Software

Keeping your computer running at its optimum capacity can be time consuming and often frustrating unless, of course, you hand the task over to experts.

Many years ago there were two names in the CD copying field, although Nero was one of them – and in fact on my Windows ME machine I still use an early version – this product does so much more in so many various ways.

The arrival of a product with the number 6 attached had me thinking that I had missed out on the first five titles in the series but that was not so.

Where once Disk Jockeys mixed chat with music, now they are more inclined to be creative with the way music is played. A new MAGIX title shows the way/

Following its normal policy, BitDefender 2011 product line-up consists of the three titles of Antivirus Pro, Internet Security and Total Security.

It was hardly the most auspicious of meeting. I had to battle through a heavy downpour and then sit through a presentation that was in constant competition with those watching a televised European football match featuring the local team in the next room. This was my introduction to CyberLink’s latest media playing software.

Over the years I have has the opportunity to try out various versions of Acronis software developed to provide backup and restore facilities. Now it is the turn of the latest version which goes by the title of Acronis True Image Home 2011.

Not everybody can afford the prices being asked for the market-leading graphics products available from Adobe and Corel. Serif offers an alternative with its DrawPlus product.

Keeping your computer running at its optimum capacity is a never-ending task. Why not take the approach of letting software do the job for you.

For those unable to justify the cost of the full Photoshop package then the ‘Elements’ offering has a good percentage of the same content at a small percentage of the price of the full products. If you need both still and movie editing then save again by buying the joint package.

Over the years, and numerous versions, as it has developed from a single application into a full-blown suite of graphics titles, CorelDRAW has arrived in different types of packaging. The latest version, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5, comes in the form of a hardback book with its own rigid slip case. The actual software is on a DVD attached to the inside of the book’s front cover while the book acts as the User Guide.

Last time I met up with Nero, the company promised support for Blu-ray. With this latest version of its software, Nero has made good its promise.

While Adobe Photoshop rules the roost as far as high-end, professional graphics is concerned, the company also has a more budget-orientated package with Photoshop Elements. The latest version of this graphics product is Photoshop Elements 9.

The presence of a pair of cardboard glasses gives you the clue that the latest version of Roxio Creator is venturing into another dimension.

Having built up a store of digital music you might like to consider a software title that offers to help manage and make the most of your collection.

While faster Broadband speeds have reduced the need to compress files prior to transfer, archiving software does have more to offer.

Think protection and one of the first names that springs to mind is Norton with a range of offerings being available.

As a long time user of the various versions of Paint Shop Pro, I always look forward to seeing what the latest software can deliver. This time I encountered some good points and one element that failed to work.

Designed more for the painter rather than the graphics developer, ArtRage is a New Zealand product that has built up an impressive fan base.

Available for both Windows and the Mac platform, FileMaker Pro is a database product with a loyal following of users that includes myself.

Adding to its range of backup products, Acronis has developed solutions that now include aspects of Internet security into the mix. One of these solutions is Acronis Backup and Security 2010 which brings together its True Image Home backup software with Internet security protection on a one-year subscription basis for up to three computers.

Fancy a change of style? Then maybe this next product will help you experiment with your appearance.

Keeping your computer running at its optimum capacity can be time consuming. Fix-It Utilities offers to take over this task.

Speech recognition has come of age with the launch of Dragon Naturally Speaking version 11. After just a few minutes training I was able to achieve a very high level of transcription accuracy and was starting to get acquainted with the voice commands for editing and other purposes. This program could well change the way that many users interact with their PCs.

At the start of the year it appeared as ‘betas’ on some magazine discs. Then absolute silence until June when I saw a couple of distributor adverts, it transpired the launch had happened, a quick skim of my journalists friends and no one knew, so now it seems Microsoft – or do I mean their numerous PR agencies - tells no one about the arrival of products.

Queen Victoria is said not to have been amused but you could put your sense of humour to work with a product available from Smith Micro.

FileMaker Pro 11: the missing manual – “the book that should have been in the box” is about 900 pages long and, had it been supplied with the program, would have needed a quite large box. It will meet the needs of both the novice and the experienced user. Consequently, it will prove valuable when both initially using FileMaker and when developing more sophisticated applications.

Transferring your video content to portable devices should be easy but often isn’t. As a result software developers have come up with solutions to help you achieve this task.

Sibelius is probably the best music scoring program around, professionals and music students alike both use it, however for the amateur it is rather expensive and to be honest it does a lot more than they might want so this is a good alternative.

Although Adobe Photoshop remains the popular and dominant choice in the field of graphic editing software, for many its price point puts it out of their budgetary range. For those who still want the kudos of working with Adobe software without the financial upheaval there is Photoshop Elements which is aimed more at the home enthusiast rather than the professional user.