Welcome enhancements in all areas mean there’s something for everyone – even database novices

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

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

If you find a scanner bundled with this software, it'll be hard to resist.

Decent OCR performance on automatic settings - but woe betide you if you'd prefer to do the driving.

What you should expect if a cut down version of Omni Page comes bundled with your scanner.

Yet another leap forward for After Effects, which cements its status as the leading PC video compositing tool.

A free package that scores highly, beating almost all its big-name competition. It’s just a shame it’s such a nag

With peerless detection capabilities, this well-conceived package is a joy to use.

Now a true all-in-one package thanks to file and folder backup, but it can’t match Acronis for value.

Surround-sound support and mastering-quality plug-ins mean Sound Forge is better than ever.

Protect your PC from itself and yourself

Media management gets a Macromedia-inspired makeover; with export preview facilities for mobile devices.

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

Camcorder, still camera and portable media player all in one sleek package.

For those who don’t own version 9, a few improvements should put this at the top of your shopping list.

Without support for differential backups and with a light feature set, Norton Ghost feels cheap, nasty and dated.

Surround-sound support and mastering-quality plug-ins mean Sound Forge is better than ever.

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