Lack of online content and copy-protected music are problems, but no HDMI is a major headache

Still a gorgeous-looking and highly capable HD projector. This fine unit receives six stars, especially at its competitive price.

The IN78 looks every bit as enticing from the outside, but its performance has slowly been surpassed