Best software

  • 9.0 7.5

    Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium)

    18 Aug 2009 4:32 PM

    Windows 7 is more than what Vista should have been — it's where Microsoft needed to go. How much damage Vista did and whether Windows 7 is enough for people to finally abandon Windows XP are questions that nobody has the answers to right now.

  • 9.0

    Microsoft Windows 7 (Ultimate)

    09 Jul 2009 12:31 PM

    Windows 7 looks like the operating system that we've all been waiting for. Despite its imperfections, it shows a lot of promise for the future while presenting a stable platform that can compete comfortably with OS X.

  • 9.0 7

    Microsoft Windows 7 (Professional)

    18 Aug 2009 3:43 PM

    Windows 7 looks like the operating system that we've all been waiting for. Despite its imperfections, it shows a lot of promise for the future while presenting a stable platform that can compete comfortably with OS X.

  • 9.0 9.1

    Microsoft Security Essentials

    30 Sep 2009 3:30 PM

    Microsoft Security Essentials is recommended for those who want something to set and ignore, but users who want more robust configuration choices or don't want to contribute to the cloud should look elsewhere.

  • 8.4

    Norton Internet Security 2010

    25 Sep 2009 3:59 PM

    Norton Internet Security 2010 builds on the immense progress it made in last year's version, maintaining a low system profile while strengthening its security framework. It's not perfect, but even Symantec's detractors should check it out.

  • 8.2 7.5

    Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6)

    27 Aug 2009 6:06 PM

    Intel Mac users will like Snow Leopard's smartly designed interface enhancements, and its Exchange support is a must-have (especially with Outlook for Mac on the way). With a ton of technological improvements, Snow Leopard is worth the AU$39 upgrade fee.

  • 8.1 3

    Norton AntiVirus 2010

    28 Sep 2009 3:16 PM

    Norton AntiVirus 2010 builds on the immense progress made in last year's version, maintaining a low system profile while strengthening its security framework. It's not perfect, but even Symantec's detractors should check it out.

  • 8.0 9

    iLife '09

    04 Feb 2009 4:54 PM

    Apple iLife '09 is a great application suite for simple media organising and editing, and the addition of features like face recognition, geotagging and music lessons makes it worth the update.

  • 8.0 8

    Apple iTunes 9

    28 Sep 2009 2:20 PM

    iTunes 9 is a natural, yet relatively minor, evolution of Apple's popular media management software and is a required download for new iPod owners.

  • 7.8

    Apple iWork '09

    30 Jan 2009 12:07 PM

    Intuitive interface design and easy access to useful features make iWork the best office suite choice on the Mac. Though it lacks some of Microsoft Office's advanced options, iWork '09 is an emerging powerhouse in its own right.

The Explain Series

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Articles

  • Microsoft Office 2010 beta: First take

    The beta for Microsoft Office 2010 is here and we've had a chance to check out the latest version. Though the changes are more incremental than they are major, there are some useful new enhancements worth noting in this revision.

  • Office 2010 beta gets LinkedIn

    Microsoft has released a beta of Office 2010 at its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles. The beta integrates social network LinkedIn with Outlook, offers a stripped back Excel for browser editing, and video editing tools for PowerPoint.

  • Microsoft dabbles in hardware

    Taking a page from arch-rival Apple, Microsoft has teamed up with hardware-maker Acer to deliver a Windows 7 laptop created to its specifications.