Software

This is one of the few companies still willing to sell a boxed product rather than a download; however you can download it if you are without a drive. Whatever you want to do with video – and more – then this latest version from Cyberlink can handle it.

This was launched via a Webinar and while there are new features the main difference was that anyone with a full licenced version (not academic or NFR) can upgrade to this latest version from any earlier versions not as normal the last two or three.

Even though MAGIX has taken on board the latest version of VEGAS Movie Studio, the company has not neglected its own well-established Movie Edit Pro offering.

While no longer the market leader in the field of computer graphics software, CorelDRAW still has a lot to offer the digital designer.

With its range of graphics products, Corel has taken the decision to give away the latest version of one of its titles to those who had purchased the previous version.

Last autumn I saw what was described as Acronis 2017; my first tests were problematic but settled down once a build 5554 was installed. This is still called Acronis 2017 but has a far higher build number at 6116; the latest editions new features are mentioned below.

The last time I took a look at Vegas Movie Studio, the product was under the banner of Sony. However matters have changed as Sony has undergone a process of divesting itself of some of its software and hardware kit.

While most prospective customers would tend to think of burning software when the topic of the main area of the company’s expertise arises, Nero does have other strings to its corporate bow. One such offering is Nero BackItUp which is the subject of this next review.

Abbyy Finereader 14 is a universal OCR package that works with scanned images, PDF files etc. and, having recognised the text, can convert it to Word, Excel or other formats in addition to offering a range of advanced options.

There are a number of products that provide on-going spring cleaning facilities including one from AVG.

With a range of new features, Acronis backup software emerges in New Generation mode.

As old classic films have been digitised and transferred to modern media, so you can do the same with your treasured home video tapes.

A recently received email was my introduction to the subject of this next review.

The paperless office is an urban myth as 80% of document-based processes are depended upon paper with employees spending 25% of their time on the labour-intensive and time-consuming process of handling paper documents

Most viruses are clever and even though you can often delete them they remain in memory and to remove them from there is trickier. So perhaps the best way to remove them is when they are not active and that means outside of Windows.

As one of the leading players in the arena of computer protection, Bitdefender has a range of software offerings to suit the different needs of users. You can select from products such as the 2017 versions of Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, Family Pack, Antivirus for Mac or Total Security which is the subject matter of this next review.

Having told you about McAfee and Kaspersky the latest offering from Panda arrived. Most Notebooks I get to review come with some sort of Anti-Virus or Internet Security trial installed, so when one arrives without such security it’s an ideal testing medium.

In the autumn after a round of press/trade shows all the software companies rush to get their 2017 versions of software releases and updates on the market. Here I am looking at two such items from CyberLink who like Nero now reside in Germany.

Yes security software is almost as boring as backup software but both are nevertheless essential software in the world we currently live in as there are vast numbers of people making their living from defrauding innocent people of their data and money.

Adding to its portfolio of graphics software, Serif has developed an application that can run on the Mac and Windows platforms.

Anti-Virus software was developed in response to people who wanted to harm your computer, then it was the whole Internet Security thing with people trying to get at your money, now the latest Kaspersky suite focuses on protecting your children from harm.

This product has been around in one form or another since the CD-ROM first started to appear in PC’s. Other companies have come and gone but Nero has only undergone a name change and of course it now does so much more than oversee the burning of media.

It is time for an old favourite to make its annual upgrade appearance.

Windows tends to slow down with age and I know how it feels. This next title offers to help.

Version 2 of Power PDF from Nuance is an update that has also been designed to take into account the latest features in Windows 10 including touch screen technology.

Turning your digital images into a slideshow has never been easier with this next product from MAGIX.

This is the latest version of the backup software that has protected me for many years. They do two versions one you purchase outright and other a 12 month subscription which of course will give you lots of updates during the year.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2017 forms one-third of the company’s latest batch of protection software for PC, Mac and mobile users.

In the middle of July during the year of 64AD, the city of Rome was engulfed in flames with the Emperor Nero an interested spectator. Nearly two thousand years later a company, called Ahead Software released burning software named Nero after the long dead Emperor. A further ten years was to pass as Ahead Software metamorphosis into Nero AG and the company’s software took on the role of a multimedia suite while retaining the Nero name.

Originally developed by Avid and now part of Corel’s extensive range of graphics products, Pinnacle Studio has recently been made available in its version 20 guise.