In many cases, this might feel right or natural, but what if you disagree? What if you’d like the Start button to be placed to the right of – or below – the Taskbar’s Notification area? If the idea interests you, then take a look at Start Orb Mover 1.0.

Start Orb Mover comes from the folk at The Windows Club, and is still very much in its early stages of development, despite the 1.0 version number. There are many things to like about it – it’s a small download (1MB) and is portable, so there’s no installation or messing about with system files involved.

Once running, the app moves the Start menu button to the centre of the Taskbar, but it can also be placed to the right or bottom (if you’ve positioned the Taskbar vertically along one of the screen edges). You can also change the Start menu button to another design – three are provided – if you don’t like the original button. These settings are controlled by right-clicking the new Start button to reveal a new pop-up menu. From here, select Settings to make your changes.

You’ll find some other useful shortcuts on this menu too: one for opening cmd.exe with administrative privileges, and three options for starting, stopping and restarting Explorer.exe. There’s also the option to close the app, at which point the Start button magically reverts to its original location.

Reposition your Start menu using Start Orb Mover, but be warned - it's slightly buggy.

Here come the bugs
The theory, then, is great – and if you’ve always wanted to move the Start button somewhere else you might already be eagerly downloading the app now, but there are some major caveats. Version 1.0 is clearly an early build, and we expect a minor update to be released pretty quickly based on some of the glitches we encountered. None are insurmountable – this is a portable app after all, and if all else fails just reboot your PC to revert to the status quo – but they’re annoying nonetheless.

First, when you launch Start Orb Mover after extracting it from the zip file, you’ll see the usual security message associated with downloaded files appear – it’s very important you untick “Always ask before opening this file” before clicking Run, or you’ll run into problems.

You’ll also see this message appear when you close the app for the first time, referring to ShowIt. We found this hung, forcing us to close the box via the X button, and then get an error message regarding the tool while the Start button remained hidden from view. Again, the solution is relatively simple: open the AppFiles folder inside the Start Orb Mover folder, then double-click ShowIt manually before unticking the “Always ask…” box and clicking Run (it should then shut down properly in future).

They’re both annoying glitches, but you should at least not encounter them more than once. However, other problems also appeared during testing: we found that when the Start menu was too low when it appeared after clicking the Start button if it was displayed at the bottom of the screen – it was fine when the button was at the top, but we wonder if this is a universal issue, or just one with our laptop’s widescreen display resolution.

Ultimately these glitches do take the shine off what could be a useful, if somewhat niche, app. Let’s hope they’re fixed soon.

In the meantime, if you’re happy to experiment, you’ll find Start Orb Mover is a free download for PCs running Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit only.

But if you prefer a simpler life then installing mRemoteNG (a fork of the mRemote project) could make a lot of sense.

When you first launch the program it’ll check your system to see which remote connection technologies it currently supports. On our test PC, for instance, mRemoteNG reports that we were currently set up to support RDP, VNC, PuTTY (SSH/ Telnet/ Rlogin/ RAW) and more.

The program checks that your system supports each connection technology

We weren’t configured to support Citrix ICA connections, unfortunately, but the program didn’t just say that. A helpful error message also told us where to download the appropriate client, and even provided instructions on how to register the relevant file manually.

Once you’re properly configured, it’s then very easy to create a new connection, provide the appropriate host name, user name and password.

You’ll then have to select the connection protocol from a list: RDP, VNC, SSH versions 1 and 2, Telnet, Rlogin, RAW, HTTP, HTTPS and ICA.

After that, you’ll be able to set up all the appropriate settings for that protocol. So for RDP, say, you’re able to tweak “Appearance” settings including resolution, number of colours, bitmap caching, whether to display wallpaper, themes and more.

And once you’ve built up a library of connections then you’re able to launch them at any time with a quick double-click, and view the results in mRemoteNG’s straightforward tabbed interface. It’s all very easy, and the program could be a useful tool for anyone who regularly works with multiple remote connection technologies.

At its most basic, the application can be used to create a simple database of all of your DVDs and Blu-rays so even if you choose not to have your discs out on display you’ll never lose track of what you own. But this is an app that can also be used to catalog your DivX video files in the same way and keep track of which discs you have lent out to other people. One of the biggest problems with any sort of cataloging software is the data entry side of things, but Movie Label 2013 makes things nice and easy – you can either scan the bar code of a disc and the data will be downloaded for you automatically, or you can perform searches that will populate data fields for you.

http://www.downloadcrew.com/article/4325-movie_label

If all of this sounds like nothing special, the app has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. There are data fields that are simply not found in any other app and this is what sets Movie Label 2013 apart from the competition. Not only are you able to store details about the cast of shows and movies but you can also save information such as the type of equipment used on a shoot and attach details of awards that have been won – this is great if you ever want to track down all of the movies starring a particular actor that have been nominated for Oscars. Additional options such as filming locations, advanced searches, a wonderfully redesigned program interface and a high level of customization mean that this is perfect for any self-respecting movie buff.

Weighing in at $39.95, it could be argued that Movie Label 2013 is a little on the expensive side – but bear in mind that there is also a professional version available for almost double the price at $69.95 if you want to install the program on up to three computers, export data and create your own reports – but it is pretty powerful. Movie Label 2013 goes far beyond any other comparable tool, and while there is nothing to stop you from knocking up a more basic database in Access, this is far more feature-rich and good looking than anything most people would be capable of producing.

You can find out more by paying a visit to the Movie Label 2013 review page.

It is fair to say that an office suite is not the most exciting piece of software anyone is going to be installing, but it is something that is vital to so many people and it is important that it does its job well. One of the reasons Microsoft Office is so popular is the fact that it is so feature-packed that it can cater for almost any requirements you may have. When you start to look at free alternatives, you’ll often find that quality starts to slip and important features start to get dropped. These are not charges that can be leveled at LibreOffice which is just about as riddled with features as you could possibly hope. Should you be unfamiliar with the suite, this particular set of office programs comprises a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing tool, presentation application, a database and an equation editor.

Fully loaded suite

LibreOffice Writer has everything you need to create letters, novels and more

It is impressive to see that a database tool has been included, and while this is not something that everyone will need it great to see that no corners have been cut. For many people, the cornerstone of any office suite is the word processor, and LibreOffice’s offering is suitably adorned with everything you would expect. On the fly spell checking has become a fairly standard feature of modern word processors and while grammar checking is sometimes available, it is often slow and unreliable. The latest version of LibreOffice sees the introduction of a faster checker and improved handling of errors to help make it clearer what issues have been detected. Recent changes to the handling of headers and footers make these document components even easier to work with.

But an office suite is about more than the word processor, and the spreadsheet tool is just as important. Calc is an extremely competent program that is Excel compatible and now boasts support for documents that contain up to 10,000 sheets. Elsewhere in the suite you’ll also find the presentation tool Impress, drawing and logo creation app Draw, and Math the equation and formulae editor. Each of these programs has very much the same look, so once you have spent time using any of them, you’ll immediately feel at home in any of the others.

Speedy development

This is an office suite that has come a long way in a relatively short space of time. Breaking away from OpenOffice has led to a faster development cycle which in turn has mean that it has been possible to address issues that have been causing problems for users in different ways. Something that has long deterred serious writers from making the switch to LibreOffice was the lack of a live word count. This might seem like a minor point, but when you need to write to a word count, you want to be able to focus on getting the words down on the page rather than having to keep checking through menus to see how many more words you have left to work with. The addition of a live word count to the latest version is a small but important change, and just goes to demonstrate that such a little thing makes such as big difference, and is an excellent example of listening to the target audience.

LibreOffice Calc supports gigantic spreadsheets of up to 10,000 sheets

In the past, if you wanted to keep up to date with the latest version of the suite, it meant having to perform a manual check online to see if anything new had been released. Arguably one of the most useful additions to the software is the update availability notifier – when a new release hits the servers, the program will let you know so you can update your program straight away. There are few complaints with LibreOffice, but where it does fall down slightly is in terms of looks. The toolbars are a little cluttered and the design of some of the buttons a little busy, and the aforementioned live word count, while useful, has been oddly implemented so a separate window needs to be kept open to monitor a changing word count.

The way the installer works is interestingly different to other apps and recognizes the fact that making the switch from one office suite to another is a big step. On the one hand, the installer informs you that it could be used as the default handler for Word, Excel and PowerPoint document – but importantly, does not steal file associations by default – and also points out the fact that if you are only trying out the suite you might want to leave this option disabled. This is a small touch, but it irons out an annoyance that has plagued too many other programs in the past.

Cross-platform compatibility

A big plus point for LibreOffice is the fact that it is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. Cost conscious computer users may have opted to go down the Linux route to save money on hardware and software, and this suite is available for users of this operating system. But if you are working in a multi-platform office environment, or want a reliable way to collaborate on projects with people using different systems, this is a great way of ensuring a level playing field on which everyone has access to the same tools and options and does not have to worry about incompatibility issues.

Overall, this is an office suite that comes highly recommended. The decision to break away from the main OpenOffice product has led to a faster development cycle and this has resulted in the impressive product we now see before us. Choosing an office suite is quite a personal affair, and it is not possible for one suite to cater to the needs of every user. LibreOffice Productivity Suite 3.5.0 achieves an excellent balance of everyday features that are intuitive and more powerful options that will be welcomed by businesses and power users. Whether you are currently in the market for a new office suite or not, this is well worth taking a look at as you may just be swayed. However it is worth noting that this release (version 3.5.0) is recommended for power users – The Document Foundation recommends that less technically minded users and businesses hold off updating for the time being.

You’ll first need to figure out which switch is appropriate, though, and then manually apply it to your copy of Outlook, which isn’t exactly convenient. But fortunately the free and portable OutlookParameterGUI does a good job of simplifying the whole process.

Choose the troubleshooting switch you need, then launch Outlook with a click

If you’re unfamiliar with these command line switches then you might start by browsing them via the program’s Parameter tab. Each one comes with a brief explanation, so for example you’ll read that starting Outlook with the /cleanprofile parameter “removes invalid profile keys and recreates default Registry keys where applicable”. Which sounds like a useful option if your installation has been damaged for some reason.

You really do need to read these explanations carefully, however, because some of the options will delete your Outlook customisations (/cleanviews will delete your custom views, say, while /cleanrules deletes client and server-based rules). But if you’re happy that a particular parameter suits your needs, then just click the Start button and OutlookParameterGUI will launch Outlook with it.

And as a bonus, there’s also a handy pane with some useful information about your Outlook setup: its architecture (32 or 64-bit), version number and service pack details, serial number (if you click Options > Show Serial) and more.

There’s nothing too out of the ordinary here, and you could of course manually apply the various command line switches yourself without downloading any extra software at all. OutlookParameterGUI does make the process easier, though, and at a mere 673KB won’t exactly get in your way, so on balance it more than justifies a place in your portable troubleshooting toolkit.

In fact the app, at time of writing, is only compatible with seven handsets, all of which are phones is not a great start. There is currently no support for any tablets, nor indeed support for any devices running Ice Cream Sandwich. This is something that will hopefully be addressed in future updates to the app as in the coming month there are Ice Cream Sandwich update scheduled for a number of the currently supported phones. A lack of support for larger screen tablets also seems like a serious oversight when the app is concerned solely with watching television.

Watch Sky content on your Android phone whilst you are away from home

The channels that you have access to depends on the type of Sky subscription you have, but there are total of 22 channels to choose from. This includes a number of sports and movie channels as well as arts, news and general entertainment. The app can be used over a wifi or a data connection, but with a recommended minimum continuous connection speed of 500Kb per second this is likely to be something you only use when in range of a wireless network.

There are a few other restrictions to keep in mind before you get too excited about the app. If you live outside the UK or the Republic of Ireland, you’re not going to be able to make use of Sky Go and if you have rooted your phone, you are again out of luck. Despite a number of issues, if you are a Sky users, this app is a free perk so you may as well take a look to see if it could enhance your viewing experience.

You can find out more by paying a visit to the Sky Go review page.

With new Active Boost technology maintaining your computer’s key resources in real-time, improved malware detection and extra maintenance and optimisation tools, ASC PRO 5 is an essential tool for all PCs. But get this, for a limited 48-hour period from midnight tonight (Central European Time), you’ll be able to pick up a free single-license copy worth $19.95, complete with all the additional features and functionality over the free version.

To get your free copy of ASC PRO 5, which runs on any PC with Windows 2000 or later installed, just visit the Downloadcrew Giveaway site between 00:00 Central European Time on Tuesday February 21^st and 23:59 CET on Wednesday February 22^nd. Follow the instructions provided to download the software and unlock the full version with the serial code provided.

There’s no registration involved, so you don’t have to sign up for anything – everything you need to get and use the software is provided at its Download page.

Optimize your PC

We're giving away the full current version of IObit's Advanced SystemCare PRO 5

Why download and install IObit Advanced SystemCare PRO 5 for your PC? It’s basically your one-stop shop for maintaining and optimising your computer through a series of utilities designed to improve performance, root out problems and even detect and remove malware.

The program’s divided into four sections: Quick Care for those who want a quick and easy tune up, plus Deep Care for more experienced users happy to delve deep into the program’s innards to get the performance fillip they specifically want. Turbo Boost speeds up your system with just a few clicks while Toolbox provides shortcuts to 25 more tools spanning categories including clean, optimize, repair and security.

Version 5 introduces Active Boost technology, which optimizes your application’s RAM and CPU use in real time. Malware detection is improved greatly thanks to new cloud-based technology for up-to-the-minute scans, while Turbo Boost is able to recover more system resources than before. Also enhanced are the Quick and Deep Care sections.

It’s all very simple to use, but because you’re potentially making fundamental changes to your system, it’s good to know that ASC PRO 5 flags potentially harmful changes, plus backs up every tweak it performs, so if – for example – you run into problems after using the Registry cleaning portion of the program, you can quickly and easily roll back your computer to a working state.

Key facts
If you’ve got more than one PC to look after, you might be interested to learn that throughout February we’ve got a massive 68% off the three-PC license of ASC PRO 5. You pay just $12 instead of $39.95 as a result of this discount.

Important: the download offer will be live for 48 hours, from 00:00 Tuesday 21 February through to 23:59 Wednesday 22 February, Central European Time. You will need to register your license by Friday 24 February. See the Downloadcrew Giveaway site for full details.

Installation only takes a moment, for instance. And while we’ve seen reports that DriverIdentifier has installed browser toolbars by default in the past, our version (3.9) did nothing of the kind, just launching the program when setup was complete.

One click of the Scan Drivers button and DriverIdentifier went to work, identifying our installed devices and their drivers, and sending the information to a central database. A moment later a browser window opened with the program’s report: a list of our drivers including device name, manufacturer, driver version and date, and download links presented for any updates, where available.

Just click the "Scan Drivers" button and wait for the program's report

While this is fine for the basics, you’re really getting nothing more than a static report. You can’t filter or sort your driver list, and there are no options to, say, download all the updates, or install them automatically.

And updating manually won’t always be straightforward, either. We clicked the Update link next to a mouse driver, for instance, and found six files on offer. One of these had the latest version and so seemed the obvious candidate, but if you didn’t want that for some reason then it may be hard to decide which was best. DriverIdentifier said both USB_Mouse_VT_090514.zip and USB_Mouse_VT.zip contained the same driver version, for instance, so what to pick? We had no idea.

If you’re a PC beginner hoping for an easy way to automate the process of driver updates, then, this program probably isn’t for you.

But of course the reality is that updating drivers is a complex business, not something which can be reliably automated. Sure, some tools try to find and install the right driver at a click, but they’ll occasionally get it wrong. DriverIdentifier does at least know its limitations, and that could make the program useful, if only as a quick check. So if you’d like to see if there are any updates available for your PC then it’ll probably be able to show you in just a few seconds; but identifying the right file, and installing it, is still something you’ll have to do yourself.

The most radical changes in VLC 2.0 will be found on the Mac platform, with support for Blu-ray playback being overshadowed by a radical overhaul of the user interface. This major step forward has divided the VLC community since it first emerged, with some decrying the loss of version 1’s minimalist approach to video playback.

VLC 2.0 on the Mac platform replaces the simplistic interface of version 1.x in favour of something more akin to iTunes, while also embracing the look of OS X Lion. It opens in Playlist view, with a two-paned window containing a list of common locations for media files in the left-hand pane, and an invitation to drag and drop files into the window for playback on the right.

VLC 2.0's user interface is a radical departure from version 1's minimalist approach.

Media controls sit at the bottom of the window, and there’s a new audio effects option next to the full-screen button, which takes advantage of Lion’s full-screen support. Options in the left-hand window include a shortcut to the user’s iTunes library and a playlist option, as well as UPNP and various internet streams.

VLC 2.0 for Mac also includes experimental Blu-ray support, plus adds support for VLC’s lua-based extensions. These support various interactive features, such as pulling movie information and subtitles from the internet, or posting to Twitter.

Version 2.0 is very much aimed at Mac users, with Linux and Windows users seeing less radical changes, although behind-the-scenes improvements – detailed in full at the VLC changelog – make the update worth pursuing for all platforms.

One major upgrade for Windows users is a dedicated 64-bit build of VLC, while the release notes also hint at future versions for mobile users, with an Android version in development, due to join VLC Media Player for iOS, which currently stands at version 1.1.

VLC 2.0 FINAL is a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Keep your computer safe and secure with Norton 360 Beta

Norton is a well-known name in the security arena and Norton 360 v6 FINAL is a complete suite of tools including a firewall, password manager and phishing protection as well as handy bonus features such as backup and system optimization. Microsoft may be best known for producing Windows, but it is also responsible for a range of security tools. Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (32-bit) 4.5 and Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (64-bit) 4.5 are malware detection and removal utilities that do not offer real-time protection but are still useful tools nonetheless. If you’re looking to boost your privacy as well as your security, look no further than Private Browsing 2.0 which can be used to add a number of privacy tools for Firefox, including FlashBlock and AdBlock.

The development of Google Chrome continues apace

Talking of web browsers, there have been a number of updates in this area too. Google’s ever accelerating browser development continues with the release of Google Chrome 17.0.963.56 FINAL, and Mozilla shows no signs of slowing down either. The recently released final version of Firefox 10 has just been updated to Firefox 10.0.2 FINAL, while Firefox 11 Beta 3 is available if you would like to get a preview of what is coming up in a few weeks’ time. If you’re running a 64-bit version of Windows, Waterfox 10.0.1 is a 64-bit version of Firefox that enables you to take full advantage of your hardware.

gExplore makes it easy to access Google Docs from your desktop

Of course, you do not need to be making use of a web browser in order to use the internet. While there are a number of online services available, they can often be accessed outside of a browser, and if you are a Google Docs user, you can take advantage of gExplore 1.0 to access your online files in a handy app. The internet can be a great source of video files, and in order to play back these files you will need to ensure that you have the correct codecs installed. K-Lite is a codec collection that is available in a number of forms – K-Lite Codec Pack Basic 8.4.0,  K-Lite Codec Pack Standard 8.4.0, K-Lite Codec Pack Full 8.4.0 and K-Lite Codec Pack Mega 8.4.0 – and covers almost every video and audio format imaginable.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer makes it easy to boost the performance of your computer

For anyone who is interested in getting the most form their computer rather than just using it, there have been a number of interesting releases. PC Wizard 2012.2.0 is an immensely useful utility that can be used to find out everything you could possibly need to know about the hardware and software you have – a great tool when it comes to diagnosing problems and upgrading your system. Ashampoo WinOptimizer 9 FINAL is, as the name suggests, a powerful collection of utilities designed to help you to boost the performance of your computer, perform maintenance tasks and much more. If you prefer not to part with any cash and are happy to work with the tools that are included with Windows, Windows 7 in a Box 1.0.0.0 provides easy access to a variety of accessories.

Safeguard your data with Paragon System Backup

Backup, backup, backup should be the mantra for any computer user, and to make life a little easier in this department, Paragon System Backup 11 is a reasonably priced backup tool that enables you to easily, and automatically, backup your valuable files. But first you need to have created some files to backup, and if you’re in need of a word processor, spreadsheet, database or presentation tool, look no further than the update offshoot of Open Office, LibreOffice Productivity Suite 3.5.0 FINAL. All of your PDF creation and editing needs can be catered for with Nitro Pro 7.2.0.12 [32-bit]. and there is also a 64-bit version of this PDF software available in the form of Nitro Pro 7.2.0.12 [64-bit]. The discovery of bugs and security holes mean that it is important to keep all of your software fully up to date. Rather than manually checking countless web sites to see if there are any updates available, take a look at updated Downloadcrew UpdateScanner 2.0.0.2 Beta which can do all of the hard work for you.

The past seven days have been busy and the coming week is shaping up to be similarly exciting – check back this time next week for another roundup.

As before, if you’re faced with a runaway program and would like to reduce its impact on your system, without closing it entirely, then you can right-click the process, browse to Set Priority, and choose something like Below Normal or Idle. Windows will then give the process a lower priority when it comes to allocating CPU time, which may help your other programs to run more normally.

Process Explorer is one of the best PC monitoring tools around

CPU time is only one resource which may be affected, though, so for better results you may want to assign your process the new Background priority. This has the same process priority as Idle – 4, the lowest possible – but also assigns the process low I/O and memory priorities, further reducing its impact on your system.

Keep in mind that you do need to be careful how you use this feature. Playing with the priorities of some processes can crash your PC, so don’t tweak anything unless you’re sure you know what you’re doing and you’ve saved any current work.

And welcome though the new feature is, it still won’t bring all rogue processes under control. If you’re still having trouble then the next step should be to alter its affinity, so that the program can run on fewer cores: right-click the process, select Set Affinity, clear all but two of the core checkboxes (or one if you’ve only a dual-core CPU), and click OK to see the effects.

OCAT isn’t portable, unfortunately, so you’ll need to install it first. But with that done, it’s easy enough to use: make sure Outlook is running, launch the program, click Start a scan > Start scanning, and around 20 seconds later (if our test PC is typical) you’ll be looking at a detailed report.

This starts with an “Informational Items” section, which contains key details on how your copy of Outlook is set up. This lists the various accounts you’ve created, any add-ins and third-party modules you’ve installed, your store files, and so on. You’re able to view all your installed Office Updates, with links in each case to a support.microsoft.com page telling you more about that patch. And OCAT will also highlight any settings which it thinks might be of interest, with a brief explanation as to why.

Scan your Outlook profile for problems in seconds

Next up is the “All Issues” section, where the program displays anything it thinks is particularly significant: you’ve the wrong version of a DLL, your system has a font which causes some odd problem, there’s a known configuration issue, whatever it might be. Click anything listed here and you’ll find a “Tell me more about this issue” link, which again takes you to a relevant Microsoft.com page for more advice.

Outlook problems aren’t always so neatly defined, of course, so it’s good to see that OCAT also provides more general troubleshooting information. On our test PC, for instance, we were told that one of our folders contained too many items. And if your copy of Outlook has crashed a few times recently then you’ll be able to view details of the error here, which just might help to diagnose the cause.

And if you’re an enterprise user then you’ll get even more from the program. It can collect information from your Active Directory Domain Services setup, for instance, and check possible connectivity issues with Microsoft Exchange in just a few clicks.

There’s nothing too surprising about any of this, and if you’re a knowledgeable Windows and Outlook user then you’ll probably find already know most of what the Outlook Configuration Analyzer has to tell you. If you regularly seem to have Outlook problems, though, the program may still be worth installing: even if it doesn’t identify some otherwise hidden issue, OCAT’s raft of essential troubleshooting information should help you to more quickly diagnose what’s happening for yourself.

That’s right, if you’re a Lion user who’s nicely updated to OS X 10.7.3, you can try out a beta of Apple Messages, Mountain Lion’s successor to the iChat application.

As its name implies, Apple Messages Beta is exciting for Apple aficionados because it brings iMessage to the Mac platform. This popular IM/chat tool, which was introduced in iOS 5 for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch last year, can now be extended to your Mac ahead of schedule by installing this beta.

Messages Beta will overwrite your iChat application, but don’t worry – it contains all of the functionality of iChat as well as support for iMessages. Oh, and you can get shot of it easily enough too – if you decide it’s not for you, or the beta proves more buggy than it’s worth, just open Messages and select Messages > Uninstall Messags Beta to dump it courtesy of Software Update.

Apple Messages Beta brings iMessage support to your Mac.

So, what does Messages Beta bring to the party for Mac users in terms of iMessage support? Everything you’ve come to expect from the iOS version, of course: the ability to start a conversation on your Mac or portable device, then continue it on another – all while keeping everything neatly in sync (the downside is that your Mac will chime in with your other portable devices every time a message is received, but hey ho). You can, of course, share all of kinds of stuff – including photos, video, contacts and more – through iMessages and you can also launch a FaceTime conversation direct from the app. OK, this simply launches the FaceTime app on your Mac, but again with the ho and the hey.

All of this functionality exists on top of existing features found in iChat. That means the iChat Theater (now renamed Theater) remains, as does the support for selected third-party IM accounts, namely Google Talk, Jabber, AIM and Yahoo! Sadly, while your buddy lists for these accounts remains neatly in place, there’s no such contacts directory for iMessage – you have to remember your friends’ Apple ID to initiate a conversation.

Everything works as you’d expect it to – look out for the iMessage-like speech and thought bubbles, and the ability to recall previous conversations (and delete individual ones) from the left-hand pane. Oh, Messages window is persistent, so you can leave it open while getting on with other work.

Apple Messages Beta is available now as a free download for Macs running OS X Lion 10.7.3 or later. The final version will appear in OS X Mountain Lion on its release this summer.

Fortunately there is now an interesting alternative, though, in the NTFS Permissions Reporter.

The program can also be launched from Explorer by right-clicking a folder and selecting Report Permissions. But this can include and report on any subfolders, too, or you can manually specify a list of folders and then have them checked in a single operation.

Forget the usual Explorer hassles - see all your folder permissions in a couple of clicks

Once the NTFS Permissions Reporter has completed its scan then you’ll see a tree which you can browse, and clicking on any individual folder will accurately reveal the permissions for each of your user groups in considerable detail.

There’s also information which you won’t clearly get from the regular Windows dialogs, such as details on any folders which haven’t inherited their parent’s permissions

And you even get a table indicating any errors which the program encountered along the way (like trying to access folders when it doesn’t have the appropriate permissions, ironically).

Useful though this is, the commercial Standard Edition is significantly better as it supports filters. Rather than simply report every permission on and below the target folder, you can look only for directories which aren’t inheriting permissions, say; user accounts which don’t exist; accounts which have been explicitly assigned (or denied) permissions; accounts from certain domains, and more. It’s ideal for system administrators, who can purchase the program for $149 (a one-off, lifetime payment) at the developer’s site.

If you just want an easy and accurate way to review multiple NTFS permissions then the NTFS Permissions Reporter Free Edition is perfectly adequate, though – go try out a copy for yourself.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. And the new Mirage Anti-Bot is a great example of a simpler, more lightweight approach.

This lightweight tool blocks your access to infected websites

Essentially the program just runs in the background, connecting to abuse.ch occasionally to download its popular ZeuS blocklist. It then checks the sites you’re visiting to confirm that they’re safe, and blocks access to any which show up as infected: easy.

Of course this reliance on a secondary list (even a good one), as well as the focus on ZeuS alone, means that Mirage Anti-Bot is no substitute for a full antivirus package with good real-time browsing protection.

But on the other hand, the program’s lightweight nature (it consumed a mere 3MB of RAM on our test PC) should mean you can run it alongside your existing security tools without any conflict. And the author says he’ll be expanding it soon to protect against other malware, including SpyEye and Palevo, so if you’re looking for a simple way to enhance your online safety then Mirage Anti-Bot could be one to watch.

Where the app proves particularly useful is in the way it enables you to view zip files that have been emailed to you. Whether you are working with the email accounts you have configured in the mail app, or you are using a web based service such as Gmail or Hotmail, the app can be used to view the contents of zip file attachments. It does not matter if the zip files you want to view are encrypted; providing you have the necessary password, these can be opened as well.

Open and manage your ZIP archives from your iOS device

It’s a shame to see that there isn’t support for any other compressed formats, but for the most part it is fair to say that the zip format is still the most frequently used for day to day purposes. There’s also no support for the creation of archives, but the lack of a traditional file browsing structure – for most iOS users – means that this is largely unnecessary anyway.

The features that are present all work well. The interface used to browse through the contents of compressed files is impressive enough and there is built in support for the previewing of a number of common file types including PNG, GIF and JPEG images as well as DOC, TXT, PDF and many more. This universal app is a fairly basic tool, but the things it does , it does well.

You can find out more and download a free copy of the app by visiting the WinZip for iOS review page.

Version 6.0 add support for Windows 8, a number of features added in Norton 2012 – including Identity Safe and Norton Management – plus improved navigation for backups and automatic error recovery.

Norton 360 6.0 uses the Norton Internet Security 2012 engine for its security, which explains why many of its new features debuted in NIS 2012 when it released last year. These include the new Identity Safe tool for managing personal data securely, the Norton Management interface, allowing users to remotely manage their protected PCs via the cloud and improved Download Insight, which rates programs for reliability and stability as well as security.

Aside from updating its security engine to Norton 2012, Norton 360 6.0 also includes minor improvements to its other components, including simpler navigation for backups. It will also automatically update to support Windows 8, including the beta version that will follow the current alpha build as its testing is ramped up to a wider audience.

Norton 360 6.0 is to be joined by a brand new product: Norton 360 Everywhere. This basically covers Windows, Mac and Android users by providing multi-user license for using three key Norton products across a variety of devices. The suite will comprise Norton 360 Premier for Windows, Norton Internet Security for Mac, and Norton Mobile Security for Android (but not iOS).

Symantec has also announced plans to launch an invite-only pilot of its Norton One product to select users in the US, Canada, UK, Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand . Norton One aims to provide comprehensive security and other protection across multiple users and even households through a cloud-based management console.  These five devices are interchangeable, allowing licenses to be transferred from one device to another as required – the trial begins on March 22.

Norton 360 v6.0 is available now as a free trial download for Windows PCs. The full suite costs $89.99 for a three-user solution offering 2GB free online storage, or $99.99 for the Premier version, which offers 25GB free online storage as well as the three-user license. No pricing has yet been made available for Norton 360 Everywhere, which will be launched later this Spring.

Performance enhancing software often makes all sorts of claims about what it can achieve, but Ashampoo WinOptimizer puts its money where its mouth is and provides you with benchmarking options so you can test performance before and after and see what difference it has made. You can get as hands-on as your feel comfortable with, or you can take advantage of the various one-click optimization options that have been designed to automate many common tasks. If you’ve tried system boosting software in the past and have wondered if any speed benefits you notice are for real or just the result of the placebo effect, the benchmarks available here should speak for themselves

What’s new?

The introduction of a HDD Inspector analyzes the S.M.A.R.T. values of your hard drive and will identity and warn of potential failure, whilst a new cleaning tool will remove redundant entries and generally keep your Registry in check. Improvements to the user-interface, including four new visual themes enable you to choose from a blue, white and two different black themes.

Apply tweaks to your computer and test their effectiveness with Ashampoo WinOptimizer 9

The sheer number of modules that make up the suite is impressive and not all of them are focused on performance and benchmarking. You’ll also find tools that can be used to free up hard drive space, tweak the appearance of functionality of Windows as well as enabling you to perform various file operation such as splitting, joining, undeleting and securely erasing. There are also a number of nice little touches such as an easy to use context menu editor, a tool for saving the position of desktop icons and an AntiSpy module for preventing Windows from ‘phoning home’.

There are a couple of things to note about the installation of the program. Firstly, it is important to be aware that the installer includes the Ask toolbar, so ensure that you select the custom installation option if you would prefer that this was not added to your web browser. The second thing to be aware of is that the software will initially install as a ten day trial, but this can be extended to 30 days by registering for a free trial code from within the program.

You can find out more and download a free copy of the app by paying a visit to the Ashampoo WinOptimizer 9 review page.

We weren’t entirely sure how much scope there was for improvement in the upcoming Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite, then. But we were interested to find out, and so when Paragon Software offered us an exclusive first look we eagerly installed and launched a pre-release build.

At first glance the program doesn’t appear to have changed too much. It opens with the same Express Mode, a front-end menu which sensible organises its features into six categories (“Partitioning”, “Backup and Recovery”, “Copying and Migration”, “Security and Optimization”, “Virtualization” and “Tools”). And if you need even more power, the Advanced Interface is only a click away (although despite that “Advanced” tag, if you’ve used any similar Paragon package in the past couple of years then you’ll find it familiar and straightforward).

Front-end menus make it easy to find the functions you need

Beneath the surface, though, one of the major improvements in this release is a completely new hard drive management engine. This expands the program’s hard drive support to include all the latest technologies: high-capacity SSDs, Advanced Format Drives, Hybrid Hard Drives and 512e (4k sector size drives which provide 512-byte emulation). And it also supports UEFI installations of operating systems.

Paragon say that the real gain for everyone is in the program’s performance, though. VSS optimisations mean that hot partitioning and hot imaging operations are now faster; the backup engine uses asynchronous read/ writes for better speeds; and the company claim the core partitioning engine is “the fastest currently available”.

We’ll have to wait until the full review to find out just how speedy the program really is. A quick backup test revealed Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite’s performance was broadly comparable with the already fast Macrium Reflect, though, and general partitioning operations feel faster, too – although that’s just part of what the new build has to offer.

Split partitions

One of the most significant visible additions to the program is the new Split Partition Wizard. Which not only splits one partition into two, but also moves whatever files and folders you specify into the new partition: a real time-saver.

The process is straightforward, too. Specify a partition to split. Browse an Explorer-type view to decide exactly what you’d like to move into the new partition. Then, a click or two later, Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite will get on with repartitioning the drive and moving the data for you, while you just sit back and watch.

Another new feature this time around is Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite’s ability to migrate a physical disk to a virtual environment. Launch the P2V (Physical to Virtual) Copy Wizard, and it’ll walk you through the process of converting your chosen partition or drive to a virtual hard drive, in Oracle VirtualBox, Virtual PC or VMware Workstation/ Fusion formats.

Convert any hard drive or partition to a virtual machine in just a few clicks

Other improvements

One smaller tweak elsewhere sees Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite now support encrypting your backups for enhanced security.

And Paragon also report some reliability improvements, in particular the ability to resume operations on virtual volumes if they were interrupted for whatever reason. We weren’t able to test this at this stage, but in theory at least it sounds like a good idea.

Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite isn’t a game-changer, then: it’s more about building on what’s gone before than anything else.

The improvements on offer here – in particular the improved performance, wider hardware support, the Split Partition Wizard, and enhanced virtualisation support – are well worth having, though, and so if you’re in the market for this type of tool then Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite needs to be on your shortlist. A trial version will be available when the program is released towards the end of February, and if you need more information then we’ll be delivering a full review shortly afterwards.

LibreOffice is a spin-off of OpenOffice, and comprises word processor (Writer), spreadsheet (Calc), presentations package (Impress), database (Base), graphics editor (Draw) and equations tool (Math). This is LibreOffice’s third major release since the project was launched back in September 2010.

Writer adds new UIs for headers and footers as well as page breaks.

LibreOffice 3.5.0 FINAL includes a number of notable new features, helping support RedHat developer Caolán McNamara’s claim that LibreOffice “is rapidly leading to a completely new and substantially improved free office suite”, highlighting its swift development away from its OpenOffice origins.

New features are spread across most of the suite’s components. Writer users will discover a brand new built-in grammar checker for English, Hungarian and Russian that promises to be faster and more accurate than the existing checker. It also sports an interactive word count window, which updates in real time, plus a new user interface for headers, footers and page breaks.

The RTF filter has also been completely written while the Word DOCX filter tweaked with a number of improvements.

Calc features a new multi-line input bar.

Updates aplenty
LibreOffice’s spreadsheet component, Calc, can now support up to 10,000 sheets and claims better performance for many sheet-related operations as a result. It also includes a new multi-line input area for data entry, brand new functions conforming to the ODF OpenFormula 1.2 specifications, better performance importing files from other office suites, an unlimited number of rules for conditional formatting and multiple selections in the auto-filter.

There are also a number of numerous minor tweaks, such as the ability to set a default number of sheets for new documents and the ability to protect sheets from the sheet tab’s context menu.

Impress and Draw users will discover a new filter for importing documents from Microsoft Visio, new line ends for improved diagrams, better import of custom shapes and Smart Art from PowerPoint, a new display switch for the presenter’s console and the ability to embed multimedia and colour palettes into ODF documents.

The automatic update checker is back, revamped and improved.

More changes
Elsewhere, Base gets a new, integrated PostgreSQL native driver, while the inline, automatic update checker has also been reintroduced with a number of improvements and bug fixes.

It’s also worth noting that LibreOffice 3.5.0 uses a different algorithm (AES as opposed to Blowfish) for encrypting files. While version 3.5.0 can open Blowfish-encrypted files, 3.4 users will need to update to LibreOffice 3.4.5 to gain access to files encrypted in version 3.5 and later.

For a full list of changes in version 3.5.0, click here. Note that, as with previous major updates, TDF recommends only power users update to version 3.5.0 for now, suggesting more conservative users – including corporations – should stick with LibreOffice 3.4.5 instead.

LibreOffice 3.5.0 FINAL is a free open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux. A separate portable build is also available, which is currently at version 3.4.5. Expect an update to 3.5 in the near future.

The clean-up process is wizard driven and this helps to keep things as simple as possible. If you are unfamiliar with audio editing tools, there is no need to worry about looking for complicated options or wading through unintelligible terminology. As you would expect from wizards, those found in Audio Cleaning Lab MX are goal-oriented; if you have recorded a cassette that if suffering from unwanted hiss, just select the ‘Clean tape sound’ wizard, while selecting ‘Restore vinyl sound’ enables you to improve the sound quality of 12” and 7” you have recorded.

The process of digitizing your music collection – who doesn’t have a number of old LPs and cassettes lying around that are just begging to be popped onto an iPod? – is one that can be time-consuming.  MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab MX includes all of the tools you need to help keep things as simple and quick as possible. It does not matter whether you have already recorded the audio you want to work with to your computer as this is an option that is available from within the program.

There are then a number of options available to you.  You can use the automatic cleaning assistant to analyze your recording and it will quickly determine which clean-up filters need to be used – declicker, decrackler, denoiser and dehisser – before giving you the option of applying the necessary tweaks. Alternatively, you can manually work through the clean-up process step by step, choosing which filters should be put in place and to what extent. There are also a number of presets that you can choose from – such as restoring average quality vinyl recordings – but if you would like to get really hands-on, you can use the main program interface to choose between an even greater range of filters.

Noise removal

When it comes to removing clicks, crackles and tape noise, you can choose the level to which these effects should be applied – if you apply too strong a filter, it is possible that you will also filter out sounds that you actually want to keep, but at the very least it is likely that if applied too strongly, it will become obvious that effects have been applied. For the perfectionist, there is also the Spectral Cleaning tool. This enables you to remove one-off noises such as coughs, and while this can have some impressive results, it is a little fiddly to use and may be off-putting to those unfamiliar with audio editing.

Create the perfect sound for your recording with Audio Cleaning Lab MX

In some respects, calling the app Audio Cleaning Lab is something of a misnomer. While it is true to say that the main function of the program is to enable you to remove unwanted sounds from your recordings and otherwise improve audio, it is also possible to use the software to add special effects such as echo and reverb. If you have not already recorded digital versions that you would like to work with, the program can be used for this task as well. When it comes to recording audio cassettes, you have the option of recording at double speed – this obviously assumes that you have the ability to play at double speed – to help reduce the time required to digitize your music.

You can also use the app to perform other forms of audio editing such as cutting out unwanted sections of sound, or rearranging clips into a different order. This has a number of uses. You may have used your phone or other equipment to record interviews on the street, only to discover that traffic noise or wind is a little distracting. MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab MX can be used to filter out unwanted noise, but it can then also be used to cut out lengthy pauses and remove other unwanted parts.

Whatever you use the program for, when you have finished with your editing, you can then save the resulting project as a .WAV or .MP3 file. Depending on how you intend to use the audio, you may prefer to export the audio track as a file in a different format, and you can choose from AAC, WMA, Ogg and more. MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab MX produces some very impressive results and there are plenty of touches that help to make this as accessible and as easy to use as possible. It is highly recommended tool if you have substandard audio that you would like to be able to make use of without having to spend hours with complex editing software.

If you’re working at the Windows 7 desktop and accidentally close the wrong application or Explorer window, though, there’s no obvious safety net to reload them. Unless, that is, you run UndoClose, which delivers very similar functionality at the press of a key.

Close an Explorer window by mistake, for instance, and you’d normally have to reload it and manually browse back to the appropriate folder. UndoClose tracks the folders you close, though, so as long as it’s running, all you have to do is press Ctrl+Shift+F and the folder will be restored.

Restore the last-closed Explorer folder or application with one keypress

It’s a similar story for applications. If you’ve just closed Notepad, say, pressing Ctrl+Shift+A will reload it: easy. (Although it won’t restore whatever document you had opened last, so if that’s important then you’ll need to reload it manually.)

And you can use either hotkey multiple times to restore several applications and folders, or open the program’s settings dialog to manually select the options you need from your folder history.

This isn’t quite as good as it seems at first, because of course Windows 7 does provide a built-in way to do something similar to this, via its jumplists. If you still have Explorer pinned to your desktop, say, then right-clicking the icon will reveal your recently-viewed folders, and you can restore one with a click. And right-clicking Notepad will list all your recently-opened documents, so again you can reopen the last one immediately (not just an empty program window).

Still, if you’re a fan of keyboard shortcuts then it’ll probably feel faster and more natural to reopen an Explorer window with a hotkey, rather than reaching for the mouse and browsing jumplists (especially if they’re not conveniently pinned to the taskbar). And the program’s memory footprint isn’t bad, either, at around 24MB. So if you’d like to restore closed folders just as easily as you do a browse tab, then give UndoClose a try: it’s compact, portable, and should make your Windows 7 desktop just a little more comfortable to use.

But then that’s where Windows 7 in a Box comes in. It’s a tiny tool (268KB in size) which organises more than 160 functions, applets, applications and folders into just six menus so there’s actually a chance that you can find the option you need.

Just about every Windows function you could ever need will be on one of these 6 menus

The program’s presentation is, well, rather basic. There’s no Control Panel-like array of attractive icons, for instance – you really do just get six entirely normal text menus – Functions, Folders, Internet Settings, Programs, Tools, Settings – and you then have to browse these for whatever you want.

And of course you also have to understand a fair amount about Windows 7 to get the most from the program. If you’re an experienced PC user you’ll know that clicking “Netstat” will show you active network connections, while “NS Lookup” will help you to uncover a website’s IP address, but PC novices will probably be baffled.

Still, the program can be occasionally useful. In a click or two you can, say, launch the Forgotten Password Wizard, open the TPM Management Tool, install a program from the network and open the system CD Burning folder, amongst a host of other less than obvious tasks. So if you still can’t always remember where advanced options like the Data Execution Prevention settings are (hint – right-click Computer, select Properties > Advanced System Settings > Performance Settings > Data Execution Prevention) then Windows 7 in a Box just might help to save you a little time.

As well as enabling you to transfer files and settings, the application can also be used to transfer up to three of your favorite applications and associated settings. If you have spent an age configuring Microsoft Office to suit your needs and don’t fancy the idea of running through the entire process again, this is a real timesaver. You are guided by a wizard from start to finish and there are number of ways of making the actual transfer of data – you can choose between making a network transfer via Ethernet cable, utilizing a USB cable, or using media such as CDs, DVDs or USB drives.

Application transfer

Simplify the move to a new computer with PCmover Express

When it comes to transferring programs, there are a number of advantages when compared to the usual route of re-installing from scratch. Firstly, there is no need to track down your original installation discs, and if you no longer know the location of your product serial numbers, you do not need to worry about this either.  As we have mentioned, transferring applications also means that your settings are transferred  and the fact that the transfer of software can be done at the same time as your files means that everything can be moved across in one fell swoop.

PCmover Express can migrate up to three installed applications, as well as your settings, data and other information. Should you need to migrate more than three installed applications, take a closer look at PCmover Professional.

You may think that this is not a program that you will use all that often – you may not be planning to buy several more computers, for example – but even if you only use it once, you will have saved yourself not only a great deal of time, but also a lot of effort and stress. And as you are doing so because of this giveaway, all of these bonuses come completely free of charge.

To take advantage of this special giveaway, go to the Downloadcrew Giveaway site and grab your copy of the program. Be quick as the offer is for February 14th only, and expires at 23:59 Central European Time.

The question is, can Serif PagePlus X6 continue this fine run of form? What new features does it offer to tempt existing users to upgrade, and does it manage to maintain that perfect blend of power, value and accessibility?

The basics
Serif PagePlus X6 is – quite simply – a desktop publishing program. It started out as a beginner-friendly package, lacking the sophistication of other, better-known DTP tools, but has evolved at a rapid pace, with a new version appearing pretty much on an annual basis. In recent years, Serif has started to introduce some really high-end, professional-level tools that has lifted PagePlus clear of rival packages like Microsoft Publisher, all while retaining its budget-friendly price point and beginner-friendly interface.

Although template-driven to give users an easy entry point into the basics of design and layout, PagePlus is also packed with all the design tools a professional would need to start publications from a blank canvas, and the new X6 release builds on PagePlus’s increasingly strong foundations to deliver some really heavy knockout features to lift it to new heights.

PagePlus X6's new Assets Management tab is a compelling reason to upgrade on its own.

Asset Management
The major standout feature in PagePlus X6 is a new Asset Management tab, found to the left of the workspace. This provides you with a neat one-stop shop for reusable elements, and you’ll find plenty provided under the various headings of graphics, pictures, picture frames, page content, background and pages – just click Browse to access the hundreds of elements based on PagePlus’s templates. Add them to the Asset Management tab, and you can then simply drag them into place on your document.

It’s a two-way process – you’ll also see a My Assets category, where you can drag elements off the page for reuse. It all adds up to help you in a number of ways: there’s the speed factor of simply dragging elements into place, of course, but it also ensures your designs stay consistent looking. It works superbly, and feels right at home from the off, as if it’s been a part of PagePlus for years.

The new Preflight Checker helps identify - and fix - potential issues with your documents.

Cleaner, better designs
PagePlus X6 also introduces a new Clean Design Mode. Keep this switched on, and it’ll hide all unnecessary elements like rules and grid lines from view. Obviously they’re there for a reason, which is why when you start dragging elements around the most relevant guides are shown, allowing you to snap your elements into place precisely. If you follow the “less is more” mantra, and find guidelines an unnecessary distraction while working you’ll find it godsend.

PagePlus X6 also embraces the latest digital technologies – it can now output to both major eBook formats (EPUB and MOBI), while more options for creating interactive, digital magazines in PDF format are also supplied, including the ability to stream video, hide or show elements and new graphical buttons for readers to click.

There’s also a new Preflight Checker, which will verify your documents adhere to strict standards prior to output via HTML, PDF or eBook. It’s a useful tool for those who struggle to stay within the rulebook, and vital if you’re intending to take advantage of the eBook functionality. That’s because PagePlus doesn’t provide much in the way of guidance for eBooks – there are no dedicated templates for example, and you’ll need to dip into the Help file if you’re not familiar with the strict guidelines you need to follow.

PagePlus has already built up a collection of impressive tools with previous releases, including the Instant3D one-click tool.

More new features
Professionals wondering if PagePlus will provide a cheaper, yet viable, alternative to more expensive solutions will no doubt also be pleased to see PagePlus X6 now supports various Pantone standards, including Pantone Plus and Pantone Goe for ensuring colour accuracy.

There are also some useful new graphics tools for those who want to go that little bit further with their designs – the most notable of these is the Format Painter, which simplifies the process of applying a consistent style across multiple elements on your page.

There are also improvements to the table of contents and index tools via their own dedicated Studio tab, plus templates are now easier to edit, and you can store multiple contact details too. The dictionaries have been revamped – there are custom hyphenation and abbreviation tools added, for example – and the unified design, which aims to keep your documents consistent across a variety of platforms, has also been revamped.

One feature we’re glad to see dropped are the standalone web design tools – although you can still output in HTML, PagePlus X6 has sensibly gone back to concentrating on what it does best: deliver top-notch desktop publishing tools.

Beginners will find plenty of hand-holding features, including a massive selection of templates.

Conclusion
All of these new features sit on top of what was already an impressive desktop publishing package. PagePlus manages to comfortably balance high-end tools and support for professional printing standards (its PDF import and export tools are superb, for example) with a user-friendly, simple approach to editing. Much of this is down to the refined user interface, helped by reasonably intuitive controls and a host of useful tools like LogoPlus, WritePlus and the PhotoLab, which allow you to concentrate on creating and tweaking specific page elements separately from the actual design process.

The new Assets Management tab is a fabulous addition to what was already a compelling package – if you’re serious about desktop publishing, but can’t afford the outlay of a professional-level tool like Adobe InDesign, then Serif PagePlus X6 won’t disappoint. It’ll also appeal to those who like the idea of desktop publishing, but have always felt a little overwhelmed by the raw power on offer. And if you’re an existing user, the new features and improvements are more than enough to justify an upgrade. It all adds up to an irresistible package, whichever side of the design fence you sit on.