Adobe has improved the speed of Flash and its integration with other CS3 apps, although flashy new features are few. Plus, Flash now works natively on Intel-based Macs.

ClassPass Live

It's a reasonable option if you want a wide selection of classes at a relatively low price.

Deepnet Explorer

Deepnet Explorer may not have the institutional support of Internet Explorer, but it offers more built-in features than Microsoft provides.

Opera 8

There's a ton of great technology in Opera, and it's free to compete with Mozilla Firefox.

Opera 9

We really like Opera 9, but we like it more as the cool, arty browser that it is and not as our everyday workhorse for the Internet.

Logic Pro X

Logic Pro X 10.1 from Apple is a self-contained music studio that offers tremendous flexibility and power -- once you get past the learning curve.

$99.95 MSRP

QuickBooks Simple Start 2005

QuickBooks Simple Start is easy to learn, but the lack of budgeting, payroll, and Excel-import tools limits its usefulness. We recommend a more powerful accounting app, such as QuickBooks.

$799.95 MSRP

QuickBooks Point of Sale 4.0

The well-designed QuickBooks Point of Sale Pro 4.0 is a cash register on steroids--a hardware and software system for managing a retail business.

Iolo System Mechanic 4.0 Professional

System Mechanic 4.0 Professional offers a better selection of tools and technical support than Norton SystemWorks Professional does.

$99.95 MSRP

Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2009 keeps the program's well-designed, intuitive interface, while adding a few new features. It's a worthy upgrade for people serious about online banking, and it remains the best accounting program for small business owners. However, Intuit should be more generous with customer support, particularly for setup issues.