A powerful and capable suite with some excellent features, although it isn’t the easiest to use, nor the cheapest around.

A few disappointing extras make this an unappetising upsell from the standard ZoneAlarm suite

We've been impressed with Norton 360 - security for those who want something simple but effective. We're also impressed with the changes in Norton Internet Security 2009. So how does Norton 360 version 3.0 stack up?

A broad and likeable package, but needs better malware detection.

Lighter than ever, but its all-round performance isn’t quite first class.

A capable package, but McAfee Total Protection 2009 is conspicuous and expensive.

A credible contender, but F-Secure Internet Security 2009 is neither the lightest nor the most effective security suite for your PC

A suite with some nice features but slow startup times made us disappointed with ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009

Cleverly extends Photoshop Elements’ appeal to both digital photo novices and the more experienced

A well-featured package with some unusual tricks that falls just short of a first-rate performance.

Nothing revolutionary, but this simple and affordable music-production program feels both mature and modern

A complex but powerful tool that’s made simpler by its new Dashboard interface

A new interface, smart albums, guided editing and photo merging keep Photoshop Elements ahead of the pack

A new interface, smart albums, guided editing and photo merging keep Photoshop Elements ahead of the pack

A mixed performance undermines an otherwise good-value product.

A big improvement from Microsoft, but there’s still some way to go. OneCare can now call itself a serious security contender.

Refocusing on disc-related features makes Nero the top choice for optical disc authoring.

You still get a lot for your money, but HD optical burning only extends to data discs

The Vista version lacks many of the features of the XP suite, while slowing down the PC noticeably in usage

New wizards make it easier to use, and the range of operations is impressive for such a reasonable price