software

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our ratIngs kEy: l llll eXceLLent l l lllm VerY Good l l llmm Good l l lmmm fair l l mmmm Poor

Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1

free not rated Pros smaller disk and memory footprint. faster startup/shutdown. stable. Less intrusive. taskbar icons more flexible. Working with external hardware is easier. Multitouch support. nice-looking new eye candy. Cons Maintains registry and some other Windows baggage. start-up times not faster than Vista’s in this beta.

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Microsoft WindoWs 7 Beta 1

The Beta Debut of Windows 7

Let’s get something straight: The just-released Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 retains much of Vista’s kernel architecture, as will the final version. But the new OS is more compact than Vista, has an updated interface, and builds in better networking capability. It also includes some cool advances, such as multitouch support and a redesigned taskbar with movable buttons. You can put the beta on as many machines as you like, but you can’t use it for real business purposes, and it expires in August 2009. Though the interface has its own new look, Vista users won’t have much to learn. Even upgrading XP users will have little trouble, but neither will they be able to cling to the past. There’s no XP emulation theme in Windows 7, as there is in Vista. The taskbar has the most noticeable changes, with taller buttons and the choice to combine multiple docs/windows in one app or keep separate. The buttons glow when you hover the mouse over them and show a preview thumbnail of open docs. Also, the Libraries folder-arrangement system let you group related files—regardless of their location. Windows 7 is also optimized for touch-screen systems. Some other noteworthy features in Windows 7 relate to hardware and networking. Device Stage is a feature that, when you plug in a cell phone or other device, pops up a screen specific to that device with options, including syncing. (However, this feature relies heavily on the device manufacturers providing Microsoft with the necessary data.) When you join a wireless network with Windows 7, you can choose to set it as home, work, or public. When you choose the first, you can create a HomeGroup. That way, you can specify libraries and devices to share, as well as migrate settings to your home environment. Although the licensing agreement for Windows 7 beta prevents me from publishing benchmark test results, I can say informally that in a couple of months of running the pre-beta and a short period of heavy-duty testing on beta 1, I have yet to see anything remotely resembling a crash. I have, however, encountered occasional error dialogs. As far as recommending Windows 7, we’ll have to wait to see how the pricing and final code bears out. But for those who like to tinker, I definitely recommend taking a look at the future of Windows.—Michael Muchmore

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20 Consumer Electronics

The Best Tax Tools of 2009

This year, more than any other, you want to save every penny you can on taxes. One of these top-notch tax packages can help. By Kathy Yakal

TAkE yOuR PiCk

As you enter information in TaxACT’s main working screen, you can select from guidance options on the horizontal tab.

TaxACT 2008 Deluxe Edition

Deluxe Federal, $12.95 direct; State, $13.95; Ultimate Bundle (Federal and State), $19.95

l llhm PROS Very affordable. Simple, understandable interface. Screen toggles for help options. Free support. Good up-front preparation. CONS Help language could be simplified and more context-sensitive. Could use FAQs and less white space.

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Although doing your taxes is never an enjoyable experience, the good news is that the 2008 tax code includes changes that may save you money. Some new perks include a new first-time homebuyer credit, an increase in the standard mileage rate, and lowered taxes for many investors, to name a few. The better news is that the new editions of the top tax-preparation packages include these changes. To save you even more money, it turns out that choosing one of these suites may not cost you a dime. A partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance LLC (an organization of several private-sector tax software companies) provides free access to online versions—minus some of the more advanced capabilities—of the companies’ tax software. If you meet the criteria outlined at IRS.gov, you’ll be able to prepare and file your taxes online at no charge through the IRS Free File program. If you don’t qualify, or want the extra features, you have a lot of options. Overall, the three tax packages we review have not changed drastically. Those new to tax-prep programs will find what veterans already know: These programs are easier to navigate than most software. All the products reviewed here use a question-and-answer interview approach to collect the necessary personal and financial information from you. They also break the 1040 down into manageable bits and take you through them in a pretty natural order. They have you provide personal information, and then launch into sections where you enter your income and deductions. And though you can often file federal taxes for free, you usually have to pay for a state filing (typically less than $20). In the long run, the money is well spent to get the highest refund (or lowest payout) and avoid an audit.

TaxACT 2008 Deluxe Edition

For years, TaxACT has been the tax program of choice for the budget-conscious. It lacks some of the bells and whistles of the premium services but is significantly cheaper than TurboTax and TaxCut. In the areas it covers, it’s a strong competitor. The biggest change this year is the addition of a tool to help you determine the fair market value of noncash charitable contributions. There’s also a new customer import report, and overview screens for income, deductions, and credits. The average filer will probably want more help, but if you can handle 1040s and other forms without the additional support, this is the app for you. On pages that require data entry, TaxACT uses a split screen. The question-and-answer fields are

iNvESTmENTS iNCluDED TaxCut also asks you questions about stock market–related transactions and calculates your tax obligation. BEST Of BOTH wORlDS TurboTax lets you see your answers as a split screen with the Step-byStep questions above.

positioned above, with several help options in a tabbed window that can be toggled below. Neither TurboTax nor TaxCut employs a split screen; they position help tools elsewhere. With TaxACT, the tax interview questions are thorough and clear, but the program lacks some of the navigational guides that make TurboTax and TaxCut superior. Nonetheless, TaxACT’s interface is simple, fast, attractive—and works in much the same way as those of its competitors. For the cashstrapped, TaxACT is certainly an acceptable option.

H&R Block TaxCut Premium

Year after year, H&R Block continues to publish an exceptional personal tax-preparation program with excellent help tools and audit support. This year, the big news is a $20 price drop from last year (with the package I reviewed, Premium Federal + State + E-File). With TaxCut you get one help session with an H&R Block tax professional covering one topic, audit support, and the additional programs WILLPower and Deduction Pro. Not even TurboTax can match H&R Block in terms of sheer bang for the buck this year. But is the core TaxCut program the best personal tax-preparation program for 2008? Not quite. Given that the old paper and snail-mail system still works just fine, the most important thing a software and e-filing approach can offer (besides a faster refund) is ease of use, and that means a better UI and better help. TaxCut trails TurboTax a bit on both counts. For example, TaxCut’s interface has too much white space, which means extra pages and tedious extra mouse clicks to go from page to page. Also, TurboTax puts more help resources within reach during the process. However, TaxCut oversees the review of your return just as well as the competition. Though TaxCut is an excellent bargain and a solid package, TurboTax is still the best choice if you want the most thorough, well-guided, elegant taxpreparation experience available for the desktop.

TurboTax Premier 2008

TurboTax and H&R Block’s TaxCut wage a mighty battle in the premium personal tax-preparation software market every year, with TaxACT mopping up the more budget-conscious and knowledgeable filers. This year, the outcome is the same as in recent years: TurboTax is our Editors’ Choice. Though TaxCut wins points for its more reasonable pricing and remains a formidable foe in terms of functionality, it hasn’t evolved as skillfully as TurboTax has. Both premium apps continue to do a commendable job of exploding the 1040 into palatable chunks that can be more easily digested and processed, but TurboTax—the more versatile of the two, especially in the Premier version—takes apart complex topics and eases you through them with a greater variety of at-the-ready guidance. TurboTax’s designers have put together an application that’s—arguably—as elegant and deft as any in the universe of desktop productivity applications, though it runs a bit more slowly than the competition. Granted, a program’s interface is just window dressing if it isn’t backed up with solid innards, but TurboTax has that in spades, too. TaxCut’s look is old in comparison, and that detracts from what is a very capable program. TurboTax does a better job of using screen space, whereas TaxCut displays too much empty real estate, which leads to more clicking. TaxACT’s UI falls somewhere in the middle— better overall than TaxCut’s, but not in the same league as TurboTax’s. This package saves time by letting you import W-2 info directly from employers who use ADP, Paychex, and ProBusiness, as well as import tax-related income and expenses directly from Quicken 2007–2009 and major financial institutions. In a nutshell, TurboTax Premier 2008 provides the most cohesive, intuitive, well-designed tax-preparation experience out there, with more understandable and accessible help than the competition offers.

H&R Block TaxCut Premium

$49.95 direct

l lllm PROS Deep search tool. Excellent walk-through of 1040. Expanded explanations within questions. Good help and audit support. CONS Too many screens displaying too little information. Help is not always context-sensitive. Dull interface.

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TurboTax Premier 2008

Premier, $89.95 direct; Deluxe, $59.95

l lllh PROS Direct import from Quicken. Elegant interface. Good breakdown of complex topics. Best combination of help tools, some content- sensitive. Thorough coverage of tax topics. CONS Price of state e-file ($34.95). Slow.

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Quick looks

Visit pcmag.com for the full reviews of these and scores of other software products.

RED indicates Editors’ Choice.

MOBILE APPS (iPHONE) Spore Origins $6.99 direct

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• Easy for casual gamers to pick up • Fun creature editor • Game play is repetitive on most levels • Evolutionary stages are limited to undersea adaptation Spore Origins gives you a taste of the PC version of this evolution game, including the ability to add new elements to your creatures. Unfortunately, the repetitive levels of play that this iPhone title offers could stand a little more diversity.

CONS BOTTOM LINE

MobileFiles Pro $9.99 direct

l llmm • Full editing of Excel 2003 docs • Transfers files to and from desktops via Wi-Fi • Allows access to MobileMe files • No Word document editing • No cut-and-paste Business iPhone users will welcome the ability to edit Excel spreadsheets and easily transfer them over Wi-Fi to and from desktop systems. But if you’re a serious spreadsheet jockey, you should stick with Mobile Excel.

eReader 1.3 Free

l llhm • Free • Flexible text formatting • Good interface defaults • Easy bookmarking • Getting new books is harder than it should be The eReader does a decent job of presenting books on your iPhone, and the dictionary option is handy, but acquiring reading matter needs to be easier, and the software should support more file formats.

Stanza Free

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Photogene $2.99 direct

L lllh • Free • Flexible text formatting • Large free library available • All major e-book file formats accepted • Converts text, Web, and PDF documents • No undo • Highlighting text for cutting and copying is a bit awkward • Can’t edit Office docs With support for a broad range of content, Stanza is the most versatile e-book application for the iPhone.

• Good range of editing tools • Pleasant interface • Responsive controls • Many features • Scales to the iPhone’s full resolution • Can’t shoot photos from within app • Tiny, crowded mode buttons • Effects are strictly photographic The scope of Photogene’s editing tools—which include many that other iPhone photo-editing apps lack—makes this a very appealing app.

CameraBag 1.4 $2.99 direct

L lllm • Converts images to any of nine classic or creative photo styles • Easy to preview images and save them in multiple styles • Four image resolutions • Can’t tweak images beyond setting the basic style • Somewhat crash-prone Whether you’re a nostalgia buff, a photography student, or just someone who wants to spruce up your iPhone photos, the easy-to-use CameraBag lets you remake your images in various photographic styles.

SECURITY

DigitalPersona Personal 4.0 With U.are.U fingerprint reader, $69.95 direct; without, $29.95; fingerprint-based file encryption, $14.95 additional

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a-squared Anti-Malware 4.0 $39.95 direct

l lmmm • Effective touch-style fingerprint reader • Fingerprint log-in to Windows • Manages username/password credentials for

Web sites and programs • Checks for strong passwords • Must save account credentials manually • No user-defined names for accounts • No automatic generation of strong passwords • Lacks sharing and true reporting features DigitalPersona Personal 4.0 stores, applies, and rates your passwords. Both the password manager and its associated fingerprint reader are attractive and easy to use. DigitalPersona offers fingerprint-based Windows log-in and an extra-cost file encryption module.

• Blocked every malware sample from launching • Warns of malware-like behaviors • Community-based alert reduction limits pop-up queries • Identified several perfectly valid programs as malware • Did a poor job of cleaning up malware • Disabled two test systems by quarantining

Windows Explorer a-squared’s near-perfect malware blocking performance is tainted by its erroneous identification of valid programs as malware. In testing, it did a poor job of cleaning up infested systems. You can get better protection for the same price with Webroot or Spyware Doctor.

Lavasoft Anti-Virus Helix $23.95 direct

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CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2009 $79.99 direct

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MUSIC

Slacker for BlackBerry Basic, free; Slacker Premium Radio, $7.50 monthly

L lllh • Antivirus engine is highly praised by independent labs • Very effective at preventing installation of non-virus malware • Successfully removed many non-virus malware infestations • Rootkit protection is turned off by default • Needs to work alongside an antispyware product for comprehensive protection • Full scan is interrupted by pop-up queries by default The Avira engine that powers Lavasoft’s stand-alone antivirus is surprisingly effective against non-virus malware types, but it still needs to work alongside an antispyware solution for comprehensive protection.

• Advanced program control blocks “leak tests” • Browser-independent parental control • Firewall stealths all ports • Prevents accidental transmission of user- defined private data • Includes system migration tool • Advanced program control damages valid programs • Big performance drag • Antivirus not highly rated by independent labs • Poor malware removal and blocking • Backup very rudimentary There’s little to love in this Frankenstein’s monster of a suite. Patched together from many separate mediocre tools, it put the biggest drag on system performance of any suite tested. Save ten bucks and get Norton’s suite (or Trend Micro’s) instead.

• Streaming Internet Radio • Station caching • All the functionality of Slacker.com • Free • Slow to load streaming stations • Requires BlackBerry OS 4.3 or later With easy, free, customizable Internet radio, this app delivers on the multimedia promises that so often are made in BlackBerry’s television commercials.