McAfee Total Protection 2010 hits many of the right notes. It's easy to use and it's effective, but years of below-average releases will likely leave many users unwilling to give it a try.

Quicken 2010 is a solid finance package, especially for novices, but offers little that's substantively new.

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 isn't necessarily the best suite around, but it's definitely effective and should appeal to those who like making granular adjustments to their protection.

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.

Trend Micro Internet Security Pro's broad feature set combined with its look and feel make it a serious contender, but its questionable efficacy and middling performance make it a program we're not recommending.

Trend Micro Internet Security Pro's broad feature set combined with its look and feel make it a serious contender, but questionable efficacy and middling performance mean it's a program we're not recommending for this year.

Going by older detection and removal numbers, Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware offers competent if basic security protection. However, so do many free competitors. This year, we recommend giving Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2010 a pass.

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 $29 upgrade fee.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 offers pricey antivirus protection. The 2009 version scored well on independent antivirus detection and removal tests, but be prepared to pay a premium for what you're getting.

Despite some compatibility setbacks, Corel Home Office suite is useful for creating documents. Its conscientious size, small-screen optimizations, and attractive price make it a good buy for a Netbook office suite, or for saving space by shedding advanced features.