Showing posts with label poor support. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poor support. Show all posts

Intervideo WinDVD 5 Gold Review

Intervideo WinDVD 5 Gold
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
WinDVD 5 Gold is a great disappointment. It is a cumbersome program, compared to InterVideo WinDVD 2.1 that I have enjoyed for years. The only reason I decided to buy WinDVD 5 Gold is that I purchased a new computer, and wanted to install a good DVD player. After using this new version, I went online to find a used 2.1 -- and fortunately I was successful. The only redeeming quality WinDVD 5 Gold has is its provision for video production. But for DVD viewing, I'll take the old version anytime!!

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H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium & Business Federal + State + eFile Review

HandR Block At Home 2009 Premium and Business Federal + State + eFile
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The section that follows is my first impression of the Business program, generated on January 15. At the end of that, I include my second impression on February 15 of the business program (1120S). I'll include a review of the 1040 portion of this software after I do those taxes. OK, that review is in at the very bottom. I'd rate the 1040 as 4-stars.
Ok, I knew H&R was a little more primitive than TurboTax (which I used for 10 years or so), based on my experience with their personal tax package for 2008 taxes, but it was adequate. So this year I tried the Business software (S corp), the only part of this combo-burrito I've tried so far. It is REALLY primitive:
1. First, don't necessarily expect to be able to make sense of the display! The program may show up on your monitor with the check boxes bearing NO spacial relationship to the actual choices. So you call the help desk, and someone tells you to reset your monitor properties to display 1024x768. Oh and make sure that under "Advanced" the dpi resolution is set to 96. The is the only software I've ever used that couldn't recognize my monitor and display correctly. Massive lameness -- and it took 2 long tech support calls to fix it.
1.5. For a while, tech support thought the software was corrupt. I had registered it but BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE SOFTWARE FROM AMAZON, H&R BLOCK HAD NO RECORD OF MY REGISTRATION. So if the software had actually been bad, they could not have downloaded a clean version -- I would have had to return the box to Amazon for a refund and reorder it!! And the tech support person noted that Amazon would probably not take it back because it had been opened! Be warned -- if you really want this stuff, pay the man and download it from H&R Block.
2. Recognize that tech support people have just been hired and will not really know anything, tho they will be friendly and eager to help. Plan to spend an hour or two with vague directions trying to get where you're trying to go. Cultivate a Zen state of mind...
3. Expect the "interview" questions to be something like: "Did you have any 53(c) sect 89 reclaimable charge-backs loss amortizations for deductible klefnabulator expenses?" When you look for more information, there isn't any. When you check out the IRS instructions, they say (surprise!) exactly what the "interview" question said. TurboTax asks you in English, tells you what the amount applies to, and even tells you how commonly this item is entered.
4. Don't expect the program to be smart about anything. TurboTax figures out that if you don't have deduction A, you can't possibly have B or C, but H&R Block asks you every question.
5. Don't expect to be able to import from QuickBooks or last year's taxes produced by TurboTax. Generate those reports and type in your numbers.
6. Don't expect all the forms to be there -- and don't expect the software to let you know. I tried and tried to get to Form 4562, Amortization and Depreciation, and ended up at several different dead-ends. I again called tech support and talked at length with a guy who took me through more dead-ends before finally discovering that the form "hadn't been released by the IRS yet." You might think the software itself would let you know, but you'd be wrong.
7. To switch between your 1120S and filling out a 1099-misc for a contractor is not intuitive. Another call to tech support. For 20 minutes or so, the guy didn't seem to understand what a 1099 was, or even understand that I was working on an S-Corp return and not a 1040(!). More dead ends. Finally, he got help and told me to close the program and reopen it to get where I wanted to go.
8. I then gave up. I should say that I did all this stuff on Jan 15, which I admit is early in the year. So if things improve markedly, I'll update this review.
9. Meanwhile, based on this experience, I would say that the fact this combination package is about half the price of the separate TurboTax business and personal packages, does NOT make it a good deal! It is easy for me to loath Intuit, but next year I'll most likely be doing business with them again. Sigh.
Here's an business tax update on February 15. The updated software still doesn't recognize my monitor, but at least I knew what to do this time and finished filling out taxes fairly quickly. I have done my own taxes for years and had QuickBooks reports and prior year forms. Dollar-wise, the program is off from what I calculated from QuickBooks by about $104, but at this point I'm not quibbling. Nothing has changed from what I said in January, although it seems that all the forms are now available. The interview still seems quite stupid -- and it makes mistakes: I filled out the tax form for an S corporation, which NEVER pays taxes, and the program asked me how much estimated tax I'd paid and tried to get me to pay a penalty for not paying -- AND the business lost money last year! (How often do YOU pay taxes on money you've lost?] Plus, when I opened the file I'd saved from January, the program did not remember where I was but started over at the beginning. Very lame. Yes, TT costs twice as much, but it terms of ease of use and lower stress factor, it is probably worth it. Sigh. I really expected more.
Feb 26, 2009. I've just finished my personal 1040 taxes, and my what a difference! This part of the software is professional, smooth, and easy to use. It recognizes my monitor (ta da!) so I don't have to reconfigure my system to run it. However, I changed the location of my tax file, and it did not remember that. It's a little different than TurboTax, but seems to work fine. Only disadvantage I can see compared to TT is that there is no way to see a WYSIWYG version of your forms (what they show you has the information but does not look much like the paper in your hand) and their reporting and comparison functions at the end are not as complete or complex as TT. But it does the job, and the interview is friendly and intelligent.
Now the question is: Knowing that the business software is lousy and the personal stuff is good, what you gonna do?

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H&R Block At Home Premium & Business is two complete, easy-to-use programs in one and includes everything you need to complete your personal and business federal and state taxes, plus five free personal federal e-files.


A simple question-and-answer process helps your customers find hundreds of deductions to get the biggest refund. Ideal for corporations, S corporations, partnerships, LLCs, non-profits, and estates and trusts, the program includes built-in H&R Block expertise, business tax planning, payroll and employer forms, live personal tax advice, and personal audit support. H&R Block At Home Premium & Business also includes unlimited business state returns at no additional cost.

Premium & Business Small business owners Two complete programs in one for customers to manage their personal and business taxes. Includes five free personal federal e-files and built-in expertise available only from H&R Block.

Includes these features:
Customized interview process to help customers easily complete their personal and business federal and state taxes.
Unlimited business state programs and one personal state program included.
Five free federal e-files for personal returns.
Personalized tax guidance for popular occupations and specific deductions, plus answers to FAQs.
Live personal tax advice from an H&R Block tax professional.
Audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to provide representation in the event of an audit. Included for personal taxes when filing a federal or state return.
Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income.
Money-saving tools for selfemployed Schedule C filers.
Advice, tips, and planning tools for the upcoming year.
Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return.
Quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and H&R Block DeductionPro software.
H&R Block DeductionPro software for a personal return to maximize tax savings from donations.


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Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection Review

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Adobe has made a push in recent years to integrate all of their creative programs into an enormous suite of high powered tools that you can use in combination to create broad accessible content.
In one box you get some creative powertools: (among many others) Premiere, After Affects, Flash, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and of course, Photoshop. There are many other programs that I didn't necessarily have interest in, but they are handy to have in a pinch plus they will give me something to build more skill in.
This is a true professional suite of programs, and whats great about this is that there are enough similarities between the programs that you'll be able to understand the layouts between the programs with relative ease.
Two warnings: This is overkill, chances are you only really want a few of the programs (in my case Photoshop, Premiere, After Affects and Dreamweaver) but if you have three Adobe products on your "wishlist" then you might want to consider the whole shebangabang of the Master Collection since the other programs are then kind of a bonus and will give you something to work on.
The other warning (coming from someone who got this with the amazing academic/student discount) is that you better have a strong system to run Premiere, After Affects and the other video/Premiere related programs. I definitely need a memory upgrade(and ideally a new computer!) to accommodate that behemoth.
But finally, I would say, while four figures is a high price for software you are getting a tremendous package and if you are able to qualify for an academic discount you should jump on this. Adobe's price is around a fifth the price of the retail version. As a student who is trying to develop marketable skills this is a package that will make you a master.

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Create visually rich content for virtually any media--print, web, interactive, video, audio, and mobile--using the tightly integrated tools and services in Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection software. From producing printed pages to distributing engaging content online, on film, on air, and on device, you get the ultimate design environment to keep pace with your imagination.

Design across media
Ultimate creative toolset Design across media using a comprehensive, integrated creative environment. Work deeply in one discipline, such as print, web, video, or audio, and then move your skills and content to another medium efficiently. For example, export rich interactive documents from Adobe InDesign as SWF or PDF files or as XFL files that you can open and edit in Adobe Flash. Or, import live Adobe After Effects compositions into Adobe Flash to add interactivity.
Industry-leading graphic design tools Create eye-catching vector graphics in Adobe Illustrator CS4, produce powerful digital images in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended, and lay out visually rich long and short documents for print and digital delivery in InDesign. Showcase design work in dynamic, customizable PDF Portfolios, and prepare PDF files for high-end printed output.
Efficient creation of websites, applications, and digital experiences Prototype and create leading-edge digital experiences, including interactive websites, applications, user interfaces, presentations, and mobile device content, using Adobe Fireworks CS4, Dreamweaver CS4, Flash, and many other tools in Master Collection. Exchange creative content between designers and developers without rework.
A complete pre- and post-production toolset Work with a highly efficient pre- and post-production toolset to do video and audio editing, still and motion graphics, visual effects, and interactive media design, and then deliver for film, broadcast, and DVD as well as Blu-ray Disc and mobile authoring.
New dimensions in image editing Use the indispensable tools in Photoshop Extended more efficiently: Pan and zoom on images more smoothly and rapidly, rotate your canvas to any angle, and resize images without distortion or pixelation using revolutionary new Content-Aware Scaling. Paint, composite, and animate 3D models using familiar tools.
Rich animation Produce animations for virtually any screen with the utmost control in After Effects, or create rich interactive animations with new easy-to-use, object-based controls in Flash.
Cutting-edge web technologies and industry standards Prototype in Fireworks and build standards-based websites and applications in Dreamweaver, whether you're working with client-side HTML/XHTML, CSS, and XML; server-side application languages like Adobe ColdFusion, ASP, and PHP; or advanced JavaScript and Ajax. Get consistent cross-browser-compatible results with virtually any development platform.
Project intelligence with XMP metadata Track, manage, automate, and extract more value from your design and video assets by embedding XMP metadata as you create your projects. For example, use new Speech Search technology in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and Soundbooth CS4 to turn spoken dialogue into metadata, making it easy to find particular clips as you edit and your video assets searchable when posted online.
Collaboration with clients and colleagues Access the Adobe ConnectNow service to review creative ideas online in real time with colleagues or clients. Find answers to technical questions with Adobe Community Help. Share color harmonies online with Adobe Kuler. Access improved Resource Central to find new assets, and quickly find news and inspiration in Bridge Home.
Mobile designs for millions Deliver compelling content to mobile subscribers worldwide. Use Adobe Device Central CS4 to create, preview, and test mobile content easily on an extensive selection of devices under simulated real-life conditions directly from your desktop.
Combines:
Adobe InDesign CS4
Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended
Adobe Illustrator CS4
Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro
Adobe Flash CS4 Professional
Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
Adobe Fireworks CS4
Adobe Contribute CS4
Adobe After Effects CS4
Adobe Premiere Pro CS4
Adobe Soundbooth CS4
Adobe OnLocation CS4
Adobe Encore CS4

Adobe InDesign CS4--Design professional layouts for print and digital publishing
Publish persuasive content Create high-impact, personalized content and long documents tailored for unique audiences in less time and with fewer steps.
Experience fluid workflows Design with ease using customer-inspired enhancements to your everyday toolset and a more flexible layout environment.
Create rich interactive documents Create dynamic documents for playback in the Adobe Flash Player runtime as well as engaging PDF content that both include professional typography and top-quality page design.
Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended--Discover new dimensions in digital imaging
Easily access full editing power Take greater advantage of all that Adobe Photoshop Extended software offers with a more intuitive user interface and nondestructive editing freedom so you can achieve the highest quality results.
Work more efficiently Be more productive by taking advantage of smooth integration with other Adobe software and enhancements that leverage the power of today's faster graphics processors.
Edit 3D and motion-based content Enjoy breakthrough enhancements that now let you paint directly on 3D objects and unleash the editing power of Photoshop software on 3D content. Plus, edit motion graphics for video with enhanced control for speed and precision.
Perform advanced image analysis Extract quantitative information from images, count objects or image features, track and log your work, and volume-render DICOM files.
Adobe Illustrator CS4--Explore new paths with the essential vector tool
Explore new features Powerful additions such as the Blob Brush tool and transparency in gradients inspire new creativity. The highly anticipated multiple artboards feature prompts new ways of working.
Discover hidden gems Existing features have been polished, and hidden functions have been uncovered to reveal usefulness and depth, enabling you to learn more quickly and take better advantage of the power of Illustrator.
Work efficiently Illustrator CS4 offers improved interaction with options and tools, plus you can do more directly on the artboard. Innovations with Smart Guides and Isolation Mode plus new panel behaviors enable a smoother, more efficient workflow.
Deliver almost anywhere Print delivery is more reliable with Separations Preview. And with new user interface similarity and shared formats among Adobe Creative Suite tools, work across applications is virtually seamless.
Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro--Protect documents and accelerate information exchange with PDF
Deliver professional documentsEasily organize content from a variety of sources--including documents, e-mail, images, spreadsheets, and web pages--in a single searchable PDF Portfolio, compressed for easy distribution. Use professionally designed templates that can be branded with your company logo and colors. Quickly integrate content, define navigation, and add polish to communicate clearly and effectively. Share information with anyone using free Adobe Reader software.
Create and manage formsSimplify the creation and completion of forms to efficiently analyze and use data. Convert Word and Excel documents or scanned paper to PDF forms with automatic recognition of fillable fields. Or use Adobe LiveCycle Designer ES software, a professional form design tool included with Acrobat 9 Pro software, to further customize and automate dynamic XML forms. Extend Acrobat functionality to Reader users so virtually anyone can participate in the workflows you initiate. Use the Form Tracker to see when forms have been completed and who has completed them. And easily export data to a spreadsheet for analysis and reporting.
Manage document reviewsAccelerate the exchange of ideas with colleagues, extended teams, and customers. Through easy-to-manage electronic document reviews, participants can see and build on other reviewers' comments as they are being made, so you can quickly gain the input and consensus you need to efficiently develop and complete work. Enable virtually anyone using free Adobe Reader software to participate in reviews, and use the Form Tracker to monitor progress and participation.
Help protect sensitive information Control access to and use of PDF documents, assign digital rights, and maintain document integrity. Set document permissions to define whether a file can be printed or changed. Apply passwords to help restrict document access. Use redaction tools to permanently remove sensitive information. Digitally sign and certify documents to validate they came from a trusted source. Create and reuse document security policies to precisely manage who can print, save, copy, or modify a document.
Flash CS4 Professional--Create and deliver rich interactive content
Design with ease and efficiency Quickly create and modify animations while retaining a great degree of control. Powerful new object-based animation, Bezier controls, and motion presets make working in Flash easier and more intuitive.
Explore new creative possibilities Express your creative vision in innovative ways with exciting new design tools. Animate 2D objects through 3D space with 3D translation and rotation. Use the Bones tool to easily create chain-like effects or distort shapes. Add the expressive power of patterns to your designs with the Deco tool.
Collaborate across workflows Collaborate smoothly across designer and developer workflows. Easily import content into Flash from Adobe InDesign and After Effects software using the XFL format. Enjoy common user interface elements and tools across the Adobe Creative Suite 4 family.
Deliver for a wide reach Deliver interactive experiences that reach audiences across platforms and devices. The latest technologies, such as XMP for mobile and delivery to the Adobe AIR runtime, are right at your fingertips.
Adobe Dreamweaver CS4--Design, develop, and maintain standards-based websites and applications
Create next-generation web experiences Work in a real-world view of your rich CSS, JavaScript, SWF, and dynamic content directly in Dreamweaver. Quickly integrate third-party web widgets from the most popular JavaScript frameworks into your pages.
Learn best practices Visually design with CSS best practices aided by jargon-free explanations of practical concepts. Create Ajax-driven interactivity while supporting best practices.
Take control of your content Design your pages in Dreamweaver so your clients can make updates to their web pages directly from the browser using the Adobe InContext Editing online service. Add dynamic data to your site without a database or complex coding.
Adobe Fireworks CS4--Rapidly prototype and design for the web
Take prototyping to the next level Rapidly prototype websites, application interfaces, and other interactive designs with Fireworks CS4 software. Create, edit, and optimize web graphics more accurately and quickly than ever before with an enhanced toolset. Demo your designs to clients live on the web or e-mail a PDF file generated from Fireworks. Integrate Live Styles and the improved Common Library for continual leaps in productivity.
Collaborate more smoothly Work faster and smarter with the accelerated performance of Fireworks CS4. Leverage the uniform user interface and core functionality, such as consistent text handling, across Fireworks and other Adobe Creative Suite 4 components, including Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Illustrator CS4.
Design once, deploy to many platforms Output your Fireworks designs to HTML, Adobe AIR, Flash, or Flex software. Craft custom skins for Flex components with the superior design tools of Fireworks. Design within Fireworks and, when you're ready, export web standards-compliant CSS to Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 software. Create HTML-based Adobe AIR prototypes directly from within Fireworks to provide layout design and to display user interaction before developing your application.
Adobe Contribute CS4--Simplify web content management
Delegate work while retaining control Delegate content publishing to content owners without compromising the integrity of your websites. Define and enforce custom publishing workflows to meet your organization's review and approval requirements for published content.
Engage users Empower end users to quickly and easily publish content to static and dynamic websites through true WYSIWYG authoring. Give users the choice of editing websites directly from their favorite browsers or composing and publishing web content from within Microsoft Office applications. Enable easy collaboration between users in the content publishing process.
Work with a compatible, affordable tool Publish to the web in almost any computing environment thanks to compatibility with existing web and IT infrastructures and cross-platform interoperability. Contribute CS4 is affordable and works on Intel and PowerPC based Macs and on Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista systems.
Adobe After Effects CS4--Create motion graphics and visual effects with the industry standard
Innovate visually Enjoy creative control over virtually every element in a highly responsive 2D and 3D compositing and animation environment. With After Effects CS4, you can create virtually whatever you envision.
Work with efficient tools Easily handle a wide range of post-production tasks--from keying and motion tracking to color correction, rotoscoping, and more--using flexible tools in a user interface optimized to help save you time.
Deliver to virtually any screen Easily create output for delivery to a wide range of media formats and platforms--from traditional film and video to the web and mobile devices--from a single project.
Adobe Premiere Pro CS4--Capture, edit, and deliver video online, on air, on disc, or on device
Discover new post-production workflows Work with the formats you want, from DV and HD to 4K and beyond. Support for industry standards enables you to interchange more easily with other industry-standard tools. Powerful new metadata management features help you deliver video content to virtually any screen.
Work with efficient post-production tools Edit faster with a broad selection of professional editing tools and tighter-than-ever integration with other Adobe software. Maintain pristine quality across the production process with an efficient tapeless workflow, find specific areas of your content faster with the innovative Speech Search feature, and stay focused on your work with background batch encoding.
Achieve creative excellence Maximize your creative options with powerful enhancements that help you bring new dimensions to your work. Achieve your vision with professional color correction, quick and precise multicam editing, and much more--all from within a familiar, customizable interface. Tap into a wealth of tutorials, stock footage, visual effects, and more to elevate your production quality, and connect to the creative community to share ideas. From acquisition to delivery, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 offers tools that help you deliver excellent results.
Adobe Soundbooth CS4--Create and edit audio with ease
Rapidly enhance and edit audio Take command of the audio in creative projects with task-based tools that help you create, clean up, and polish sound. Multitrack support and automatic volume matching give you more flexibility and control. Visually remove unwanted noises with the editing tools available in Spectral view.
Work with ready-to-use audio assets Personalize your soundtracks with the enhanced Soundbooth Score editing workflow. Download Soundbooth Scores from Resource Central, and use new multitrack support to customize, combine, or layer multiple scores. Add effects to adjust the mood, or stretch or shorten the file to alter duration.
Use intuitive, task-based tools Tackle everyday audio editing and cleanup with the power of nondestructive editing in the new Adobe Sound Document (ASND) format. Quickly and easily heal sound, match volume levels, create sound effects, and choose from a library of high-quality audio filters and streamlined mastering tools.
Enjoy tighter integration Eliminate the need for intermediate rendering and streamline the process of editing audio in Soundbooth while working in various Adobe Creative Suite components with features such as new nondestructive roundtrip editing and Adobe Dynamic Link.
Adobe OnLocation CS4 for shooting direct to disk and monitoring footageAdobe OnLocationCS4 is powerful cross-platform (Windows and Intel-based Macs), direct-to-disk recording and monitoring software that helps you shoot better and faster. The completely redesigned interface puts control of all functions on a single screen and features the familiar look and feel of other Adobe creative applications. Use the professional on-set monitoring tools to calibrate your camera, set levels, and monitor signals to obtain the best quality video and audio and avoid time-consuming and potentially costly problems.
Shooting and capturing video directly to disk lets you record a two-hour event as a single clip or shoot as many takes of a scene as you need to get it right--no changing tapes, no solid-state memory time limits, no missed action. It's a director's dream come true--but when you're editing, finding that one perfect take among dozens of outtakes can be difficult. To make it easier, Adobe OnLocation CS4 offers a Shot List that enables you to re-record multiple takes of the same scene retaining the metadata automatically from the original master shot. When you edit the footage in Adobe Premiere Pro, you can search for a favorite take simply by searching for metadata logged while you originally recorded the footage. Or, run the speech-to-text feature in Adobe Premiere Pro, which uses new metadata support to find words spoken by the talent.
Adobe Encore CS4 Use Encore to create DVDs and high-definition Blu-ray Discs, and with one click, easily save projects you designed to be delivered to disc as interactive content compatible with Adobe Flash Player for the web.
While on location, use Encore to output SWF file versions of your dailies to post online.
Choose Your Edition With the tightly integrated tools and services in Adobe Creative Suite 4 software, you can create visually rich content for virtually any media--print, web, interactive, video, audio, and mobile. Find the one that's right for you:

Adobe Creative Suite 4 also allows you to access features and services that are hosted online, such as Adobe Community Help, Adobe Kuler, Adobe ConnectNow (a service on Acrobat.com), Adobe InContext Editing, and Bridge Home.*
* This product may allow you to access certain features that are hosted online ("online services"), provided you have a high-speed Internet connection. The online services, and some features thereof, may not be available in all countries, languages and/or currencies and may be discontinued in whole or in part without notice. Use of the online services is governed by separate terms of use and by the Adobe privacy policy, and access to these services may require user registration. Some online services, including services initially offered at no charge, may be subject to additional fees. For additional details and to review the terms of use and privacy policy, please visit www.adobe.com.

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Corel WinDVD Pro 2010 Review

Corel WinDVD Pro 2010
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The good news: the software performs beautifully...when it performs--picture quality is excellent, and, to my eye, tangibly superior to its competitors.
First, let me state that my desktop is state of the art: I am using an nvidia graphics card (>400 dollars), an i7 cpu, 12 gigs of ram, and a completely updated vista-64 OS, including the most recent drivers. I am not experiencing any problems with any of my other major software packages, e.g., cs4 (heavily graphics card dependent), office, or visual studio. So, I think it very unlikely that the source of the following problem resides any where other than the product under review.
With that said, here's the bad news: I average 1 complete computer freeze per day using the program, and it is a freeze requiring reboot, i. e., the freeze is pre-emptive: I cannot access any other menu, not even the task manager. The stalled program presents the usual "would you like to transmit details of the issue to the publisher of the program" form, but I cannot make selections in that menu. I have deleted and reinstalled the software several times, including a thorough, manual cleanse of any detritus left in the registry by the uninstall. My efforts proved a waste of time. I had surmised that complete lock-ups of my computer were events XP had made a residue of the past. Not so, friends! Corel has re-introduced them!!
On the cosmetic and customer usage side, many of the menu choices, and several of the stylistic elements that made the precursor, winDVD-9, so attractive to me have changed or disappeared. For instance, I like to run a video in a reduced window when I am writing code, playing mah jong, and the like. This version no longer permits me to toggle the playback's display control panel on and off, so that forces me to commit more display real estate than I wish--it is a small grievance, but aggravating. Another incidental aggravation is the help window. The user is presented with a control panel that blanks out the center of the display, and asks him to select a help link, which then opens another window, and both windows remain visible. Who implemented this program? The boss' niece?
I had great hopes for this software, thinking it would build on the previous versions' excellent picture quality and user friendliness. Alas, not to be. In fact, it completely misreads and misimplements the icc profile I have created for this monitor using color calibration hardware--I managed to tweak the picture using the nVidia control panel, but you might not be able to do this. I did not see these visual problems with windvd_9 on this same configuration. Why don't I continue using the previous version, you ask? That version doesn't play all blu-rays, since the standards for this technology are still in flux, and Corel is unwilling to provide the updates to maintain that program's usefulness. Now, doesn't that stand to reason?
The corker to all this, as I see it, is the virtual isolation of the technical support staff from the consumer. There is a 15 dollar charge for direct telephone assistance charged incrementally (hey, my 100 dollar program cost me 300 dollars in support to finally understand that it fails altogether! Now, that's what I call business ethics!!); and internet based email support is sub-standard, with lag times of 48 to 96 hours between posting your request and a reply. Add to this, that the advice is almost never useful, (it hasn't been for me, at any rate) merely advising the user to read, say, the FAQ on how to install, or how to turn it on, or some other equally trivial, irrelevant advice.
I cannot recommend this software to prospective buyers until it is revised and re-marketed.
Serious flaws.
tlt-

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Bring the movie theater experience to your PC with Corel WinDVD 2010, the world's #1 DVD & video playback software! Enjoy standard or high-definition DVDs and Dolby Digital sound. Play almost any video format, including DVD-Video, DivX, RealPlayer, QuickTime and Windows Media. Bookmark your favorite scenes and go back to them anytime. Playback videos directly from devices like your camera, camcorder or from DVD. Plus, watch entire movies on the go thanks to battery optimization for laptops.

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Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0 Review

Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I have been a pretty happy, satisfied Trend Micro PC Cillin user for many years now. Not too long ago I downloaded the 2007 version of their suite.
friend of mine did too. We both ran into some fairly wacky problems; Hers evens worse than mine. Decided 2007, though it has potential, wasn't quite ready for prime time yet. May check on it again in a few months.
Kaspersky's antiviral reputation has been very high for years, and so I thought I would drop PC Cillin and take their suite for a spin.
No problems with the installation. Their general layout is more confusing...to me anyway...than PC Cillin's. But default settings would suit most folks. And I finally found my way around. For once it might be eaier for most to go ahead and read their pretty thorough manual before installing though.( I didn;t...lol...but read it later).
I put in a little extra effort and am in the process of placing all their protections on max....just to see if that will cause any problems....maybe back off to their more easy going and recommended ( for most users)security levels. The result is plenty of popups for several days asking whether they should allow certain processes. Usually it is pretty easy to determine how to respond. Actually it has been easy every time so far. For instance when I first moved to check for and download new Spysweeper definitions, I got four popups from kaspersky...each from different aspects of their computer protection. I instructed it to add Spysweeper to the trusted zone in all, and so the next time I downloaded SS updates there was nary a popup.
For the most dedicated user, the program can be customized in pretty minute detail....if you want to spend the time.
The auto setting is definitely the way to go on downloads, and they come pretty frequently and seamlessly.Call for a restart only every now and then.
Their shields have alread stopped 3 attempted attacks from the ol Helkern Slammer worm. Amazed that chesnut is still around.
It's real time HTTP internet activity scans are a large plus. It's email scans do not seem to slow Outlook down much.
Kaspersky has some ingenious methods of detecting on the fly if a file it is scanning has changed or not since the last scan. if not, it leaves it alone. So though initial scans can take a long time, subsequent scans are much faster. Some are incredibly quick.
It puts a moderate footprint on computer action. Nothing too serious. But i wouldn;t call it light. ( I have a 3.2 processor and a couple gigs of ram) Slows you down a bit here and there. The scans are easy to schedule, and run unobobtrusively in the background.
Resident Office Outlook 2003 is my email program of choice, and it already has excellent junk mail handling techniques...so I disabled K's antispam component. Can't speak to its quality.
All I know about it's firewall is that it has performed well in leak tests. Certainly better than average. (my impression was the new PC Cillin 2007 shield is strong too. Much improved over 2006 in that regard).
Tests around the world vary so often, and the security landscape is in such flux, that it isn't easy to know which tester to believe and when to believe tests at all. But Kapersky detection rates on tests generally range from very good to superb. Often enough at the very top.
One feature of PC Cillin I miss is their option to secure certain critical data from any web access....stuff like passwords and credit card numbers. But Kaspersky stands a good chance of blocking those attempts from ever occuring without needing that particular feature.
Unlesss you get very unlucky with system conflicts ( like one person who has posted here), after the teaching mode's popups pass, this should be a solid set it and forget it suite.
I like Kaspersky's honesty in their spyware detection. So many antispyware programs go after simple really harmless tracking cookies just to boost their detection rep. Kaspersky does not do that. They are like a stealth bomber that refuses to attack civilians in that regard.
Somebody said that the only 100% secure computer is an unplugged computer. And that is, in my opinion, true actually. Kaspersky is honest enough to say pretty much exactly the same thing in their manual. But you certainly can tilt the odds heavily in your security's favor by wise browsing, email, download, and file sharing choices....and also by using this suite.

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Kaspersky® Internet Security 6.0 is a fully integrated solution that secures your computer against all primary threats from the Internet, including viruses, hacker attacks, spam and spyware.These days, PCs are most at risk from combined threats, and the term ‘criminal underground’ is increasingly being used in connection with the Internet. Therefore, an anti-virus solution on its own may not be enough to fully protect your computer.Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0 combines all the latest technological developments from Kaspersky Lab to protect against malicious code, repel network attacks and prevent spam. All product components integrate seamlessly to prevent system conflicts and ensure high operating speeds for your computer.All Systems Go!Our Lab disarms upwards of 200 Internet attacks daily. Unlike other programs with weekly or even daily updates, Kaspersky automatically delivers immediate updates directly from the Lab every hour. This means you are never more than minutes away from protection against the latest Internet threat.• Socialize safely while Kaspersky Internet Security continuously scans all e-mail and Instant messages for viruses and provides you with a spam-free environment. • Share with friends knowing Kaspersky scans all portable data storage devices (CDs, DVDs, flashcards, external hard disks). • Shop and bank freely. You’re fully protected against all spyware, keyloggers, information and identity theft and phishing attacks. • Surf securely as Kaspersky scans all web pages in real-time and blocks pop-up windows, while the built-in personal firewall shields you from hackers. • Travel safely. Kaspersky helps you choose the safest operation for the network you are on, and makes timely anti-virus updates via your connection, including WiFi.General Requirements: • 50 MB available space on the hard drive • CD-ROM (for installing Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 using a CD) • Internet connection(for activating product) • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher (for updating anti-virus databases and program modules via the Internet)Microsoft Windows 98 (SE), ME, NT Workstation 4.0 (with services pack 6a) and 2000 Professional • Intel Pentium 133 MHz or equivalent • 64 MB RAMMicrosoft Windows XP Home, Professional and Professional x64 Editions • Intel Pentium 300 MHz or equivalent • 128 MB RAM

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