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Apple iTunes 9

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.

Corel Digital Studio 2010

A majority of home users will appreciate Corel Digital Studio's feature set, its interactive projects, and wide support for photo and video formats.

Specs: Complete package, Intel Core Duo, AMD Athlon, Intel Core Duo, AMD Athlon

iLife '09

Apple iLife '09 is a great application suite for simple media organizing and editing, and the addition of features like face recognition, geotagging, and music lessons makes it worth the update.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Apple MacOS X 10.5.6 or later, Intel PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5 (867MHz or faster) 867 MHz, Intel Power Mac G5 (dual 2.0GHz or faster), iMac G5 (1.9GHz or faster), DVD-ROM, Intel PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5 (867MHz or faster), Intel Power Mac G5 (dual 2.0GHz or faster), iMac G5 (1.9GHz or faster), 867 MHz, MacOS, QuickTime 7.5.5 or later

Zune 3.0

The Zune software is a great complement to the Zune MP3 player, but there are few reasons to use it as a standalone media jukebox.

Nero 9

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Microsoft Windows XP SP3, Microsoft Windows Vista SP1, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows Vista (64-bit versions), Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2, 1 GHz Intel Pentium III, 2 GHz Intel Pentium IV 1 GHz, AMD, 9, DVD-ROM, SVGA monitor, 32 MB video memory, 1 GHz Intel Pentium III, 2 GHz Intel Pentium IV, AMD, 1 GHz, Windows, DirectX 9.0c or later, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0, Internet Explorer 6.0 or later

Apple iTunes 8

Apple iTunes 8 is the industry standard for multimedia jukebox software and despite the need for a UI overhaul and some liposuction to remove the bloat, iTunes is a solid choice that most users will enjoy.

Adobe After Effects CS4

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Microsoft Windows Vista Business, Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, 1.5 GHz or faster (Windows), Intel Multicore (Mac) 1.5 GHz, DVD-ROM, XGA monitor, 1.5 GHz or faster (Windows), Intel Multicore (Mac), 1.5 GHz, Windows, QuickTime 7.4.5

Adobe Soundbooth CS4

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP1, Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1, Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise SP1, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1, 1.4 GHz or faster for DV, 3.4 GHz for HDV 2 GHz, Dual 2.8 GHz for HD (Windows), Intel Multicore (Mac), DVD-ROM, Sound card, 1280 x 900 monitor resolution, 7200 RPM or faster hard drive, OpenGL compatible graphics card, 1.4 GHz or faster for DV, 3.4 GHz for HDV, Dual 2.8 GHz for HD (Windows), Intel Multicore (Mac), 2 GHz, Windows, QuickTime 7.x

Verizon Wireless V Cast Music

The V Cast Music with Rhapsody experience is easy to use and understand, and, by combining both the mobile download and the Rhapsody subscription service in one monthly plan, delivers considerable bang for the buck .

Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium

Adobe CS3 Production Premium is ideal if you handle a mix of design, animation and editing tasks for video, the Web, and mobile gadgets. However, beginners should think twice about the splurge, and film pros without deep animation needs should probably stick to Apple Final Cut Studio 2 or AVID.

Microsoft Expression Studio

Expression Studio includes Microsoft's FrontPage replacement and three other new applications for creating and managing images, Web sites and rich media applications.

Specs: 1 PC, License, MacOS, Windows

Lala.com

If you have CDs that you don't want anymore, you can trade them on Lala.com, a very cool online swap meet that also offers Internet radio stations and compelling community features.

Roxio Toast Titanium 8 for Mac

Roxio continues to improve a strong suite and keep Toast current with the release of version 8. If the Mac OS and Apple's bundled apps don't meet your disc-creation needs, pick up Toast at once.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, 8, CD-R, DVD-R, MacOS, QuickTime 7.1 or later

Zune Marketplace

The intuitive and aesthetically pleasing Zune Marketplace works well as an audio jukebox and Zune companion, but it's missing some key ingredients that would make it a one-stop shop.

MTV Urge

Despite some glitches, MTV Urge is one of the best subscription music services we've seen to date. If taking your choice of millions of songs with you anywhere sounds appealing, make sure you check out this offering from MTV.

AOL Music Now

AOL Music Now, currently in preview, offers great new features for those who use multiple PCs but still needs to work on the basics.

Last.fm

If you are prone to Big Brother paranoia, this is not the program for you. But if you couldn't care less whether a company or a label monitors your tastes, you'll be rewarded with gobs of new music--and an easy method for navigating it all.

Pandora

While not without its annoying flaws, Pandora is an interesting idea that will undoubtedly guide even the music übergeek to new discoveries--and it's free!

Sprint Music Store

The Sprint Music Store fits the bill if you're looking for instant gratification on the digital music front, but the $2.50-per-track price tag is hard to swallow.

Roxio Easy Media Creator 8

Roxio Easy Media Creator 8 builds on past success by offering a huge range of features and unparalleled ease of use, making it the right suite for most people.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP, 1 GB, 500 MHz, 128 MB, 8, CD-ROM, DirectX 9.0 compatible graphics card, 500 MHz, Windows, Internet Explorer 5.01 or later, Windows Media Player 7.1 or later