Norton Internet Security 2010 1-User/3PC

Norton Internet Security 2010 delivers fast and light comprehensive online threat protection. It guards your PC, network, online activities and your identity with innovative, intelligent detection technologies optimized to combat today's aggressive, rapid-fire attacks. Improved Norton Safe Web technology blocks Internet threats before they can infect your PC. So you can browse, buy and bank online with confidence. It even warns you of unsafe web sites right in your search results. Plus, unlike other Internet security suites, it provides easy-to-understand threat and performance information to help you avoid future threats and keep your PC running fast. Fast and light comprehensive online threat protection. Click to enlarge. Norton Internet Security 2010 Key Benefits Stops online identity theft, viruses, spyware, bots, Trojans and more--Guards your PC, online activities and your identity with comprehensive award-winning protection against all types of Internet threats.

Stops attacks before they get on your PC--Blocks hackers from accessing your PC and prevents dangerous software that could harm your computer or steal your identity from automatically downloading onto your PC when you surf the web.

Delivers clear performance and threat explanations--Tells you how files and applications affect PC performance, what actions threats have taken, and where they came from to help you avoid future attacks.

Identifies unsafe web sites right in your search results--Provides safety ratings for web sites listed in your search results so you can avoid visiting sites that are likely to cause problems.

Uses intelligence-driven technology for faster, fewer, shorter scans--Identifies and scans only files at risk to detect and eliminate dangerous software. Norton IdentitySafe On-the-Go lets you access your most up-to-date log-ins and passwords on any Norton Internet Security 2010 protected PC. Click to enlarge. Norton Safe Web identifies unsafe and dangerous web sites right in your search results. Click to enlarge. Norton Insight scans only files at risk for fewer, shorter scans and the fastest scanning times in the industry. Click to enlarge. Download Insight warns you of dangerous downloads before you install and use them. Click to enlarge. Maps and monitors your home wireless network so you can see everything connected to it. Click to enlarge.

Norton Internet Security 2010 Features Intelligent Protection
New--Norton IdentitySafe On-the-Go lets you access your most up-to-date log-ins and passwords on any Norton Internet Security 2010 protected PC. New--Norton Safe Web identifies unsafe and dangerous web sites right in your search results. New--Analyzes downloads, files and applications and tells you if they can be trusted before you install and use them. New--Parental Controls give you insight into your kids' online activities so you can teach them good Internet habits and help keep them safe. New--Professional-strength antispam protection uses the same technology as many large businesses to effectively block unwanted emails. Improved--Norton Protection System delivers multiple layers of security that work together to provide comprehensive Internet threat protection. Improved--Norton IdentitySafe offers one-click log-ins and automatic form filling to prevent key loggers from stealing your information as you type. Improved--Vulnerability Protection guards security holes in your operating system, applications, browsers and browser plug-ins. Improved--Detects and gets rid of even the hardest to find Internet Explorer and Firefox cookies. Improved--Norton Bootable Recovery Tool repairs, restores and boots severely infected, unbootable PCs. Industry-leading anti-phishing technology authenticates safe sites and protects you from visiting unsafe and fraudulent web sites. Smart Firewall stops hackers and makes intelligent security decisions for you. Engineered for Speed
Improved--Proven fastest, lightest security suite for protection that won't slow you down, get in your way, or swallow up system resources. Improved--Norton Insight scans only files at risk for fewer, shorter scans and the fastest scanning times in the industry. Uses less memory than any other security suite. Won't slow you down when you download, copy, or edit files, or install applications. Combats today's rapid-fire attacks
New--Norton Insight Network uses Symantec's global security network to provide real-time protection from the latest-breaking threats. New--SONAR 2 (Symantec Online Network for Advanced Response) uses online intelligence and proactive monitoring to detect and stop new threats. Norton Pulse Updates provide rapid mini updates every 5 to 15 minutes for up-to-the-minute local protection against the latest threats. Prevents bots from taking control of your PC. Finds and removes rootkits. Prevents Internet worms from getting on your PC. Tells you which application processes currently running on your PC are safe and which are at risk. Norton Bootable Recovery Tool provides a deep level of cleaning for heavily infected PCs. Provides info on threats, downloads and files
New--Norton Download Insight warns you of dangerous downloads before you install and use them. New--Norton Threat Insight tells you if threats were detected, what actions the threats

• Norton Internet Security 2010 delivers fast and light comprehensive online threat protection, guarding your PC, network, and your identity without slowing you down
• Gives you greater insight into downloaded applications and files by telling you where they came from, if they can be trusted, and how they may impact your PC’s resources and performance
• Warns you of dangerous web sites and suspicious sellers so you can surf and shop online with confidence
• Stops online identity theft, viruses, spyware, bots and more--guard your PC, online activities, and your identity against all types of Internet threats
• Proactively blocks hackers and prevents dangerous software from downloading to your computer when you surf the web

Rating: (out of 296 reviews)

List Price: $ 69.99
Price: $ 29.99

Norton Internet Security 2010 1-User/3PC Reviews

Review by Gene Cloner:

This is my fifth year of using NIS to protect my home computer and laptop. With the noticeable improvements last version, Norton came back with a bang. While NIS2010 still has some flaws, the good trend seems to continue this year as well.

Installation: Installation was very quick similar to NIS2009. It does require a restart which seems to be the case for most virus protection software. Norton for some reason wants us to download and install parental control separately. just a hazel. If you are an existing NIS user you can upgrade from Norton's upgrade website before deciding to purchase the new version. The upgrade will retain your 2009 subscription and your license will be retained as well. NOTE: If you install from CD, your old license will be over written.

Performance: I don't think NIS2010 is a resource hog. Norton also has performance meters where you can check how much of the system resources are being used by Norton. It seems NIS 2010 uses most system resources only during a complete scan. NIS2010 upgrade virus signatures on the background during idle time just like NIS2009. So you dont feel that it exists. Quick scans during idle times also seem to be pretty quick. I havent noticed any loss of performance in the one week that I have been using NIs2010.

Virus protection: Based on tests by PC world and CNET Norton is only behind the not well known G-DATA internet security in virus detection. I havent used G-DATA so I cant compare them. However, NIS has gotten better at malware detection. It did detect a number of malware that adaware and other security software that I use (e.g. Advanced system care). NIS2009 missed a number of these malware.

Network protection: Although NIS claims that when NIS is installed in all PCs on your network, it can detect and keep a trusted network, it has not worked for me. NIS detected my skype phone (ofcourse didn't protect it), but didn't detect my other PC on the network that also has NIS2010 installed. I am not sure if this 'trust' is of any use to me anyway.

Internet security: Norton identified websites that you visit (amazon, bank and ccard websites for example) as trusted ones based on IP address and other data. so you can be safe you are not entering your password on a phishing website. It is very handy for me. I always look for the 'trusted' sign from both Firefox and NIS before entering my passwords.

Password manager: I dont know if I will trust NIS to be my password manager. You need just one password for Norton and it can manage your other passwords and form filling information. However, it seems to be easy to break in to NIS to obtain the password manager's password list. Although the hacker needs physical access to your computer to do this, it is a concern if your laptop gets stolen for example. NIS2010 offers to have the password manager's list reside on removable media which is a somewhat safer alternative. Norton safe search which identifies safe websites on your serach list is also helpful, but google can do this as well.

Over all, it is a good virus protection for your PC, checks files on the fly, can scan emails and attachemnts, IM text and links. Not very good for password management and parental control.

Review by Busy Executive:

While most of Symantec's competitors seem to be struggling with software "bloat", it's good to see one of the big guys heading back to more of a streamlined approach.

I installed the software on two PCs so far...one a Vista Ultimate having no existing security software, and the other a Windows XP with McAffee's product. The installer suggested removing the McAffee product (which I did) and the installation was similarly uneventful on both of my systems from there on. It does force a reboot, and between the initial install plus downloading any updates, it took longer than I expected - about half an hour end to end.

As for performance, there is a slight (but noticeable) increase in the reboot time when Norton starts up - perhaps an extra 30 seconds total. And if you're sensitive to performance, you can also tell when the product is updating virus signatures in the background, or performing one of its quick virus scans.

The basic anti-virus protection seemed fine. Not too obtrusive, although it's difficult to really assess the quality of the virus scanning, since I've yet to actually encounter a virus. I tend to be careful, but still, being one of the better known products, Norton gives you a sense of security in case you do something silly and let an infected file in.

I didn't activate the network protection features that come with the product. I tend to rely instead on a router with a strong firewall capability, and then I keep my "internal" network fairly open. The product did detect a number of networked apps I use, stopping to ask my permission before letting them open whatever ports they were using. Would have been nice to set this sort of policy globally, rather than having to bump into applications one at a time.

One feature I would have liked to see is the ability to designate one of my PCs as the "master" for policy decisions and updates, with my other PCs driven from the master. For instance, on kids PCs, I'd like to set a strict policy, record any unusual activity, and know that my policies can only be changed from my central master computer. Big corporate AV systems do this - would be nice to have the same capability at home.

Like the network protection, I also didn't find myself using the password management features of the product. My PC is a ThinkPad with the built-in fingerprint scanner, and I prefer to use the IBM security software, which provides this same function. The biometric device (fingerprint reader) seems more secure, and it would be nice if Norton provided integrated support for these types of authentication devices.

The internet security feature is sort of helpful, but if you know what you're doing, you can do this on your own by looking at a sites digital certificates. Norton automates this, telling you that it's okay to trust a particular site. Not sure I'd buy the product just for this capability, but it's a nice add-on feature.

Overall, I was also glad to see that the product seemed to be fairly stable and to operate without all that much overhead. Compared to a few of the others I've tried, Norton is about the best mix of usability, capability and efficiency.

It's sort of sad that we need this type of software in today's world...I'd rather be spending my money on software to make me more productive or entertained. But, if you accept that you need protection, Norton is as good a choice as any.

Buy Norton Internet Security 2010 1-User/3PC now for only $ 29.99!

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 3-User

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 provides the world's most advanced PC security with premium protection from all malware threats. When you buy Kaspersky, you get more than just a box of software. You'll benefit from unique technologies that deliver the best protection, performance, and security utilities available. Raise your defenses against the ever-increasing threat of cybercriminals!The most advanced Internet security software with premium protection from viruses, spyware hackers and spam. Also includes comprehensive identity theft and phishing protection, parental and privacy controls, and superfast performance. Automatically determine the safety of your applications and applies the appropriate security level. Click to enlarge. Premium protection from viruses, spyware hackers and spam. Click to enlarge. Vulnerability scanning helps guarantee that your applications are fully patches, up-to-date, and secure Click to enlarge. With Kaspersky Internet Security, You Get: Advanced up-to-the-second threat intelligence Built for fast, optimal PC performance Ideal for banking, shopping and surfing online Comprehensive identity theft & phishing protection Powerful anti-spam and two-way firewall Parental and privacy controls Free technical support Here's What You Can Expect from Kaspersky Internet Security 2010: Safely surf the web, totally worry free Protect your private data, personal identity and banking information Socialize securely with friends and family Share pictures, videos, and documents with confidence Email and IM without annoying spam or infected messages Download and run new applications with complete confidence Ensure all applications are fully updated and secure Protect your family by blocking access to inappropriate online content Maximize the full potential of your PC's resources and performance Better gaming experience without interruption Free U.S.-based technical support via phone, email, and chat What Makes Kaspersky Different is What Makes You Safer--Check Out the Features You Will Find Only With Kaspersky: Whitelisting & Application Control
Automatically determines the safety of your applications and applies the appropriate security level. iChecker & iSwift Scanning
Adjusts scanning for superfast performance. Ideal for gamers! Urgent Detection System
Instantly verifies every web address against the most current list of known malicious sites. Security Analyzer
Vulnerability scanning helps guarantee that your applications are fully patches, up-to-date, and secure. Safe Run
Runs any application or browser in a protected virtual environment or sandbox. Virtual Keyboard
Protects your personal data, passwords and online banking information when using the Web

• Internet Security 2010 offers premium protection from viruses, spyware and all malware threats
• Advanced up-to-the-second protection and threat intelligence
• Built for fast, optimal PC performance
• Comprehensive identity theft and phishing protection
• Powerful anti-spam and two-way firewall

Rating: (out of 100 reviews)

List Price: $ 79.95
Price: $ 32.34

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 3-User Reviews

Review by Hugo D. Hackenbush:

I own a 3-year-old Dell XPS 410 with an Intel Core 2 6700 CPU @ 2.66GHz, equipped with a RAID 0 650 GB dual hard drive, 4 GB DDR2 RAM and an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB "Direct X 10"-compatible graphics card; for the most part, I have been displeased with the performance of my computer ever since my initial purchase... and this disappointment extended to the performance of my chosen internet security suite, KIS 2007-2010.

After several years of using the miserably sluggish, sporadically buggy Vista Ultimate 32-bit OS, I have recently upgraded my computer to Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit (all I can say is WHAT A DIFFERENCE... for those interested, upgrade ASAP). After a clean install, I reluctantly decided to reinstall KIS 2010 and see how well it would perform with my new OS. I wasn't too impressed with KIS 2010's overall performance when I ran it on Vista Ultimate 32-bit (although it was improved over KIS 2009), but running it on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit is another story altogether.

The Good:

A newly-streamlined interface makes it far more user friendly than previous editions;

There's lots of smart configuration tweaks for experienced users;

It uses a lot less system resources to run than the last few versions;

It works extremely well with Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit (which I have just upgraded to), with no slowdown or start-up hangs;

Firewall, malware and virus protection is among the best of any current security suite;

The "safe run" sandbox virtual environment is a nice new feature;

The free software upgrades means you only have to continue renewing your subscription, as opposed to shelling out twice as much for annual software upgrades.

However, there are a few cons:

My experience with KIS 2010 on Vista Ultimate 32-bit was erratic, as most of the time it would work well, but on occasion would tremendously slow down my computer's start-up time, sometimes to the point where I would have no choice but to re-boot the computer;

The spam filter needs work;

The interface could still stand to become a bit more user-friendly for novices in the settings section;

There is an issue with KIS 2010 that blocks the "Windows Experience Index" from completing in Windows 7 (UPDATE: a recent patch finally seems to have corrected the issue);

Scanning is fairly slow with large hard drives.

Still, for the several weeks that I have been using KIS 2010 with Windows 7 64-bit, I must say I am quite pleased with the smooth, quick and reliable performance it has exhibited, as none of the issues that marred KIS 2009 and 2010 while using Vista Ultimate 32-bit are occurring with Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit.

Overall, my recommendation is if you are using Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit, I'd give Norton Internet Security 2010 a shot before KIS 2010. However, if you (like me) are using Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, Kaspersky 2010 Internet Security Suite does its job quite well and I would strongly encourage users to give it a try.

Review by Hayford Peirce:

I've used just about every security system in the world over the years and a year ago settled on Kaspersky 2009, which is easy to use, runs well, and does everything perfectly.

Then, in September, it came time to renew my annual license. I paid my money, and, instead of just renewing me, Kaspersky sent me their new program, 2010. I installed it with no problem. The interface is more complicated but not *really* hard to figure out. After a while, however, I started noticing that there were various sites that I couldn't get to on the Internet (I use Chrome as my browser). Then I discovered that some programs, such as Eudora and Agent were taking longer and longer and longer to shut down when I clicked the X in the corner. And that almost *all* programs I opened or *all* websites that I went to were *much* slower in starting up than they had been before. I tried getting help for various issues at the online Forum where various people send in their problems and other people, including, I guess, some types hired by Kaspersky, try to help them. I got various answers but not very good ones.

I finally discovered by reading a number of anguished threads in the Forum that *lots* of people were having terrible slow-down problems with Kaspersky 2010, even though 2009 had run smoothly. A few people said that the only way they fixed their problems was to uninstall 2010 completely and to reinstall 2009. Finally, after 2010 suddenly vanished from my screen and disappeared *entirely*, I used "Revo Uninstaller" (a *great, free* program, by the way, that everyone should have) to uninstall 2010 and then, using my CD that I had bought a year earlier, finally managed to reinstall 2009. It was hard, though, and took me several hours, countless reboots, and various clean-ups that hadn't been necessary when I first installed it a year ago. Now my system is once again humming along with 2009 and all the problems that I experienced with 2010 are gone.

Buying 2010 is like buying Microsoft Vista and installing it if you had previously been running XP -- a big mistake, and don't do it! It's nothing but a piece of over-priced bloatware that is full of bugs and should never have been released. Users of Internet Explorer 8, particularly: take warning! According to the Forum threads, it's *really* a problem with that browser!

PS -- For the Teckies: My computer is a Compaq Presario, with XP Home Edition, Service Pack 3, Pentium 4 CPU, 2.80 GHz, 1.00 GB of RAM, running Google Chrome as the *only* browser on the system.

Buy Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 3-User now for only $ 32.34!

McAfee Internet Security 3User 2010

McAfee Internet Security software offers comprehensive PC and online security with accelerated performance. It’s now available with revolutionary Active Protection technology, enabling the fastest updates and highest levels of detection against malicious threats. It provides anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, identity and two-way firewall protection. Additionally, anti-spam, parental controls and a powerful website safety advisor are included.McAfee Internet Security software offers comprehensive PC and online security with accelerated performance, and helps keeps you and your family safe. It's now available with revolutionary Active Protection technology, enabling the fastest updates and highest levels of detection against malicious threats. It provides anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing and two-way firewall protection. Additionally, anti-spam and parental controls are included. McAfee Internet Security software also features McAfee SiteAdvisor technology, a powerful website safety advisor that uses simple color codes to identify risky websites so you can safely surf the Web and transact online. With continuous and automatic updates, McAfee helps ensure that you are running the most current security to combat the ever-evolving Internet threats. Comprehensive, award-wining PC security to freely explore online McAfee SecurityCenter provides an easy-to-read security status screen and puts you in control with fully customizable options. When using popular search engines, McAfee SiteAdvisor's safety ratings appear next to your search results. To see more information about the web site, roll your mouse over any SiteAdvisor safety rating. Anti-virus and antispyware
Detects, blocks, and removes viruses, spyware, and adware. Anti-phishing
Alerts you to websites that may try to steal your identity. Identity protection
Helps you to shop, bank, and trade online safely. Two-way firewall protection
Confidently use the Internet 24/7 knowing hackers can't get access to your PCs. Website safety ratings
Warns you with color-coded ratings about unsafe websites. New 2010 Product Features Active Protection
Our revolutionary Active Protection technology provides the fastest protection against malicious threats to your PC. New and emerging threats are analyzed and blocked in milliseconds, so you don't have to wait for regular updates to arrive. Quickscan
Checks for threats in the areas of your computer that are most often attacked. Faster performance
Now with quicker startup, shutdown, and scan times, it runs silently in the background without slowing down your PC so you can play games, watch videos, and use applications uninterrupted. Enterprise-class anti-spam
Upgraded with powerful industry grade spam protection that helps keep your inbox free from unwanted, fraudulent, offensive, and phishing emails. Power optimization
Extends the battery lifetime of notebook PCs by deferring scheduled scans until the computer is plugged in and can be set up to shut down automatically after running a scan to help save energy. Age-appropriate searching
Automatically sets the proper content filtering levels of popular search engines. Parental controls support for Google Chrome
Lets your children choose Google's latest web browser and still be protected. The McAfee Advantage McAfee security products use award-winning technology, are easy to install, and come with unlimited email and instant message chat assistance. With continuous and automatic updates, McAfee helps ensure that you are running the most current security to combat the ever-evolving Internet threats for the duration of your subscription. McAfee SecurityCenter
Provides an easy-to-read security status screen and puts you in control with fully customizable options McAfee SystemGuards Warns you when your computer shows specific behavior that may signal virus, spyware, or hacker activity. Stealth Mode
Makes your computer invisible to hackers. Shredder
Allows you to effectively remove any and all traces of confidential files from your computer. Parental Controls
Allows your children to go online safely. Data Backup
Automatically saves copies of your most valuable files on a CD/DVD, USB, external, or network drive. Protection Without Interference
You can watch movies or play games uninterrupted as McAfee security service intelligently defers tasks, updates, and alerts when you're in full-screen mode.

• McAfee Internet Security 2010 provides comprehensive, award-winning PC security to freely explore online
• Detects, blocks, and removes viruses, spyware, and adware
• Alerts you to websites that may try to steal your identity
• Identity protection helps you to shop, bank, and trade online safely
• Confidently use the Internet 24/7 knowing hackers can't get access to your PCs

Rating: (out of 95 reviews)

List Price: $ 69.99
Price: $ 16.95

McAfee Internet Security 3User 2010 Reviews

Review by Quoizimodo:

With Bit Defender and Kaperski, McAfee rates in the top 3 on many internet security reviews (#2). Here are my 10 cents worth after using all 3 of the above. Bit Defender has an excellent firewall but during a full scan, it tends to slow down the computer quite a bit. Of the 3, Kaperski has the fastest scan. Both Mc and Ski have very good firewall. But only Mc's firewall was certified by ICSA labs in 2009. Of the 3, I found Mc's Antivirus to be superior to the other 2 ( a solid A minus - B+ for the others). It was particularly well suited in detecting malicious items from foreign websites. The user interface in Mc's was more friendly than the other 2. Although ski's is only slightly just a notch behind. Mc's uses simple to understand traffic lights. Red: warning do not click into the website. Yellow: use caution. Green: OK! What could be more simple. In terms of price Mc's is stuck between the two.

Therefore here is the verdict: Bit defender - Excellent Firewall and above average AntiVirus. Slow scan and excellent price. Kaperski: very good firewall and Antivirus. Fastest Scan. It does everything very well, but does not excel in one particular area. Downside: a little pricey. Reviewer's choice: McAfee. A very good firewall and excellent Antivirus. Scan speed C+. Full of features and user friendly (a 7 year old could understand their color code). McAfee has set the standard for your complete computer protection. It's a no brainer.

Review by Ernie:

I purchased this on a goldbox deal and installed it on two computers in the last week.

As the title says: it is what it is.

It's a "protection package" that you basically buy for the antivirus . . . the rest is basically social engineering.

Firewall & "Internet Protection" is subjective -- if you only surf and e-mail, it's helpful, but otherwise it blocks ports, which you could be using for one protocol or another. Adding a firewall to an average person's machine is terribly frustrating if a port needs to be opened. Worse, if they need support to talk them through doing so, if the software isn't VERY intuitive it can add to this experience. I've yet to encounter "home" software that is good at this.

Antivirus - it's one of the leading brands; not much to expect, not hard to meet the expectation.

Backup & Restore - honestly, there's nothing better than making your own backups. Lots of good software exists to automatically back up your software, but I wouldn't purchase this package for this particular reason.

Web Filter - again, there are better and there are worse. If you're REALLY concerned about the parental filtering, you need to get a dedicated service that is proactive about updates, not an afterthought on a package. Some browsers have features like this built-in, but I've yet to find one that didn't have false positives (as I don't visit sites with malware).

Updates . . . if you just "fix" security issues, it may enable MS updates. This led me on a 2-hour reinstall of drivers . . . but that's a Microsoft issue, not necessarily this software. You should keep your Windows updated, but you need to set aside time to do updates and MAKE SURE things work afterwards . . . it's just a peril of Windows.

==============================================================================================================

Update - I have to, unfortunately, send this to the "do not buy" list.

On my mother's work computer, my father was (reluctantly) trying to catch up on e-mails and clicked on a "forwarded" message URL which brought him to the most convincing scareware site I'd ever seen. It did an install of an "antivirus" program which totally and utterly rendered McAfee useless without so much as a peep from the real antivirus. The result was a set of self-downloading viruses and trojans that I was only able to exercise through safe-mode (disable EVERYTHING that starts up) then use of Panda online, Symantec online (and something else I can't remember). Each removed malware & viruses that the others managed to leave behind.

After I'd corrected those issues, McAfee was monopolizing the processor and memory starting on login and had to be uninstalled.

It's a shame that people have to go through this - I had a hard time and know (relatively speaking) what I'm doing. Panda and Norton (in my experience) may not have prevented you from clicking on something that scares you into installing it, but they would have prevented some of the additional infections and at least notified you of the problem. McAfee was easily circumvented.

Good luck folks.

Buy McAfee Internet Security 3User 2010 now for only $ 16.95!

Internet Security 3 User - 2 Year Subscription

We know you want to focus on what’s important to you when you’re online, not worry about security all the time. We take care of your security for you. AVG’s unique Identity Protection is the world’s smartest ID theft protection, stopping thieves before they can access your passwords, account information, and credit card numbers. AVG’s patent-pending LinkScanner is the first technology to check websites and search results when you’re about to click that link. AVG’s new scanning system only scans files changed since the last scan, so it won’t slow down your system. Our redesigned firewall keeps hackers out of your computer but doesn’t get in your way and high-speed spam and scam detection cleans your inbox without holding up the mail. While you’re surfing and searching the web, Identity Protection keeps your private information safe from known and unknown threats. LinkScanner SurfShield ensures every website you visit is safe – even before you go there while LinkScanner SearchShield gives safety ratings to all your Google, MSN and Yahoo search results. Enhanced Firewall prevents hackers from seeing inside your computer and LIVE Research checks to make sure web pages really are what they appear to be. While you’re emailing, IMing or on your social networks WebShield lets you download and exchange files without risking virus infections. Email Scanner keeps viruses and phishers out of your inbox and Anti-spam blocks spammers and scammers from clogging your system. Whether you’re online or offline Anti-Virus & Anti-Spyware makes sure you can’t get or spread a virus. Anti-Rootkit ensures even the toughest and most sophisticated threats are kept out. Game mode keeps you safe and doesn’t interrupt you while you’re playing. System tools optionally customize how Internet Security works with your system and Update Manager guarantees you’re always safe from the latest threats – automatically. 2009 Global Product Excellence Award – Security Solution for ConsumersAVG Internet Security--Complete protection for everything you do. Worried You Don't Have Enough Protection When You Go Online? With AVG Internet Security, you get a worry-free experience every time you go online. Multiple layers of protection mean you don't have to worry about identity theft, spam or viruses. It'll even stop you visiting harmful sites before you can click on them. Complete protection for everything you do on your computer--online or off. It's faster, smarter security that won't slow you down. Safely bank and shop online without fear of identity theft LinkScanner for safe web searching and surfing Safely exchange photos and files over instant messaging and social networks Safely download music, files, and applications Email inbox that's clear of phishers, spammers, and scammers High-efficiency virus scanner for great system performance Two Vital Extra Layers of Protection You Won't Find in Any Other Security Software LinkScanner takes over where anti-virus can't go--into the depths of web pages you haven't even visited yet. Whenever you're on the web, the moment you go to click on a link, LinkScanner analyzes the page behind that link to tell you whether there's something nasty hiding there. For added peace of mind, you also get safety ratings for your Google, Yahoo! and Bing/MSN search results. Identity Protection makes sure your passwords, credit card information, bank account details, and other valuable data are safe from even the newest and most sophisticated threats. It's constantly on guard, watching to make sure no program on your PC is doing something it shouldn't. If it finds something misbehaving, it simply shuts it down. So your data is safe. Think about it. Just one software package to protect you from every trickster, scam artist, cybercriminal, hacker, and spammer lurking out there--including brand-new threats that haven't been identified by other security software companies. Why AVG? We know what's important to you when you're online--sharing photos and music, chatting, managing your finances, shopping, keeping in touch with friends and family. You don't want to be worrying about security. AVG takes the uncertainty out of going online, protecting you wherever you go and whatever you do. It's important to use the right level of protection for your needs.
See how AVG's layered protection products compare. All AVG products give you:
Free automatic updates and version upgrades1 Hassle-free security that won't slow you down2 And if you ever need help with your AVG protection, just head on over to our support website at http://www.avg.com/support and our experts will get you back on track--fast. 1 For the term of your license.
2 All security software uses memory and processor power, and can therefore result in slower system performance. AVG has been built to minimize these effects.

• AVG Internet Security offers multiple layers of protection so you don't have to worry about identity theft, spam or viruses
• Complete security featuring AVG Identity Protection and LinkScanner to keep you safe online
• Unlimited automatic updates and version upgrades for the life of your license
• Bank and shop online without fear of identity theft; stay safe from dangerous websites; exchange files over IM safely
• Stop scammers and spammers from clogging your email; block known and unknown threats round the clock

Rating: (out of 15 reviews)

List Price: $ 89.99
Price: $ 34.99

Internet Security 3 User - 2 Year Subscription Reviews

Review by Matthew K. Morgan:

AVG is best known for their free antivirus though they have offered for years a full security suite. I had never bothered to try AVG Internet Security (AVG IS), mainly because it is an expensive package in comparison to most of the other offerings on the market. That said, it is a solid product and worth consideration in spite of the cost.

I should start by stating, for the record, that I had a dreadful install experience. AVG IS partially installed itself and then errored out. After a reboot, AVG IS was alive but outdated, and what was broken was the ability to update. Worse, the uninstall was also broken. After getting the uninstall ironed out, I tried to install again and this time everything was much smoother.

AVG IS is organized and clean with a very clear and easy-to-understand overview dashboard. At a glance you can tell what is active and what is not active. Double-clicking on any of the icons in this view gives access to adjustment controls by which the component in question can be manipulated and set as desired. I like this particular view. One thing that is not clear, though, is that to get to the real nuts and bolts of the various components' configurations, one must use the pull-down menus, not the icons.

AVG's firewall appears to do a good job of hiding the system on the net, locking down service ports and cutting off ping responses. I was unable to break it. However, where it gets interesting is in the control afforded the user - individual applications can be locked down, policies set for different networks, and so much more. Other firewalls do this, but AVG's organization in the interface is better than average.

AVG's track racord as an antivirus vendor is well known. However, with versions prior to 9.0 their antivirus was slow, intrusive and hard to interrupt. AVG seems to have gotten the idea of how to improve this - it took about 90 minutes to scan over 1,000,000 items if you include the registry and even running at full speed I hardly noticed except for the fact that I had the task manager open and saw an occasional spike in CPU activity. I launched several applications, typed a lot, and even searched for a file on the hard drive and saw no real impact on the system. Cycles consumed seemed to be consistently under 10%.

AVG throws a lot of other things into the mix that you'd expect in a decent suite - antispam, antispyware, rootkit detection, and several other components. What surprised me was to find a process viewer that has the ability to kill processes, accessible from the dashboard under system tools. I have never worked with a security suite with that built-in as part of the package. Included is a connectivity viewer and even a startup process viewer, with the ability to manipulate the entries within. That's a very nice plus.

I've been unable to work with the antispam up to this point, as I get no spam. Even so, there are many, many settings that can be adjusted to the antispam, such as adding a blacklist server such as spamcop to assist with checking, Bayesian training and a lot more. Based on the feature set I suspect this antispam is very effective.

AVG IT includes a McAfee-style system of evaluating returns from search engines, marking unsafe links in the results window. It is not as thorough as McAfee's Site Advisor, but it is effective in giving you heads-up when there is a possible danger ahead.

There are two things that AVG does not have that I wish were present. First, there is no parental control module. It looks like AVG made no effort at all to include a parental controls module, and while that's ok it is something that most other security suites include. I was unable to even find a manual block list - if it's there, I cannot find it. Second, I found no ability to see the presence of other computers on the network. It is not something that I have found in a lot of suites but it's a very nice-to-have.

AVG has put together a very nice internet security suite. The main components, the antivirus and the firewall, are both very effective and all of the other components seem to be working nicely. There is room for some improvement/expansion, as is true with most security suites, but what is here is very polished and clean. AVG is a little pricey when compared to most other suites, but in spite of that cost it is very much worth consideration when looking at computer security suites.

Review by NeuroSplicer:

I am using AVG INTERNET SECURITY 9.0 for over a month now. But I never bought it. What I did buy was an older AVG security suite (v7.5), 2 years ago. Nevertheless, whenever a later version becomes available, the suite updates itself to the latest version -- FREE! It happened at least three times over these past years, with versions 8.0, 8.5 and recently 9.

You have to respect a company that does this! With AVG a 2 year license means you shall have the latest security suite for 2 years (and not just new database definitions). Can you imagine buying McAfee or Norton 2009 in October and in March been offered their later release, free?

As a security suite, AVG is light and reliable. It does not tax my system resources either idle or actively scanning, and one can trade speed for resources with a scalable slider. The interface is user friendly and intuitive. The default settings will protect the initiate user from confusing alerts and warnings. On the other hand, the experienced user can dive in and configure the suite to suit him best.

The only thing I did not like with v9.0 are the icons in the main interface, which I found bland and boring. But appearances are a very minor thing when it comes to security suites.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Buy Internet Security 3 User - 2 Year Subscription now for only $ 34.99!

Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 3.0

You need comprehensive protection against cybercriminals when you shop or bank online or travel with your laptop.  Get Trend Micro Internet Security Pro so you can protect your personal data anytime anywhere when you shop bank or browse online. Shop bank and invest online with peace of mind Trend Micro Internet Security Pro safeguards your personal information from hackers and cybercriminals whether you are at home or away: Remotely secure confidential files and folders in case your computer is lost or stolen. Automatically check the legitimacy of Wi-Fi hot spots when using your laptop on the road. Prevents data thieves viruses SMS text message spam and other malware from invading your smartphone. Remotely erases data from your smartphone if it s stolen. Inspects web page content in real-time so you re protected even if you re the first visitor to a new unsafe website. Back up as much as 2GB of your critical data to a secure online site.Smart features tailored to your activities Trend Micro Internet Security Pro not only defends your computer from the latest spyware viruses and phishing scams and goes one step further: Keep your protection current with automatic updates. Prevent unauthorized users from changing your critical applications without impacting your PC s performance. Pause security updates or scans when you give presentations watch movies or play games. Automatically prevent suspicious software on USB devices from opening. Helps you to easily manage all the devices connected to your home network. Easily customizable parental controls to protect your children against inappropriate content. Get a complete and customizable snapshot of security activities on your computer.Optimized PC Performance Trend Micro Internet Security Pro includes powerful easy-to-use tools to keep your computer running smoothly: 20% smaller file size 20% faster scan time. Clean up registry and temp files and manage starTrend Micro Internet Security Pro provides the most comprehensive, easy-to-use protection for your personal data so you can shop, bank, or browse with confidence. The most comprehensive, easy-to-use protection for your personal data so you can shop, bank, or browse with confidence. Click to enlarge. Easy-to-use, comprehensive protection Shop, bank, and invest online with peace of mind
Trend Micro Internet Security Pro safeguards your personal information from hackers and cybercriminals whether you are at home or away: Remotely secure confidential files and folders in case your computer is lost or stolen Automatically check the legitimacy of Wi-Fi "hot spots" when using your laptop on the road Prevents data thieves, viruses, SMS text message spam and other malware from invading your smartphone Remotely erases data from your smartphone if it's stolen Inspects web page content in real-time--so you're protected even if you're the first visitor to a new unsafe website Back up as much as 2GB of your critical data to a secure online site Smart features tailored to your activities
Trend Micro Internet Security Pro not only defends your computer from the latest spyware, viruses, and phishing scams, and goes one step further: Keep your protection current with automatic updates Prevent unauthorized users from changing your critical applications, without impacting your PC's performance Pause security updates or scans when you give presentations, watch movies, or play games Automatically prevent suspicious software on USB devices from opening Helps you to easily manage all the devices connected to your home network Easily customizable parental controls to protect your children against inappropriate content Get a complete and customizable snapshot of security activities on your computer Enhance performance and privacy by recovering disk space, cleaning up your registry and startup settings, removing cookies, and clearing your browser history. Click to enlarge. Take charge of when and where your children go on the Internet. Block websites with inappropriate content, prevent access at specific times, and even stop kids from entering personal information onto webpages. Click to enlarge. Improved security policies find and stop unwanted attempts to change your operating system and critical software. Click to enlarge. Get a comprehensive and customizable snapshot of all the security activities on your computer through easy-to-use charts and graphs. Click to enlarge. Lock confidential files and folders inside a secure vault on your hard drive in case your computer is lost or stolen. Click to enlarge. Optimized PC Performance
Trend Micro Internet Security Pro includes powerful, easy-to-use tools to keep your computer running smoothly: 20% smaller file size, 20% faster scan time Clean up registry and temp files and manage startup programs to boost PC performance Surf the web with confidence
Detects

• Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2010 provides the most comprehensive, easy-to-use protection for your personal data so you can shop, bank, or browse with confidence
• An award-winning anti-virus engine protects against computer viruses, worms, Trojan horse programs, and related security threats
• Enhanced parental controls help you to protect your children from inappropriate content when they go online
• Remotely secures confidential files and folders in case your computer is lost or stolen
• Enhance performance and privacy by recovering disk space, cleaning up your registry and startup settings, removing cookies, and clearing your browser history

Rating: (out of 60 reviews)

List Price: $ 69.95
Price: $ 28.99

Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 3.0 Reviews

Review by Dennis A. Amith (kndy):

Having tested a good number of security software, I wanted to give Trend Micro's Internet Security Pro Version 3.0 a chance. With McAfee's Security program on one laptop, I wanted to see how Trend Micro's latest software compares on my other PC laptop.

I. INSTALLATION

When I install anti-virus or security programs, things usually take about 20-25 minutes but surprisingly Trend Micro's Internet Security Pro 3.0 took less than 10 minutes (and this on a laptop that is 90% full). Trend Micro advertises that the software is 20% smaller in file size and 20% faster in scan time and so far, that has remained to be true. Installation was easy, but it does require you to have an internet connection ready and also to enter your personal information before accessing the software (after installation). But this is probably the quickest Internet Security software I have ran thus far.

II. Interface

After installation, accessing the software is easy and quick. Updating the software is all within a click of a button. You get an overview, virus and spy ware controls, personal firewall controls, internet and e-mail controls, other settings and subscription and pro features. Interface is pretty basic and for newbies, it should be easy to navigate. When checking each section, there is a button that shows on or off. So, you know what is working immediately.

Where most of the sections are self-explanatory, the Pro Features is quite interesting as it allows you to go further into Internet Security with:

- Trend Micro Vault - Password-protected vault folder where you store sensitive files that seals if you lose your computer. I definitely like this feature, especially the fact that you can report your computer as missing/stolen and the vault where sensitive files are stored will automatically seal.

- System Tuner - Improve the performance of your computer, recover hard disk space/cleans up registry files and safeguard privacy on the Internet. Personally, I didn't want to mess with the registry using this function until I did a back of files.

- Trend Micro Toolbar that checks the safety of the websites, hyperlinks and wireless networks - I tested this and where McAfee's test of sites would take you to their webpage with user-based reviews, Trend Micro's toolbar gives you a color code if it's safe.

- Protection for mobile telephones and PDA's from span and viruses. Another good feature for those who want to protect their smart phones and PDA's.

III. Overview

The virus scan was definitely quicker than any anti-virus software that I have used before and that is definitely a positive. The software does what it says on the back of the box, protecting the PC from viruses and spyware, prevents unauthorized changes, blocks e-mail and image spam, malicious downloads and also via "My Home Network", you can see who is utilizing your computer.

At first I was wondering why they separated the pro features but after checking them out, it's something that you don't want newbies messing with especially if it deals with registry and a automatic sealing vaults. So, it makes sense to keep the pro feature as something you need to self-install and limits the user-errors.

So, which is better? McAfee or Trend Micro? Personally, I think that they are even but with McAfee, they have a better looking graphical interface, they've been around longer and the online checker has more integration with their website. But Trend Micro is quicker, faster and is quite simple for the beginning computer user. Quite simply both offer similar protection.

Similar to McAfee's Internet Security 2010, Trend Micro's Internet Security Pro 3.0 offers a 3-user license and a one year license agreement. Also, 2GB of online storage and ability to back up critical data to a secure online site.

Overall, Trend Micro's Internet Security Pro 3.0 is a solid release. Both are solid brands known for their security service. McAfee is known for anti-virus, Trend Micro for anti-spam. So, really it all comes down to which brand you prefer and price. But one thing that Trend Micro's Internet Security software does have an edge versus its competitors is speed. Install, scanning and registry/system cleanup is very quick. So, if speed is a factor in your decision-making, Trend Micro is the way to go!

Review by ut158:

I installed this on a Windows 7 computer (Win 7 beta, Virtual PC installation running on a Windows XP host). The installation took a little over 13 min. from the time I stuck the disc in to the time the installed UI came up (although I could have shaved a minute or so off if I hadn't read through the EULA and if I had used the "regular installation" instead of the advanced/custom install--I wound up using all the defaults, anyway).

The initial update took another 8 minutes to download and install (the file was 35 MB and my DL took under a minute--most of the 8 min. was installation time). One quirk was that when the update completed, the windows just closed--they didn't give any other indication that they were done or what the success status was.

I ran a quick scan after the update was done and it took a mere 45 seconds and found 2 "potential threats" (cookies). I next tried a full scan and that completed in 43 seconds and found another 2 problems--I needed to install 2 Windows updates. That has to be the fastest complete scan I've ever done... it makes me a little suspicious... it really couldn't have looked at everything in that amount of time, right? I mean, my drive has 8.5 GB of files to search through. Assuming we look at the vast majority of the available files (since it is a FULL scan, after all), you would have to sustain nearly 200 MB/s from the hard drive. Even with my RAID (4 disk, 0+1) array, that's pushing it.

The suite sports a full set of features including a fully customizable firewall, parental controls, and a spam filter as well as 2 GB of online storage (2x the normal) and a nice "vault" feature which you can supposedly lock remotely if your computer gets stolen. I haven't played with that feature yet, but as far as I'm aware, it is a unique offering. I thought the parental controls were pretty good, but not as good as BitLocker's.

Things I was concerned about, but I suspect have only to do with my VM setup and so may not have any bearing:

1) Upon starting the installation, I got the following pop up:

This computer's clock speed falls below the minimum recommended for Trend Micro Internet Security Pro. Installing the software will slow down this computer. Do you still want to continue?

I'm running a Core2 Quad Q6600 over-clocked to 2.7 GHz. I know the VM only sees one of those cores and I'm not sure what clock speed it is seeing, so this is probably a non-issue. The box says that Win7 needs 1 GHz (800 MHz minimum), so let that be a guide for you.

2) After installing, my computer kept crashing, but I suspect that has to do with the fact that I'm using a beta OS. This is far to obvious to be an issue on released OSs. On the plus side, I found out that the virus scanner has a special "safe mode" scanning function you can use. I thought that was pretty cool.

Bottom line: a solid offering from Trend Micro. Scans are very fast (if not too fast), the install was easy and there are plenty of bells and whistles to keep advanced users happy.

Buy Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 3.0 now for only $ 28.99!

Trend Micro Internet Security 2010

Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 protects you and your family against cybercriminals and inappropriate content without slowing down your computer. An award-winning anti-virus engine protects against computer viruses, worms, Trojan horse programs, and related security threats. Automatic updates immunize you against new computer virus outbreaks for the full duration of your subscription. With easy-to-use security features, Trend Micro Internet Security protects your personal information when you email or surf the Web. Includes enhanced parental controls help you to protect your children from inappropriate content when they go online.Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 provides easy-to-use protection for your home network, identity, and online activities from the present and future web threats. Trend Micro Internet Security protects you and your family against cybercriminals and inappropriate content without slowing down your computer. Click to enlarge. See the computers and other devices connected to your network at a glance, manage the security of other computers remotely, and block wireless home network intruders from accessing yours. Click to enlarge. An award-winning anti-virus engine protects against computer viruses, worms, Trojan horse programs, and related security threats. Automatic updates immunize you against new computer virus outbreaks for the full duration of your subscription. Click to enlarge. Smart Protection for Your Family Easy-to-use security for your home
Trend Micro Internet Security protects you and your family against cybercriminals and inappropriate content without slowing down your computer. Surf the web with confidence
With easy-to-use security features, Trend Micro Internet Security protects your personal information when you email or surf the web: 20% smaller file size, 20% faster scan time Detects and removes viruses, spyware, and other malicious threats from your computer, email, instant messages, and downloads Proven leadership in anti-spam technology, including email and image spam Finds and blocks untrustworthy links in email and instant messages Stops websites from installing dangerous downloads on your computer Quick Scan allows you to quickly find and remove most malware when you are running short on time. Protect your children online
Enhanced parental controls help you to protect your children from inappropriate content when they go online. Block websites with inappropriate content based on specific categories Choose when and for how long your children are allowed to go online Monitor online activity reports to fine-tune your controls if necessary Enjoy smart features tailored to your activities
Trend Micro Internet Security safeguards your computer and personal information against the latest threats: Prevent unauthorized software from changing your critical applications, without impacting your PC performance Pause security updates or scans when you give presentations, watch movies, or play games Automatically prevent suspicious software on USB devices from opening. Helps you to easily manage all the devices connected to your home network Security made easy
Protect your personal information with easy-to-use Trend Micro Internet Security. Surf the Internet without slowing down your computer. Key Features of Trend Micro Internet Security Get Essential Protection Protects against current and future viruses
An award-winning anti-virus engine protects against computer viruses, worms, Trojan horse programs, and related security threats. Automatic updates immunize you against new computer virus outbreaks for the full duration of your subscription. Defends your personal information with anti-spyware technology
Powerful anti-spyware technology guards your personal information and privacy against spyware, rootkits, and other malicious software. Safeguards against attacks with a personal firewall
Prevent your computer from exchanging data without your approval and defend against attacks from the Internet. Prevents unauthorized changes
Improved security policies find and stop unwanted attempts to change your operating system and critical software. Offers customizable security warnings
Decide how often you want to receive warnings about security threats. Safeguards Multiple Computers
Install Trend Micro Internet Security on up to three PCs per household. Surf the Web Safely Protects against web threats
Steer clear of online phishing scams that try to steal your credit card or bank account numbers. Continuous updates identify the newest risky websites. Secure Web surfing
Find and block malicious or untrustworthy hyperlinks in email, websites, or instant messages. Blocks image spam
Stop seeing spam that tries to evade filters by delivering images instead of just text. Device Access Control
Automatically prevent suspicious software on USB devices from opening. Protect Your Children Online Enhanced Parental Controls
Take charge of when and where your children go on the Internet. Block websites with inappropriate content, prevent access at specific times, and even stop them from entering personal information onto web pages. Smart Features for Your Online Activities Home Network Map
See the computers and other devices connected to your network at a glance, manage the security of other computers remotely, and block wireless home network intruders from accessing yours. Security Activity Dashboard
Get a comprehensive and customizable snapshot of all the security activities on your computer through easy-to-use charts and graphs. State Aware
Work on your presentations, watch movies, or play games without security updates or scans getting in the way.

• Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 detects and removes viruses, spyware, and other malicious threats from your computer, email, instant messages, and downloads
• Enhanced parental controls help you to protect your children from inappropriate content when they go online
• Prevent unauthorized software from changing your critical applications, without impacting your PC performance
• Quick Scan allows you to quickly find and remove most malware when you are running short on time
• Helps you to easily manage all the devices connected to your home network

Rating: (out of 62 reviews)

List Price: $ 49.95
Price: $ 13.99

Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 Reviews

Review by Matt Charles:

This produce has really come a long way. I am happy with my purchase. My computer runs much faster after I took off the 2007 version and installed this version. It was cheaper to buy a whole new produce instead of renewing with the company. Amazon is the best!

Review by H. Graham:

Using this product to clean up a nasty self replicating trojan was painfull and time consuming

The virus interfered with internet downloads, so executing the required updates had to be down from another computer. The download batch file provided failed. Pasting the ftp command lines from the batch file into my browser worked for 2 of the 3 needed files, but the name was wrong for the third. I was able to find the required file on the ftp site and download it. Not a process for a computer novice.

The System Cleanup application appears to have worked but provided no human readable log file and no message indicating success or failure

I expected less work for me and better performance from the software

Buy Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 now for only $ 13.99!

Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 (3 User)

Kaspersky® Internet Security 2009 protects computers and laptops from all Internet threats. Kaspersky Internet Security protects you while you and your family work play email IM surf theInternet bank or shop online. Compute confidently. Harness the Internet for all its value. Kaspersky Internet Security will keep you safe and not burden your system. Essential Protection Protects from viruses Trojans and worms. Blocks spyware and adware. Scans files email messages and Internet traffic. Protects instant messengers (lCQ MSN). Improved! Provides proactive protection from unknown threats. Improved! Extended Protection Two-way personal firewall. Improved! Safe Wi-Fi and VPN connections. New! Intelligent application handling and control. New! Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). Preventative Protection Scans operating system and installed application for vulnerabilities. New! Analyzes and closes Internet Explorer vulnerabilities. New! Disables links to malware sites. New! Global threat monitoring (Kaspersky Security Network). New! Advanced Protection & Recovery Can be installed on infected computers. Self-protection from being disabled or stopped. Restores correct system settings after removing malicious software. New! Tools for creating a rescue disk. Data and Identity Theft Protection Disables links to phishing web sites. Improved! Blocks all types of keyloggers. Virtual keyboard for safe entry of user names and passwords. New! Prevents theft of data exchanged via HTTPS/SSL. New! Blocks unauthorized dial-up connections. Cleans up any traces of user activity (deletes temporary files cookies etc.). New! Content Filtering Parental Controls. Improved! Anti-spam protection (plugins for Microsoft Outlook Thunderbird). Improved! Blocks banners on web pages. Usability Automatic configuration during installation. Improved! Wizards for common tasks. New! Visual reports with charts and diagrams. New! Automatic or expert user modes. New! Automatic datKaspersky Internet Security protects you while you and your family work, play, email, IM, surf the Internet, bank or shop online. Compute confidently. Harness the Internet for all its value. Kaspersky Internet Security will keep you safe and not burden your system. Kaspersky Internet Security protects you while you and your family work, play, email, IM, surf the Internet, bank or shop online. Scans files, email messages and Internet traffic. Click to enlarge. Scans operating system and installed application for vulnerabilities. Click to enlarge. The navigation bar provides quick access to the application's functions, including anti-virus scans and updating tasks. Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 protects computers and laptops from all Internet threats. Protects Your PC From:
Viruses and worms Spyware and trojans Hijacking and botnets Identity theft Network Attacks Spam Includes:
Proactive defense Two-way firewall Virtual keyboard Parental controls Kaspersky Users are Making the Smart Choice
People have challenged the Anti-Malware industry. Application incompatibilities and slow performance are simply not acceptable. Meanwhile, the alarming growth in cybercrime is making the Internet an increasingly dangerous place to work and play. A new approach is needed. Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 is designed specifically to meet these challenges. Our award winning products have been upgraded with revolutionary new security technology: Application whitelisting leaves trusted applications unhindered Application filtering restricts suspect applications from doing harm Vulnerability analysis closes potential weakness Proactive defenses block new threats even before updates are received Virtual Keyboard and Anti-Phishing provide fail-safe protection for usernames and passwords Collective intelligence protects you from threats other Kaspersky users have encountered And we've drastically improved performance. Faster and safer without getting in your way. It's the smart choice. Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 has everything you need for a safe and secure Internet experience. Essential Protection
Protects from viruses, Trojans and worms. Blocks spyware and adware. Scans files, email messages and Internet traffic. Protects instant messengers (ICQ, MSN). Provides proactive protection from unknown threats. Extended Protection
Two-way personal firewall. Safe Wi-Fi and VPN connections. Intelligent application handling and control. Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). Preventative Protection
Scans operating system and installed application for vulnerabilities. Analyzes and closes Internet Explorer vulnerabilities. Disables links to malware sites. Global threat monitoring (Kaspersky Security Network). Advanced Protection & Recovery
Can be installed on infected computers. Self-protection from being disabled or stopped. Restores correct system settings after removing malicious software. Tools for creating a rescue disk. Data and Identity Theft Protection
Disables links to phishing web sites. Blocks all types of keyloggers. Virtual keyboard for safe entry of user names and passwords. Prevents theft of data exchanged via HTTPS/SSL. Blocks unauthorized dial-up connections. Cleans up any traces of user activity (deletes temporary files, cookies, etc.). Content Filtering
Parental Controls. Anti-spam protection (plugins for Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird). Blocks banners on web pages. Usability
Automatic configuration during installation. Wizards for common tasks. Visual reports with

• Complete Internet security protection with anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, anti-spam and anti-hacker technologies, plus parental controls and virtual keyboard perfect for home or small office
• Scans files, email, and Internet traffic; protects instant messengers; Blocks unwanted web banners
• Protects from unknown threats; blocks all types of keyloggers; cleans traces of user activity
• Parental controls filter, block, or report inappropriate content; limit Internet time to hours and amounts that you set
• Automatic database updates; free technical support

Rating: (out of 237 reviews)

List Price: $ 79.95
Price: $ 29.00

Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 (3 User) Reviews

Review by S. Barnes:

As background, I've used quite a few internet security suites: ZoneAlarm, Norton, McAfee, OneCare, and previous Kaspersky products. With Kaspersky, I've come to expect a product that is top-tier for protection, but requires some technical understanding to configure. Its actually why I stopped using the previous version - While I have a technical background, I really don't want to spend my time on a computer configuring the security software, I want to use the PC.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 is a complete change, and even manages to improve the protection in the process. First, the Automatic Mode (where Kaspersky takes care of new applications, internet connections, etc.) is now worth using in my opinion. This takes a lot of the "manual" work out of the picture.

Kaspersky licensed technology from Bit9 in this release for whitelisting. Whitelisting is using a list of "known good" applications that can be trusted to go to the internet. For example, Microsoft's Internet Explorer is a known piece of software, so it can be trusted. For applications not on the whitelist, the software determines from its actions if it may be malicious, and categorizes them as such (and therefore, pays more attention to them). What does this mean for you? Less overhead using applications it knows it can trust - Faster browsing, using your PC, etc.

Finally, the last addition that I think is perfect is the security analysis it performs during full scans. Besides checking for viruses, malware, etc., it also checks your applications to see if there are known, patchable vulnerabilities. One of the most prevalent ways bad stuff gets on your PC these days is through unpatched "holes" in software. Kaspersky will alert you to these holes, so you can patch them before someone can get to your computer. An ounce of prevention being better than a pound of cure, so to speak (although with Kaspersky, you get both).

I have no noticeable slowdown on my machine, the product is using less than 25MB of RAM presently, and I know I have one of the best security products protecting my data. I highly recommend this product!

Review by An Architect:

Starting originally with Norton Internet Security I've been through recent versions of just about every popular programs out there: McCafee, System Works (with some other thing added to it), Bitdefender, Trend Micro PcCillin. The complaints from me are always the same: Too intrusive! These people just don't understand that my business and life don't revolve around maintaining my computer. They hang up the system at inconvenient times. They pop up annoyingly when I'm in the middle of something. The auto update has to be totally turned off because it is constantly taking over computer resources. Everything runs slow as molasses while the security program is loaded. System start up takes forever.

Reading reviews, I discovered that the NEW Norton Internet Security had been redesigned and was no longer the memory hog I had experienced earlier. But there were other reasons why I hated Norton IS: First, it would only protect 1 computer and I have 3, whereas other companies are reasonable about the fact that one owner should not have to pay full license fee for both desktop and laptops (I think Norton may now have met the competition on this). Second, instead of giving you a reduced price for an upgrade, Norton has this scam where you pay full price and then have to spend an hour filling in rebate forms, copying the bars on the side and the receipt. To top it off, Norton denied my last rebate after giving me very little time to turn it in and I missed their deadline by a few days (Believe me, I was more irate over the time lost than the money and they lost themselves a customer!) Lastly, I went to Norton's website to see if the SPAM protection was compatible with Thunderbird (one of the most common email programs), and could find no technical information whatsoever -- just sales fluff (I had already been burned on Trend Micro because they claimed to support Thunderbird, but did not support it for SPAM protection -- in fact, with Trend Micro you get no SPAM protection whatsoever unless you use Outlook).

Enter Kaspersky Internet 2009. The first thing I found is that it took almost as little memory as the new Norton IS. It certainly takes less than any of the other IS programs I had used. The second was that their website was quite informative and told me clearly that I would get the Kaspersky toolbar in Thunderbird as well as Outlook (To be sure I downloaded a free trial version and yes, SPAM filtering worked fine in Thunderbird.) Third, it protects three computers for a very reasonble price (and at Best Buy there was a terrific sale which required no time consuming rebate nonsense).

Now, I'm running it like a breath of fresh air. The hourly auto updates are not too intrusive, but if they bother you, it's easy to schedule exactly when you want them (mine are for 2am daily). There seems to be little hesitation when the system loads and no intrusion into my daily work. If it detects an intrusion or virus it lets you know, otherwise the only thing you see is when you first start a new program: a small screen briefly comes up in the left lower corner to let you know that a program is starting and how they classified it. Another reviewer mentioned the "white list" and "black list". These are accessed easily (at least in Thunderbird) by clicking on the Kaspersky icon which is installed in the TBird interface. The console screen which controls Kaspersky is very well organized and easy to understand. They provide a full scan and a quick scan. Both scans seem to get it over with much quicker than other IS programs. I appreciate the fact that, unlike other programs, Kaspersky doesn't scream and yell and pop up warnings because you don't run the full scan whenever it thinks you should, as some programs do (Don't they understand that I'm looking up information for a client on the phone and the last thing I want to do is make them wait a half hour for my IS program to do some thing that can wait til later?)

I highly recommend this program.

Buy Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 (3 User) now for only $ 29.00!

Norton Internet Security 2009 [OLD VERSION]

Nowadays, it's absolutely necessary to protect your PC against viruses. Norton Internet Security 2009 is strong on protection and light on system resources, so you'll be protected without dealing with hang-ups on your computer. Surf the Web and play games online without worry, even when you're out and about. Connect securely to any wireless hotspot. This version offers 1-Year Protection.

Block Internet worms at point of entry Surf the Web and play games online without worry Stop spyware from tracking you online Block spyware from hijacking your computer Bank, shop, and invest online with confidence Guard against online identity theft Inspect Web sites to make sure they're not fakes Safely download photos, music, and software Remove dangerous threats from files you download Block suspicious programs Allow only authorized programs to connect to the Internet 1-Year ProtectionMinimum System Requirements Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic/Home Premium/Business/Ultimate Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 Home/XP Pro/XP Media Center Edition 300 MHz or higher processor 256 MB of RAM Minimum 300 MB of available hard disk space Standard Web browser Email scanning supported for POP3- and SMTP-compatible email clients. Support for AntiSpam feature - Microsoft Outlook 97 or later, Microsoft Outlook Express 6.0 or later Supported instant messenger clients - AOL, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Trillian Browser support for Browser Defense and Phishing Protection features - Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 (32-bit only) and later, Mozilla Firefox 2.0 and laterNorton Internet Security 2009, the fastest, lightest on your PC and most up-to-the-minute security suite available, protects against all types of online threats. It safeguards your computer, identity, and home network without slowing you down. Completely reengineered for faster, fewer scans and rapid updates, it sets a new standard for speed and makes online shopping, banking, and browsing safer and more convenient than ever. The Norton Protection System is a multilayered system of technologies that work in concert to stop threats before they impact you. Relying on the intelligence-driven Norton Insight technology, it targets only those files at risk, resulting in shorter and fewer scans. Industry-leading browser protection safeguards you from Web-based attacks. And Pulse Updates every 5 to 15 minutes deliver the latest updates faster than anyone else. Key technologies include: The fastest, lightest on your PC and most up-to-the-minute security suite available. Click to enlarge. Antivirus Antispyware Two-way firewall Identity protection Antiphishing Bot protection Rootkit detection Browser protection Intrusion prevention OS and application protection Web site authentication Network monitoring Pulse Updates Norton Insight technologies SONAR behavioral protection Antispam Parental Controls Recovery Tool Strong on protection, light on system resources. Proven fastest and lightest security suite available--Spend more time using your computer and less time waiting for your security software to perform. New--Pulse updates for up-to-the-minute protection--Delivered every 5 to 15 minutes to detect and eliminate new threats. New--Intelligence-driven for faster, fewer, shorter scans--By leveraging a unique online intelligence system, Norton Insight technology targets only those files at risk. Stops viruses, worms, spyware, bots, and more--Keeps your system protected against all types of malicious threats. Prevents virus-infected emails and instant messages from spreading--Feel secure while you keep in touch. Blocks browser exploits and protects against infected Web sites--Surf the Internet with confidence. Improved--Blocks online identity theft--Buy, bank, and browse online wherever and whenever you want. Improved--Secure network connections--Monitor your home network and more safely connect to Wi-fi networks. Improved--Blocks threats and hackers--Two-way firewall automatically makes security decisions for you. Features Engineered for Speed
New--Proven fastest and lightest security suite available.** New--Intelligence-driven Norton Insight technology targets only those files at risk for faster, fewer, shorter scans New--Installs in under one minute on average requires less than 7 MB of memory.*** Up-to-the-minute Protection
New--Delivers up-to-the-minute protection with rapid pulse updates every 5 to 15 minutes.* New--The Norton Protection System provides multilayered protection technologies that work in concert to stop threats before they impact you. New--Real-time SONAR (Symantec Online Network for Advanced Response) helps prevent bots from taking control of your PC. Improved--Prevents threats from entering through your firewall. Detects and automatically removes online threats. Improved--Defends against Web-based attacks with patent-pending technology. New--Recovery Tool boots and repairs badly infected PCs.* New--Delivers our most complete deep-cleaning scan possible. Prevents bots from taking control of your PC. Norton Ongoing Protection provides continuous protection updates and new product features as they become available throughout your product subscription period, helping to keep your computer protected against the latest Internet threats and risks. Norton Automatic Renewal Service helps to ensure that youÕre protected by automatically renewing your product subscription before it expires. Norton Identity Safe
Improved--Keeps your online identity safer than ever when you buy, bank, browse, and game online. Advanced phishing protection keeps your personal identification out of the hands of fraudulent Web sites. Stores and encrypts your passwords and

• Norton Internet Security is the proven fastest and lightest security suite available--spend more time using your computer and less time waiting for your security software to perform
• Pulse updates for up-to-the-minute protection--delivered every 5 to 15 minutes to detect and eliminate new threats
• Intelligence-driven for faster, fewer, shorter scans--by leveraging a unique online intelligence system, Norton Insight technology targets only those files at risk
• Stops viruses, worms, spyware, bots, and more--keeps your system protected against all types of malicious threats
• Prevents virus-infected emails and instant messages from spreading--feel secure while you keep in touch

Rating: (out of 366 reviews)

List Price: $ 69.99
Price: $ 16.99

Norton Internet Security 2009 [OLD VERSION] Reviews

Review by Phillip M. Dampier:

After years of running Norton Antivirus products, with ever increasing demands on system resources, as well as slowing down the machines these products were installed on, the completely rewritten version of Norton Internet Security 2009 has gone a very long way towards correcting years of bloatware code that was made worse with every new release.

This version installs fast, runs fast, and is almost entirely unobtrusive, with one very major exception.

This software will break your home or small business network.

In a well-documented bug first discovered in October 2008, Norton interferes with, and eventually blocks access to other machines on your home network. Norton admits there is a problem, and has been stalling customers for months with promises for a fix, yet keeps pushing the release date out further and further.

Install Norton 2009, and eventually all of the computers on your home network under My Network Places will disappear, and will eventually be blocked from access. While you can frequently manually reach your other networked machines by typing their addresses directly into an address bar, software that depends on access to your other networked machines directly (index, backup, small business collaboration tools, etc.) usually cannot work this way, and you are effectively cut off from using those applications. Worse, over time, Norton will begin periodically cutting off access to your networked machines. Suddenly file copying between machines fails, extremely long delays in accessing other computers on your network occurs, and your frustration level mounts.

Norton admits the only current solution to this problem is to completely uninstall Norton 2009 Antivirus/Internet Security products. There is no other workaround.

Worse yet, the responsiveness of the company to major software bugs has been less than acceptable. It literally takes months for even the most urgent bugs to get identified, corrected, and then put through a laborious test procedure. To add insult to injury, it then takes up to six additional weeks for the fixed code to be incorporated into their slow update release schedule and finally reach every customer.

This truly mars an otherwise promising product and makes it an unacceptable option for those dependent on networked machines, such as a home or small business network. If you are dependent on your network to access remote hard drives or collaborate in an office environment, Norton 2009 products are absolutely not acceptable for use and I strongly recommend you look elsewhere until the company finally fixes the problem.

A very lengthy discussion about this problem can be found on the Norton Community Forum. Simply search for "NAV blocks access to hard disk." The later discussions in the thread contain the most pertinent information.

Review by Gene Cloner:

(Product same as one that says 'No operating system', but can be installed on 3 PCs)

I have been using NIS since 2006 for both my desktop and laptop for virus protection. While none of them have given significant problems to me, this is by far the best NIS yet!

Installation: Installation was a real snap. It was amazingly quick. Removal of NIS2008 (automatic) took a few minutes and with one restart the whole installation and live update was finished in under 10 minues (My PCs dont have the latest processors: one is a pentium D 3.0G/1g memory and the other is a centrino 1.8 with 2G memory).

Interface: The interface looks very similar to NIS2008, but more sleek and informative. The phising protection and log=in key cards in your browsers look better than before. much smaller though!

Configuration: NIS2009 retained all my configurations regarding which networks are safe and all other preferences from NIS2008. This was great! I didnt have to reconfigure anything (except the add-on; see below), saving me a lot of time. For new users, there are many options configured by default and easy to change.

Anti-virus and internet protection: After installation, I just browsed a number of websites that I usually do. In one website, I got a download installator warning from NIS and the problem was immediately resolved with out any damage to the computer. Looking at the 'history', I could see a number of Low risk issues resolved by NIS with out any annoying popups. Ofcourse, you can set NIS to popup for every risk (even the low riks ones) if you like.

More than anything, it retains your subscription to NIS2008. So you dont have to use your new key until your current susbcription expires. You will continue to get NIS2009 virus updates as well. (I recd a couple of comments: Use Norton online account for saving your keys rather than entering the new key during installation) - Read my comment below.

Add-on package: If you used the parental control and privacy protection add-on package with 2008, it gets uninstalled and NIS 2009 does NOT automatically update it!! So, you need to manually install the add on package which can be done from the config window easily. User-specific parental cotrols are carried over from 2008 though! NIS 2009 offers custom parental control settings as well, a little better than 2008 version.

Performance: This is really not a resource hog which use to be one major con of Norton products. It does virus updates more frequently and when the computer is idle. So you dont feel its presence. Only thing that takes long time and consumes resource is the full scan which you dont have to do that often or can schedule it during lunch time!

So I really like it so far!

Buy Norton Internet Security 2009 [OLD VERSION] now for only $ 16.99!

McAfee Internet Security 1User 2010

McAfee Internet Security software offers comprehensive PC and online security with accelerated performance. It’s now available with revolutionary Active Protection technology, enabling the fastest updates and highest levels of detection against malicious threats. It provides anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, identity and two-way firewall protection. Additionally, anti-spam, parental controls and a powerful website safety advisor are included.

• Comprehensive, award-winning PC security to freely explore online
• Anti-virus with Active Protection and Super Mode
• Anti-spam, Anti-spyware, Anti-phishing, Two-way Firewall and Web Security
• QuickClean to help optimize your PC, Battery Mode and Data Backup
• Identity Protection and Parental Controls with Age Appropriate Searching

Rating: (out of 5 reviews)

List Price: $ 49.99
Price: $ 16.88

McAfee Internet Security 1User 2010 Reviews

Review by Hal Lowe:

The following is a combination of my experiences and problems with McAfee Internet Security and my opinions about this product. I'm sure about my experiences, but my opinions may or may not be right: 1) McAfee's recommended install method doesn't work, which is to install from the Internet (instead of from the out-of-date CD that came in the box). It installs, but then doesn't allow one to register the product. In response to it being unregistered, the product then shuts itself off every hour, saying that something needs to be fixed, but there is no way to fix it. McAfee tech support finally admitted their recommended install method doesn't work, and that I had to uninstall everything and start over using the not recommended method of installing from the CD. 2) I have a trusted program that the McAfee program kept putting in quarantine. McAfee would allow me to restore it, but as soon as it was restored McAfee would immediately (within 1 or 2 sec.) rediscover my program and quarantine it again. There is a trusted program list, but no way to get anything on it. The documentation says that restoring a quarantined program will put it on the trusted list, but this doesn't happen. McAfee tech support admitted there was no way to get something on the trusted list. They then proceeded to scold me for having a program on my computer that they didn't approve of. They wanted to see a copy of it, which I didn't object to, but regardless of whether they approved it or not, I still trusted and wanted this program on my computer. I was told that I simply could not have a program on my computer, if they didn't approve of it being there. Well excuse me, but I would like to be the final authority for what is and is not on my computer, not McAfee. 3) The McAfee SiteAdvisor feature doesn't work for Google searches running on Firefox. 4) The McAfee user interface is not easy to use or intuitive. Some status is hidden in very illogical places. 5) Some McAfee status and user actions are blocked from user access, if you don't have everything turned on that McAfee thinks should be turned on. For example, you can't turn off multiple things, then turn them back on one at a time. McAfee requires you to turn them ALL back on at once (it's all or nothing). 6) McAfee automatically turned on Automatic Microsoft Updates on my computer, when I did not want this turned on. When I agreed to the generic McAfee install question about automatic updates, I clearly thought I was agreeing to updates of the McAfee program and database, not Microsoft Updates. 7) The Basic McAfee user menu has some things on it that are not present on the Advanced menu. Most people would expect a Basic menu to be a subset of the Advanced menu, but this isn't so with McAfee. I suspect the provided facility to remove the McAfee product from a computer doesn't remove everything (via control panel, add/remove programs). When I was working with tech support because their product didn't install right, he wanted me to completely remove the previous install and start over. He sent me 2 programs to do this removal. If he had to give me 2 special programs to do this, I suspect this means their provided remove doesn't do it right. After running the 2 provided programs, I still found some McAfee remnants remained on my computer. 9) When doing the install I wanted to save a copy of the license agreement I was forced to agree to. I could select the agreement text, but McAfee blocked me from copying it to the clipboard (so I could save a copy). 10) I finally gave up on this product and had to restore my whole C: drive partition from a previous backup, to undo the damage this product did to my system. Problem #2 above was the final straw, when I was told I simply couldn't have anything on my computer that McAfee didn't approve of. This McAfee product cost me 7 days of my life, to discover, debug, and recover from the above problems. In my opinion, I know low quality software when I see it, and I have seen it in this product.

Review by Jeffrey W. Behm:

For a long time I depended upon McAfee products to protect my computers. I have no idea what's happened over there, but maybe they have gotten fat , dumb & happy, because this product is so bad, it nearly rendered my computer non-functional. Scans are extremely slow (hours long sometimes), and the incessant scanning during typical daily use sucks up so much processor power and memory, that you will relive those days of yesteryear with a 286 microprocessor & 14.4 dial-up speeds. Just to be sure I wasn't doing something wrong, I actually uninstalled & reinstalled the product twice (with McAfee's assistance). The problems did not go away. And God help you if you try to stop the scan mid-way through, because it might just crash your machine. It did it to mine twice, then there was a two hour reinstall & recovery process.

In short, if you use this product, you may become a slave to your security software. Check Consumer Reports and you will see what I mean about the slowness of the scans. I switched to Trend Micro....so much easier to install & run. Scans are very quick. One last thing, once you actually become a McAfee customer just try finding any sort of useful contact info on their Website! And once you do, it will lead you through a long series of irrelevant questions, before you have the privilege of waiting in a ten minute phone queue.

McAfee, I am through with you. You have been uninstalled.

Buy McAfee Internet Security 1User 2010 now for only $ 16.88!

Bitdefender Internet Security 2010 - 3 Pc/2 Yr

Internet Security 2010 Value Edition 3PC / 2 Year includes Antivirus Antispyware Antiphising Antispam Firewall Laptop Mode Parental Control Hourly Updates IM Encryption Network Management Windows 7.0 compatibleThe Industry's Best Value! BitDefender Internet Security 2010 provides 3 PCs 2 full years of protection against viruses, hackers, spam, and identity theft, without slowing them down. Includes: Firewall, Parental Control, Instant Messaging Encryption, File Vault (encrypts sensitive files), Laptop Mode (prolongs battery life), Gamer Mode, hourly updates and more. Provides 3 PCs 2 full years of protection against viruses, hackers, spam, and identity theft, without slowing them down. Click to enlarge. Select from Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced views. Click to enlarge. Automatically modifies firewall protection settings to suit location. Click to enlarge. Improved parental control tools. Click to enlarge. Manage the security of your entire home network from one PC. Click to enlarge. Prevents personal information from leaking via e-mail, Web or Instant Messaging. Click to enlarge. Maximum Security, Maximum Speed Securely download music, movies, and files from the Web, friends, and family.
Scans and removes viruses and spyware New--Advanced protection that continually monitors your system to catch threats that lay dormant, before they attack Scans all Web, e-mail and instant messaging traffic in real-time Proactively protects against new virus outbreaks using advanced heuristics Protect your identity: shop, bank, listen, and watch, privately and securely.
Stops attempted identity theft (phishing) Prevents personal information from leaking via e-mail, Web or Instant Messaging File Vault encrypts and stores personal information or sensitive files Blocks concealed programs that track your online activities Security that won't slow down your PC.
New--Scans 60% faster than even last year's lightning-fast edition! Uses minimal system resources Laptop Mode prolongs battery life Guard your conversations with top-of-the-line encryption.
Instant Messaging Encryption (Yahoo! and MSN Messenger) Connect securely to any network at home, in the office, or on the road.
Automatically modifies firewall protection settings to suit location Wi-Fi monitor helps prevent unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi network Parental Control.
Blocks access to inappropriate websites and e-mail Schedules and limits kids' access to Internet and to applications, such as games Gamer Mode.
Reduces the system load and postpones scans/updates, allowing for secure gaming at top speed Be in control, stay in control.
Manages the security of your entire home network from one PC Use the dashboard to fix security issues with just one click Automatically decides best security actions to take Designed for ease of use.
New--User Profiles (Standard, Parent, Gamer, Custom)--set up your security to best match your computing activities New--See only what you need! Select from Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced views New and Improved in BitDefender 2010 More Protection
Many of today's stealth viruses are designed to avoid antivirus detection by initially laying dormant only to attack your PC when it is most vulnerable. BitDefender 2010 features a cutting-edge security system, Active Virus Control, which constantly monitors all of the processes on your PC, 24/7, blocking any malicious behavior before it can cause any damage. More Speed
The abundance of new viruses calls for faster ways to detect them. BitDefender's Optimized Scanning avoids the scanning of files that are known to be safe. The result? BitDefender 2010 scans your PC in half the time needed by previous versions, while using less resources. Easier to Use
Whether you're a security expert or a novice, with the new BitDefenderUser Profiles you can easily manage your PC's security. The product interface adapts to the chosen profile and provides quick access to the main security functionalities you are most likely to need (Parental Controls for parents, or Gamer Mode for gamers). BitDefender 2010 also features three dashboard views--Novice, Intermediate, and Expert--to better accommodate users with different levels of PC knowledge. Improved Parental Control
The Parental Control module features a newly added reporting system allowing parents to view what websites their children visit. Moreover, parents can set specific time intervals in which their children are allowed to access the Internet or use certain applications. Improved Intrusion Detection
BitDefender detects and blocks attempts to change critical system files or registry entries on your PC and warns you about attacks performed by code injection (DLL injection). Improved In-Product Technical Support
You can get answers to the most common product-related questions or contact technical support directly from the product using its easy-to-use self-service module.

• BitDefender Internet Security 2010 keeps your Internet-connected family safe--lock out viruses, hackers & spam, while providing parental control and firewall protection
• Scans all web, e-mail and instant messaging traffic for viruses and spyware in real-time
• Proactively protects against new virus outbreaks using advanced heuristics
• Shop, bank, listen, watch privately and securely; blocks attempted identity theft (phishing)
• Prevents personal information from leaking via e-mail, web or instant messaging

Rating: (out of 107 reviews)

List Price: $ 59.95
Price: $ 24.69

Bitdefender Internet Security 2010 - 3 Pc/2 Yr Reviews

Review by John Williamson:

I looked forward to trying Bitdefender Internet Security 2010 as it was a product that seemed to have a number of decent features. But let's get right to the point: there are better products on the market today worth considering. And with such products as the latest AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition, to name one, it's hard to recommend this one from Bitdefender, unless you're new to computing and just want an easy-to-install product.

I initially installed this product on two computers, an HP Presario notebook running Windows Vista, and on a Sony VAIO running Windows XP Professional. Both computers had all available software updates and Service Packs installed. There were no problems with the installation on either computer other than a number of mildly annoying little pop-ups and reboots, but if you've installed security and anti-virus applications before, then you are probably familiar with this happening.

Getting down to details...

Installation: For the most part, and other than the above noted minor annoyances, the setting up process was smooth, as should be expected with a contemporary package of this type.

Ease of Use: Bitdefender Internet Security 2010 was as good as any of the other "major" anti-virus and security packages on the market today. If you've been looking for an alternative to some of the other security products, then this operates as well as and in some cases even better than some of the higher prices packages.

Functionality/Protection: As one who has dealt with computer security and Internet protection for a number of years, this was the area that mean the most. In each case, the product handled any of the older viruses and isolated Trojan horses that I keep on CD for such testing. Also visited a number of older and newer familiar malware sites, and this Bitdefender application blocked each one.

Conclusion: Bitdefender offers a decent package for those who are looking for a reasonable computer security application at a fair price. The interface is good, as is the overall product, but there may be better choices worthy of consideration, such as the latest AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition (noted above), or Vipre AntiVirus + AntiSpyware, which which this reviewer found to be a superior product overall, and one that I reviewed here some months ago.

In any case, Bitdefender Internet Security 2010 is a reasonably good product and deserves a 4-star rating form this reviewer, but it's just not a stellar product. It would pay to look at all of the recent security offerings, both free and paid for before you make your final choice.

Review by Luke Kwong:

I had used Bitdefender Antivirus 2008 and 2009, and despite some unsolved problems, they were never serious. So when it came time to renew, I thought I should upgrade to the more powerful Bitdefender Internet Security 2010 (IS2010). It was a big mistake!!!

After installing IS2010 on my Windows Vista notebook:

1. the parental control software (ComputerTime) would not work properly, even though this software served me wonderfully for over 4 years

2. my wife and daughters had difficulties logging into their Windows account - their screen will remain blank and nothing can be done unless the machine is rebooted, and I have to let them use my account

3. the IS2010 services would keep dying unexpectedly and I would have to reboot my machine. This happened daily and for today alone, it happened 3 times in 2 hours!

Of course, you may be wondering if all these problems were really due to IS2010. I wondered, too, and between contacting Bitdefender Support 3 times and awaiting their response, I experimented with re-installing IS2010, ComputerTime, etc. The problems remained until I totally uninstalled IS2010. Then all my problems went away and the whole family was happy again.

As for Bitdefender Support, they never responded to me at all even after a week. Of course, I'm mad. My computer is totally defenceless. I'm now demanding a refund but I seriously doubt they would respond.

I don't know how some software reviews could rate Bitdefender so highly. Maybe they are bought or impartial.

So save yourself the grief - AVOID THIS PRODUCT AND THIS COMPANY. They are flawed.

Buy Bitdefender Internet Security 2010 - 3 Pc/2 Yr now for only $ 24.69!

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut]

Guidance for all your personal tax situations. Federal forms and State forms. Step-by-step interviews guide you through a customized experience relevant to your tax situation. Everything you need to prepare your federal and state taxes in one complete program.H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files. With a new, easy-to-use interface, H&R Block At Home Deluxe searches for hundreds of deductions to get customers the biggest refund. Everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files. Click to enlarge. Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income. Click to enlarge. Ideal for homeowners and investors, the program includes personalized tax guidance and features available only from H&R Block, such as built-in expertise and audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent customers in the event of an audit. At Home Deluxe Investors / Homeowners
The right choice for customers with more complex tax situations to easily complete their federal and state returns. Includes five free federal e-files and built-in expertise available only from H&R Block! Includes these features: Customized interview process to help customers easily complete their federal and state taxes.

Five free federal e-files.

Personalized tax guidance for popular occupations and specific deductions, plus answers to FAQs.

Audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent you in the event of an audit. Included when you file a federal return.

Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income.

Advice, tips, and planning tools for the upcoming year.

Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return.

Quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and H&R Block DeductionPro software.

H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations.
Compare At Home Editions

• Ideal for homeowners and investors, H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files
• Customized interview process helps you easily complete your federal and state taxes
• Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return; quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, and Microsoft Money software
• Automatically double-checks returns for errors; built-in expertise and audit support with guidance
• Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income; H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations

Rating: (out of 262 reviews)

List Price: $ 44.99
Price: $ 26.47

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] Reviews

Review by CS:
(Note: This review also shows up in the reviews for the download version. Don't ask me why Amazon doesn't show the reviews in both places for what's really the same product, with just different delivery mechanisms. I bought the box version, if you want to know.)

This part written Dec 9, 2009 (see updated comments below)

This is of course a preliminary review (written Dec 9 based on use in the last few days). At this time one can't do more than a rough cut estimate of the tax return -- the IRS forms aren't finalized, the state forms aren't available, and of course the various income reports (W2, 1099, etc.) aren't out yet.

I don't have a super complicated tax situation this year: it just requires some things that a good tax program should handle easily. So far this program seems to do just fine. I found it easy to use, and found that imports from Quicken and from TXF files worked without any problems. Schedules A, B, and D worked just fine, and the related screens were easy to use and understand. Excess FICA was calculated correctly, as was the child tax credit. The AMT calculation does of course remain weirdly complicated (once a year I mutter to myself about all politicians in DC), but the program does take care of it with no apparent problems.

I used TaxCut last year -- chose it over TurboTax just because of cost, and was quite satisfied. I'm not convinced this year either that you get value for the extra you pay for TT. (Incidentally, note that if you have investment income you probably need to get TT Premium, so the price would be nearly double that of HRB Deluxe.)

A warning I wrote in my review last year seems worth repeating: Don't expect a tax program to apply tax laws correctly in all circumstances; for anything at all out of the ordinary, make sure you double-check against an IRS guide or another guide like JK Lasser's. The folks who design and write and test the programs make mistakes, too. And for the same reason, give the calculations a sanity check, don't just use the program blindly, or you could get tripped up by a software bug that wasn't caught.

I will update this review in Jan/Feb when I've had a chance to do more with it.

Update Jan 29, 2010:

I have now done a first complete pass on my taxes, based on W2s, 1099s, and some projected 1099s. I also have had an opportunity to use TurboTax Deluxe (I got a free copy, legally), so have been able to compare the two products.

I continue to like HRB Deluxe. It's easy to use, and has been trouble-free. There are a couple of things I particularly like, that might be worth mentioning. (1) They show you when the next update is expected, so you don't waste your time running the update check until there is something. (2) Entering info from interest paying mutual funds that might have muni income (tax-free for Fed) is simple: HRB gives you a simple way to enter the amount that's tax-free in your state, and takes care of it without hassle. TT can also deal with this, but I don't like their way as much (they create a separate 1099 to split the income into two parts).

Interestingly, TTD is also noticeably slower starting up than HRBD. Don't know why.

The one advantage TT does have over HRB is on coverage of automated downloads: TT can download your 1099 info from a larger set of institutions than can HRB. W2 downloads look the same between the two. This does save some time, and could be sufficient to be a decider for some. Not for me.

Review by D. Yip:
I've used H&R Block's tax software for the last four years and haven't had a problem until the 2009's version. In general, the software is comparable to others in its simplicity and user-friendliness. This year, I bought the Deluxe Home Edition which comes with a state; however, when I tried downloading my free state program, it was indicated that I had to pay .95. To make a long story short, I spent 45 minutes speaking with a customer representative before she finally sent me the state link. I was very disappointed as the person initially told me she could not help me because I did not purchase the software directly from H&R Block. When I asked to speak to the manager, I was put on hold for long periods of time. For an issue that has occurred on multiple occasions (as indicated from these reviews), I was highly disappointed with the length of time it took the representative to come up with a solution. Also, had I not insisted on speaking with a superior (who apparently didn't think my issue was worthy of attention) the representative had originally asked me to go ahead and pay for the state and submit paperwork for a refund. It's odd that the program would encounter such a problem and I am very disappointed with the way the situation was handled.

Buy H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] now for only $ 26.47!

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download]

Guidance for all your personal tax situations. Federal forms and State forms. Step-by-step interviews guide you through a customized experience relevant to your tax situation. Everything you need to prepare your federal and state taxes in one complete program.H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files. With a new, easy-to-use interface, H&R Block At Home Deluxe searches for hundreds of deductions to get customers the biggest refund. Everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files. Click to enlarge. Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income. Click to enlarge. Ideal for homeowners and investors, the program includes personalized tax guidance and features available only from H&R Block, such as built-in expertise and audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent customers in the event of an audit. At Home Deluxe Investors / Homeowners
The right choice for customers with more complex tax situations to easily complete their federal and state returns. Includes five free federal e-files and built-in expertise available only from H&R Block! Includes these features: Customized interview process to help customers easily complete their federal and state taxes.

Five free federal e-files.

Personalized tax guidance for popular occupations and specific deductions, plus answers to FAQs.

Audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent you in the event of an audit. Included when you file a federal return.

Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income.

Advice, tips, and planning tools for the upcoming year.

Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return.

Quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and H&R Block DeductionPro software.

H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations.

• Ideal for homeowners and investors, H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files
• Customized interview process helps you easily complete your federal and state taxes
• Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return; quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, and Microsoft Money software
• Automatically double-checks returns for errors; built-in expertise and audit support with guidance
• Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income; H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations

Rating: (out of 86 reviews)

List Price: $ 44.99
Price: $ 24.99

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download] Reviews

Review by CS:
(Note: This review also shows up in the reviews for the download version. Don't ask me why Amazon doesn't show the reviews in both places for what's really the same product, with just different delivery mechanisms. I bought the box version, if you want to know.)

This part written Dec 9, 2009 (see updated comments below)

This is of course a preliminary review (written Dec 9 based on use in the last few days). At this time one can't do more than a rough cut estimate of the tax return -- the IRS forms aren't finalized, the state forms aren't available, and of course the various income reports (W2, 1099, etc.) aren't out yet.

I don't have a super complicated tax situation this year: it just requires some things that a good tax program should handle easily. So far this program seems to do just fine. I found it easy to use, and found that imports from Quicken and from TXF files worked without any problems. Schedules A, B, and D worked just fine, and the related screens were easy to use and understand. Excess FICA was calculated correctly, as was the child tax credit. The AMT calculation does of course remain weirdly complicated (once a year I mutter to myself about all politicians in DC), but the program does take care of it with no apparent problems.

I used TaxCut last year -- chose it over TurboTax just because of cost, and was quite satisfied. I'm not convinced this year either that you get value for the extra you pay for TT. (Incidentally, note that if you have investment income you probably need to get TT Premium, so the price would be nearly double that of HRB Deluxe.)

A warning I wrote in my review last year seems worth repeating: Don't expect a tax program to apply tax laws correctly in all circumstances; for anything at all out of the ordinary, make sure you double-check against an IRS guide or another guide like JK Lasser's. The folks who design and write and test the programs make mistakes, too. And for the same reason, give the calculations a sanity check, don't just use the program blindly, or you could get tripped up by a software bug that wasn't caught.

I will update this review in Jan/Feb when I've had a chance to do more with it.

Update Jan 29, 2010:

I have now done a first complete pass on my taxes, based on W2s, 1099s, and some projected 1099s. I also have had an opportunity to use TurboTax Deluxe (I got a free copy, legally), so have been able to compare the two products.

I continue to like HRB Deluxe. It's easy to use, and has been trouble-free. There are a couple of things I particularly like, that might be worth mentioning. (1) They show you when the next update is expected, so you don't waste your time running the update check until there is something. (2) Entering info from interest paying mutual funds that might have muni income (tax-free for Fed) is simple: HRB gives you a simple way to enter the amount that's tax-free in your state, and takes care of it without hassle. TT can also deal with this, but I don't like their way as much (they create a separate 1099 to split the income into two parts).

Interestingly, TTD is also noticeably slower starting up than HRBD. Don't know why.

The one advantage TT does have over HRB is on coverage of automated downloads: TT can download your 1099 info from a larger set of institutions than can HRB. W2 downloads look the same between the two. This does save some time, and could be sufficient to be a decider for some. Not for me.

Review by Gordo:
I'm mostly only writing my review to offset the wave of negative comments. I had absolutely no problems with the Amazon software download tool. If you are concerned that you might have a problem with it, just test it out first by downloading a free game or something. Next, someone complained that the amazon downloader tool remains on your system after the download - this is true unfortunately, but its also not a big deal, it shows an icon in the bottom right corner of your screen, and you can simply right click it, and close it, it will then ask you if you want to load it when windows starts, just uncheck this, and it will no longer be running on your computer. Finally, some people complained that they didn't get their product code. I don't know if this was a bug that was fixed or what, but the downloader software clearly displayed my product code (used for e-filing your return), furthermore, you can get the code at any time via Amazon.com, just click on the "Go to your software library" button.

The H&R Block software loaded fine on Vista with no problems. If you are using user account controls, you should right click the install file and choose "Run as Administrator". After the software installed, the first thing it did was update itself. Now I must admit it did appear to hang during this update process for some reason showing it was 100% on the download, and I had to click "cancel" but then it installed the update with no problems after that.

The tax software is very nice, most detailed reviews I've read comparing various software rank H&R Block (formerly TaxCut) and TurboTax as the two best, and they mostly say they are almost identical but as far as I know, only H&R Block offers audit support. You can import last years files from either software so switching from year to year is not a problem. Every year these programs get better and better, with more features and forms, and simpler interface. I love the simple question and answer format, and the easy free federal e-File. I also like that it includes the state software too. Instead of paying extra to e-File my state return, I just print it out and mail it in (for only the cost of a stamp). This software handles everything I want to do including Schedule D creation, and even schedule F for farm income. Overall its a good value.

Buy H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download] now for only $ 24.99!

TurboTax Deluxe Federal + eFile + State 2009

Find and maximize your deductions.If you own a home, made donations or have medical expenses, TurboTax Deluxe will easily get you every tax deduction you deserve. Get Your Refund Fast: Efile Your 2009 Taxes with TurboTax
Here's how efile works: Start your return and efile with TurboTax today. The moment the IRS starts accepting returns, scheduled for January 15, 2010, TurboTax will submit your efiled return. The IRS will confirm receipt by e-mail within 48 hours. Here's how it works: Asks easy questions
We customize questions to your unique situation, transfer your info from last year, and put it all on the right tax forms for you. Maximizes deductions
We search for more than 350 deductions to get you the biggest refund possible
guaranteed. Efile for a fast refund
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-alt:"Calisto MT"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-alt:"Times New Roman"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Efile with direct deposit to get your refund in as few as 8 days. Five federal efiles included. Prepare and print unlimited single state filings. Additional state forms and state e-file are available for an additional charge. Why TurboTax Deluxe is the easiest choice for you TurboTax Deluxe was designed to make it easy for you to get the biggest tax refund possible. Choose TurboTax Deluxe if any of the following apply to you: You own your home You donated to charity You have significant education or medical expenses You have childcare expenses You have lots of deductions If you own investments or rental property, choose TurboTax Premier. It has everything in Deluxe PLUS will provide extra guidance so you get the most from your investments. If you are a sole proprietor, consultant, 1099 contractor, or single-owner LLC, TurboTax Home & Business has everything in Premier and will help you make the most of your business and personal deductions. If you own an S Corp, partnership, C Corp, or multiple-owner LLC, choose TurboTax Business. Compare TurboTax Software Everything you need to do your taxes with ease. Finds All Deductions and Credits You Deserve to Get Your Biggest Refund Stimulus Ready
Updated with all of the latest tax laws to help you get all of the deductions and credits you deserve--including the new 2009 Stimulus Plan credits for homebuyers, new car purchases and more. Maximizes Your Tax Deductions
Asks simple questions about your income, family situation and changes in your tax situation and credits. Then, based on your answers, searches for more than 350 deductions and credits to get you the biggest tax refund--guaranteed. Looks for Deduction Opportunities as You Go
Shows you which deductions you've taken. Which deductions you haven't. And tells you how to qualify for just about any deduction, so you don't miss any opportunities to save. Gets You the Maximum Deduction for Donations
ItsDeductible (included) helps you accurately value items you donate to charity–no more guessing. Plus, it tracks other donations such as cash, mileage and stocks, to help you get every charitable deduction you're entitled to. Handles Your Life Changes
Changed jobs? Got married? Bought a home? Had a baby? TurboTax guides you through common life changes, explains how the changes will impact your taxes, and tells you what you can deduct. Helps with Medical Expenses
Does all the math and tells you if you qualify to deduct your medical expenses for maximum tax savings. Includes Downloadable Audit Support Center
Being contacted by the IRS can be confusing and stressful, but it doesn't have to be. That's why we've created the TurboTax Audit Support Center, included for FREE with all TurboTax products. Only about 1% of all personal tax returns were audited, so it is unlikely, but if you are contacted by the IRS, we'll help you to: Find out why the IRS contacted you Determine what it means Prepare your next steps With downloadable step-by-step guidance, including what different types of IRS letters may mean, you'll know exactly where you stand and what to do next. Remember, TurboTax guarantees 100% accurate calculations. If you pay an IRS or state penalty or interest because of a TurboTax calculation error, we'll pay you the penalty and interest. Helps You Reduce Audit Risk Tracks Your Audit Risk
Audit Risk Meter checks your tax return for common audit triggers. Shows whether your risk is high or low. And provides tips to help you reduce your chance of an audit. Includes Downloadable Audit Support Center
Gives you step-by-step guidance on everything you need to know and do if the IRS contacts you. Also Available: Audit Defense
Provides full-service representation by a trained tax professional. You will never have to meet with the IRS, unless you want to. Does the Hard Work for You Asks Easy Questions, Tailored to You
Guides you step by step through your tax return and puts your answers on the right tax forms for you. Skips interview questions that don't apply to you, so you can finish your return faster. Improved Automatically Fills in W-2 and 1099 Info
Gets your W-2 and 1099 data directly from over 100,000 participating employers and financial institutions and automatically puts it in the right tax

• TurboTax Deluxe guarantees your biggest tax refund by finding and maximizing your deductions
• Uncovers over 350 deductions including mortgage interest, charitable contributions, and more
• Guides you through changes in your tax situation and lets you know how they will impact your taxes
• Audit Risk Meter helps you reduce your chance of an audit
• Free Federal E-File—receive IRS confirmation and get your refund in as few as 8 days

Rating: (out of 386 reviews)

List Price: $ 59.95
Price: $ 35.00

TurboTax Deluxe Federal + eFile + State 2009 Reviews

Review by AnthonyCA:
I have always used turbotax but this year but they changed their pricing. The package says one free state download. True, you can download one state of your choice. However, you only get to prepare one state only. All additional state preparations are at via download of even the same state. Thus for example, you have two family members living in California. The first person downloads the free California state download. If the second family member, who also needs to file the California state return, the second family member needs to pay to turbotax via the software, to prepare the second state return, again, even if it is the same state. Contacted turbotax and it took several tries until they stated that this is the case. The first few times they would not confirm it but rather dodge the question and give an ambiguous answer, not admitting to the change.

1/16/10 update: after installing an online software update yesterday, it seems that turbotax has now changed their policy/software back to the way it was in previous years (probably due to the numerous complaints that they have received). Now, as with last year's edition, you can do more than one state preparation for the same state, for the one free state that you have download. I have now given it 4 stars instead of the previous 1 star, with 4 stars becuase turbotax, as stated above, tried to previously limit the one free download to also mean one state prep (which is not the case now). Other than the previous frustration regarding the state download problem, turbotax has always given me great results. Great advice/info when you tag the help function. The help function will guide you for whatever is currently on the screen, thus you do not have to hunt for the information.

2/17/10 update

I have still been hearing that some people cannot do more than one state prep for the free included one state download. I have downgraded the star ratings from a 4 previously to a 2 now because the state download/prep problem still exists for some people. If the problem is fixed, I will upgrade the star rating then.

Don't know if it is real but "Bob Meighan, VP of turbotax" wrote to one of my comments on the deluxe version stating that:

****************************

Bob Meighan says:

Anthony... TurboTax does not charge extra for preparing multiple state returns for the same state. There was no change in our pricing policy this year. I believe if you received a different story from one of our agents, I suspect it was because they probably thought you were referring to TurboTax Online, where you are charged for each return.

Bob Meighan

VP, TurboTax

****************************

Again I don't know if Bob is for real. If so, I would kindly ask Bob if he could change the turbotax website to state officially, for once and for all, that a buyer of the desktop version shall have unlimited state preps for the same free included state download.

I have also heard from another buyer that turbotax said this was due to a software flaw and should be fixed by Feb 25. We shall see. In the meantime, even though I can do multiple returns on the same state, many others cannot, thus buyer beware.

2/28/10 update:

The problem seems to be fixed. I am upgrading the ratings from 2 stars to 4 now, after it seems to be finally working now. I have received a comment stating that now it is possible to prepare more than one same state return from the free one included state download. Please let us know if it IS or IS NOT working for you.

Review by Tony Smith:
Given all the negative reviews of Turbo Tax last year, I bought Tax Cut. This was after years of using Turbo Tax. I agreed with those that pointed out how Intuit was trying to make more money off their product by the way they packaged their product. Unfortunately, one of my most tedious tasks in tax preparation is reporting stock transactions. Tax cut provided absolutely no way to download my transactions from Fidelity. Turbo Tax has agreements with most major brokerage houses for automatic down loads of your brokerage records.

So, I also bought Turbo Tax and finished my return. Until other products offer this feature, it's not worth it for me to switch.

Buy TurboTax Deluxe Federal + eFile + State 2009 now for only $ 35.00!

TurboTax Premier Federal + State + Federal efile 2009

Guides you step-by-step through investments and rental property income.If you own stocks, bonds, mutual funds or rental properties, TurboTax Premier makes it easy to keep more money in your pocket. Get Your Refund Fast: Efile Your 2009 Taxes with TurboTax
Here's how efile works: Start your return and efile with TurboTax today. The moment the IRS starts accepting returns, scheduled for January 15, 2010, TurboTax will submit your efiled return. The IRS will confirm receipt by e-mail within 48 hours. Here's how it works: Asks easy questions
We customize questions to your unique situation, transfer your info from last year, and put it all on the right tax forms for you. Maximizes deductions
We search for more than 350 deductions to get you the biggest refund possible
guaranteed. Efile for a fast refund
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-alt:"Calisto MT"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-alt:"Times New Roman"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Efile with direct deposit to get your refund in as few as 8 days. Five federal efiles included. Prepare and print unlimited single state filings. Additional state forms and state e-file are available for an additional charge. Why TurboTax Premier is the easiest choice for you TurboTax Premier was designed to help you make the most of your investments and rental property deductions, so you get the biggest tax refund possible. Choose TurboTax Premier if any of the following apply to you: You sold stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or options for an employee stock plan You own rental property You are the beneficiary of an estate or trust (received a K-1 form) If you are a sole proprietor, consultant, 1099 contractor, or single-owner LLC, choose TurboTax Home & Business. It has everything in Premier, PLUS expanded guidance to help you maximize home office, vehicle, and other business deductions. Compare TurboTax Software Helps You Get the Most from Your Investments TurboTax customizes questions to your unique situation, transfer your info from last year, and put it all on the right tax forms for you. Click to enlarge. TurboTax searches for more than 350 deductions to get you the biggest refund possible--guaranteed. Click to enlarge. Exclusive--Imports Your Investment Info
Saves time by automatically importing your investment info directly from your financial institution. Helps You Accurately Report Investment Sales
Walks you through reporting sales of stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Automatically calculates capital gains/losses and keeps track of those that carry over to future tax returns. Determines Your Cost Basis
Finds your accurate purchase price for stock sales, in three easy steps. Helps with Employee Stock Plans
Guides you through reporting sales and automatically determines your correct basis for selling shares purchased at different times or different prices. 401(k) Maximizer
Shows you how to increase your 401(k) contribution without decreasing your take-home pay. Exclusive--Helps You Find Every Rental Deduction
Finds over 20 deductions for landlords, from travel to advertising to repairs to insurance. Exclusive--Shows Your Best Rental Depreciation Method
Simplifies reporting rental property depreciation and shows which depreciation method will get you the biggest tax deduction. Maximizes Refinancing Deductions
Guides you through deducting points, appraisal fees, recording costs, and more so you don't miss a single chance to save. Helps with New Rental Properties
Shows you step by step how to set up new rental properties. Finds All Deductions and Credits You Deserve to Get Your Biggest Refund Stimulus Ready
Updated with all of the latest tax laws to help you get all of the deductions and credits you deserve--including the new 2009 Stimulus Plan credits for homebuyers, new car purchases and more. Maximizes Your Tax Deductions
Asks simple questions about your income, family situation and changes in your tax situation and credits. Then, based on your answers, searches for more than 350 deductions and credits to get you the biggest tax refund--guaranteed. Looks for Deduction Opportunities as You Go
Shows you which deductions you've taken. Which deductions you haven't. And tells you how to qualify for just about any deduction, so you don't miss any opportunities to save. Gets You the Maximum Deduction for Donations
ItsDeductible (included) helps you accurately value items you donate to charity--no more guessing. Plus, it tracks other donations such as cash, mileage and stocks, to help you get every charitable deduction you're entitled to. Handles Your Life Changes
Changed jobs? Got married? Bought a home? Had a baby? TurboTax guides you through common life changes, explains how the changes will impact your taxes, and tells you what you can deduct. Helps with Medical Expenses
Does all the math and tells you if you qualify to deduct your medical expenses for maximum tax savings. Includes Downloadable Audit Support Center
Being contacted by the IRS can be confusing and stressful, but it doesn't have to be. That's why we've created the TurboTax Audit Support Center, included for FREE with all TurboTax products. Only about 1% of all personal tax returns were audited, so it is unlikely, but if you are contacted by the IRS, we'll help you to: Find out why the IRS contacted you Determine what it means Prepare your next steps With downloadable step-by-step

• TurboTax Premier guides you step-by-step through investments and rental property income
• Assists with stocks, bonds, mutual funds and employee stock plans
• Provides extra guidance for rental property income, expenses and refinancing
• Free Federal E-File—receive IRS confirmation and get your refund in as few as 8 days
• Plus, includes a download of one TurboTax State product--a .95 value

Rating: (out of 135 reviews)

List Price: $ 89.95
Price: $ 39.75

TurboTax Premier Federal + State + Federal efile 2009 Reviews

Review by AnthonyCA:
I have always used turbotax but this year but they changed their pricing. The package says one free state download. True, you can download one state of your choice. However, you only get to prepare one state only. All additional state preparations are at via download of even the same state. Thus for example, you have two family members living in California. The first person downloads the free California state download. If the second family member, who also needs to file the California state return, the second family member needs to pay to turbotax via the software, to prepare the second state return, again, even if it is the same state. Contacted turbotax and it took several tries until they stated that this is the case. The first few times they would not confirm it but rather dodge the question and give an ambiguous answer, not admitting to the change.

1/16/10 update: after installing an online software update yesterday, it seems that turbotax has now changed their policy/software back to the way it was in previous years (probably due to the numerous complaints that they have received). Now, as with last year's edition, you can do more than one state preparation for the same state, for the one free state that you have download. I have now given it 4 stars instead of the previous 1 star, with 4 stars becuase turbotax, as stated above, tried to previously limit the one free download to also mean one state prep (which is not the case now). Other than the previous frustration regarding the state download problem, turbotax has always given me great results. Great advice/info when you tag the help function. The help function will guide you for whatever is currently on the screen, thus you do not have to hunt for the information.

2/17/10 update

I have still been hearing that some people cannot do more than one state prep for the free included one state download. I have downgraded the star ratings from a 4 previously to a 2 now because the state download/prep problem still exists for some people. If the problem is fixed, I will upgrade the star rating then.

Don't know if it is real but "Bob Meighan, VP of turbotax" wrote to one of my comments on the deluxe version stating that:

****************************

Bob Meighan says:

Anthony... TurboTax does not charge extra for preparing multiple state returns for the same state. There was no change in our pricing policy this year. I believe if you received a different story from one of our agents, I suspect it was because they probably thought you were referring to TurboTax Online, where you are charged for each return.

Bob Meighan

VP, TurboTax

****************************

Again I don't know if Bob is for real. If so, I would kindly ask Bob if he could change the turbotax website to state officially, for once and for all, that a buyer of the desktop version shall have unlimited state preps for the same free included state download.

I have also heard from another buyer that turbotax said this was due to a software flaw and should be fixed by Feb 25. We shall see. In the meantime, even though I can do multiple returns on the same state, many others cannot, thus buyer beware.

2/28/10 update:

The problem seems to be fixed. I am upgrading the ratings from 2 stars to 4 now, after it seems to be finally working now. I have received a comment stating that now it is possible to prepare more than one same state return from the free one included state download. Please let us know if it IS or IS NOT working for you.

Review by bobinstl:
In addition to the well documented price increases, in-your-face suggestive sales pitches throughout the program, and proprietary tax file format which doesn't work with other programs, you may add 'install problems'. Just received my TY '09 Turbotax Premier and it took two hours to install. Got a 'Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP 1 error' right out of the gate. Tried it on another computer with the same results. Check the Intuit website- apparently this is a known problem because the site directs you to verify installed MS .NET installations and then remove the corrupted items. Let me save you some time. Uninstall MS.Net thru Add/Remove program then use the removal tool from the Intuit website, restart, then reinstall MS .NET and install Turbotax. Wish I'd have known this earlier. Two hours in and just starting my taxes...

Buy TurboTax Premier Federal + State + Federal efile 2009 now for only $ 39.75!

TurboTax Home & Business Federal + State + Federal efile 2009

Includes everything you need for your self-employment and personal income taxes.If you're a sole proprietor, consultant, contractor or single-owner LLC, TurboTax Home & Business will get you the biggest tax savings. Get Your Refund Fast: Efile Your 2009 Taxes with TurboTax
Here's how efile works: Start your return and efile with TurboTax today. The moment the IRS starts accepting returns, scheduled for January 15, 2010, TurboTax will submit your efiled return. The IRS will confirm receipt by e-mail within 48 hours. Here's how it works: Asks easy questions
We customize questions to your unique situation, import your info from last year, and put it all on the right tax forms for you. Maximizes personal and business deductions
We search for more than 350 personal and self-employment deductions to get you the biggest tax refund possible--guaranteed. Efile for a fast refund
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-alt:"Calisto MT"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-alt:"Times New Roman"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Efile with direct deposit to get your refund in as few as 8 days. Five federal efiles included. Prepare and print unlimited single state filings. Additional state forms and state e-file are available for an additional charge. Why TurboTax Home & Business is the easiest choice for you TurboTax Home & Business was designed to help you take full advantage of your personal and business deductions so you get the biggest tax refund possible. Choose TurboTax Home & Business if any of the following apply to you: You are a sole proprietor, consultant, 1099 contractor, or single-owner LLC You receive income from a side job or self-employment You prepare W-2 and 1099-MISC forms for employees or contractors You file your personal and business taxes together If you own an S Corp, partnership, C Corp, or multiple-owner LLC, choose TurboTax Business. Compare TurboTax Software Everything you need to easily do your personal and business taxes. Guides You Step by Step Through Self-Employment Income, Deductions and Credits for your Biggest Refund Customizes questions based on your business profile (sole-proprietor, consultant, 1099 contractor, and single-owner LLC) and gives you step-by-step guidance for entering income and expenses. TurboTax customizes questions to your unique situation, transfer your info from last year, and put it all on the right tax forms for you. Click to enlarge. TurboTax searches for more than 350 deductions to get you the biggest refund possible--guaranteed. Click to enlarge. Helps Find Small-Business Tax Deductions
Shows you which expenses you can deduct for your vehicle, supplies, utilities, home office expenses, and more, so you get every business deduction you deserve. Identifies Industry-Specific Deductions
Walks you through tax write-offs by industry to help you spot commonly overlooked deductions. Gets You the Biggest Vehicle Deduction
Shows you whether you'll get a bigger deduction using actual expenses or the standard mileage rate. Provides extra help for splitting vehicle expenses between business and personal use. Makes Entering Income Easier
Shows all business income types on a single page so you know you've covered all sources of business income. Creates W-2 and 1099 Forms
Helps you prepare unlimited forms for employees and contractors. Does all calculations and prints on plain paper. No special forms needed. Mac users must have Internet access to create W-2 and 1099 forms. Simplifies Asset Depreciation
Helps you determine which depreciation method will get you the biggest deduction, then guides you through calculating and reporting depreciation. Streamlines Expense Entry
Walks you through all expense categories and provides additional tax deduction suggestions along the way so you can maximize your savings. Offers Extra Guidance for New Businesses
Shows the startup deductions new businesses can take. Also includes everything in Premier: Helps You Get the Most from Your Investments Exclusive--Imports Your Investment Info
Saves time by automatically importing your investment info directly from your financial institution. Helps You Accurately Report Investment Sales
Walks you through reporting sales of stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Automatically calculates capital gains/losses and keeps track of those that carry over to future tax returns. Determines Your Cost Basis
Finds your accurate purchase price for stock sales, in three easy steps. Helps with Employee Stock Plans
Guides you through reporting sales and automatically determines your correct basis for selling shares purchased at different times or different prices. 401(k) Maximizer
Shows you how to increase your 401(k) contribution without decreasing your take-home pay. Exclusive--Helps You Find Every Rental Deduction
Finds over 20 deductions for landlords, from travel to advertising to repairs to insurance. Exclusive--Shows Your Best Rental Depreciation Method
Simplifies reporting rental property depreciation and shows which depreciation method will get you the biggest tax deduction. Maximizes Refinancing Deductions
Guides you through deducting points, appraisal fees, recording costs, and more so you don't miss a single chance to save. Helps with New Rental Properties
Shows you step by step how to set up new rental properties. Finds All Deductions and Credits You Deserve to Get Your Biggest Refund Stimulus Ready
Updated with all of the latest tax laws to help you get all of the deductions and credits you deserve--including the new 2009 Stimulus Plan credits for homebuyers, new car purchases and more. Maximizes Your Tax Deductions
Asks simple questions about

• TurboTax Home & Business helps you get the biggest refund for you and your business
• Includes everything you need for your self-employment and personal income taxes
• Expanded interview guides you step-by-step through entering business income and expenses to help you maximize business and personal deductions
• Creates W-2 and 1099-MISC forms for your employees and contractors
• Free Federal E-File—receive IRS confirmation and get your refund in as few as 8 days

Rating: (out of 153 reviews)

List Price: $ 99.95
Price: $ 59.77

TurboTax Home & Business Federal + State + Federal efile 2009 Reviews

Review by AnthonyCA:
I have always used turbotax but this year but they changed their pricing. The package says one free state download. True, you can download one state of your choice. However, you only get to prepare one state only. All additional state preparations are at via download of even the same state. Thus for example, you have two family members living in California. The first person downloads the free California state download. If the second family member, who also needs to file the California state return, the second family member needs to pay to turbotax via the software, to prepare the second state return, again, even if it is the same state. Contacted turbotax and it took several tries until they stated that this is the case. The first few times they would not confirm it but rather dodge the question and give an ambiguous answer, not admitting to the change.

1/16/10 update: after installing an online software update yesterday, it seems that turbotax has now changed their policy/software back to the way it was in previous years (probably due to the numerous complaints that they have received). Now, as with last year's edition, you can do more than one state preparation for the same state, for the one free state that you have download. I have now given it 4 stars instead of the previous 1 star, with 4 stars becuase turbotax, as stated above, tried to previously limit the one free download to also mean one state prep (which is not the case now). Other than the previous frustration regarding the state download problem, turbotax has always given me great results. Great advice/info when you tag the help function. The help function will guide you for whatever is currently on the screen, thus you do not have to hunt for the information.

2/17/10 update

I have still been hearing that some people cannot do more than one state prep for the free included one state download. I have downgraded the star ratings from a 4 previously to a 2 now because the state download/prep problem still exists for some people. If the problem is fixed, I will upgrade the star rating then.

Don't know if it is real but "Bob Meighan, VP of turbotax" wrote to one of my comments on the deluxe version stating that:

****************************

Bob Meighan says:

Anthony... TurboTax does not charge extra for preparing multiple state returns for the same state. There was no change in our pricing policy this year. I believe if you received a different story from one of our agents, I suspect it was because they probably thought you were referring to TurboTax Online, where you are charged for each return.

Bob Meighan

VP, TurboTax

****************************

Again I don't know if Bob is for real. If so, I would kindly ask Bob if he could change the turbotax website to state officially, for once and for all, that a buyer of the desktop version shall have unlimited state preps for the same free included state download.

I have also heard from another buyer that turbotax said this was due to a software flaw and should be fixed by Feb 25. We shall see. In the meantime, even though I can do multiple returns on the same state, many others cannot, thus buyer beware.

2/28/10 update:

The problem seems to be fixed. I am upgrading the ratings from 2 stars to 4 now, after it seems to be finally working now. I have received a comment stating that now it is possible to prepare more than one same state return from the free one included state download. Please let us know if it IS or IS NOT working for you.

Review by Tom in Bellevue, WA:
I have used previous versions for about the last 10 years. All my previous experience was with the "Premier" version. The only reason I bought this version this year is that for some reason, they moved the Schedule C functionality from Premier to the Home and Business version, and thereby increased the price by about for the same thing. That is the only reason I downgraded the product: I feel that they are gouging small business customers with this change, and I think they should correct it by putting this functionality back at the Premier price level.

As for the use of the program, I just downloaded and installed it. Installation was flawless. In a quick overview of the program, it seems to be stable so far, unlike the reviews for the CD version of the same software. I like the new format for "Explore on My Own" to take you out of the guided process and allow easier handling of specific tax topics: Turbotax has always had a similar function -- I just like this view of it better than before. The importing of my previous tax year info and personal info was easier and more seamless than in prior versions.

Another reason I came back to Intuit this year was that even though they occasionally have bugs with their products, they stand behind them with excellent tech support. My recent experience with conflicts between Quickbooks and Microsoft Vista and 7 operating systems resulted in numerous hours on the phone with their tech support -- they were both persistent and generous with tech support time until they found a work-around to the incompatibilities. Knowing that they take this approach was a huge factor in having the confidence to proceed with their TurboTax product again this year.

Buy TurboTax Home & Business Federal + State + Federal efile 2009 now for only $ 59.77!

H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download]

Guidance for all your personal tax situations. Federal forms and State forms. Step-by-step interviews guide you through a customized experience relevant to your tax situation. Everything you need to prepare your federal and state taxes in one complete program.H&R Block At Home Premium includes everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files. Everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes. Click to enlarge. Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income. Click to enlarge. Personalized tax guidance for popular occupations... Click to enlarge. ...and specific deductions Click to enlarge. With a new, easy-to-use interface, H&R Block At Home Premium searches for hundreds of deductions to get customers the biggest refund. Ideal for homeowners, investors, rental property owners, and self-employed Schedule C filers, the program includes features available only from H&R Block, such as built-in expertise, live tax advice from an H&R Block tax professional and audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent customers in the event of an audit. At Home Premium Self-Employed / Rental Property Owners
The right choice for customers with more complex tax situations to easily complete their federal and state returns. Includes five free federal e-files and built-in expertise available only from H&R Block. Includes these features: Customized interview process to help customers easily complete their federal and state taxes.

Five free federal e-files.

Personalized tax guidance for popular occupations and specific deductions, plus answers to FAQs.

Live tax advice from an H&R Block tax professional.

Audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent you in the event of an audit. Included when you file a federal or state return.

Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income.

Money-saving tools for self-employed Schedule C filers.

Advice, tips, and planning tools for the upcoming year.

Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return.

Quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and H&R Block DeductionPro software.

H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations.

• H&R Block At Home Premium includes everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files
• Ideal for homeowners, investors, rental property owners, and self-employed Schedule C filers
• Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return; quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, and Microsoft Money software
• Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income; H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations
• Money-saving tools for self-employed Schedule C filers; Advice, tips, and planning tools for the upcoming year

Rating: (out of 16 reviews)

List Price: $ 59.99
Price: $ 35.14

H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download] Reviews

Review by Philip Klatte:
This program was very easy to us, and it was surprisingly easy to go back and change things after half filling it in. I filled out most of the form long before I got my W-2 and 1099s, and going back was no problem. When going back in the form, the only thing I recommend is using the tabs to go to the right section ("Personal", "Dependents", "Income", "Adjustments", etc.) and then clicking on the "Go To" link for the _summary_ of that category. This allows you to hone right in on what you want to find; it's easy to get stuck in the linear input process if you don't use some direction.

The biggest problem was that you have to find the "key code" that comes with this version of the program, allowing for 5 free e-files. All the in-program help said that if you downloaded the program, the code would be mailed to you, and it even showed what such an email might look like. I checked the email I have registered with Amazon, and my email I might have put in during registration (I couldn't remember if there had been a registration process), and I couldn't find the "key code". It turns out that there is no email. ...you need to go to the Amazon folder that gets put in your Start Menu, as a part of installing the downloader. In that folder ("Amazon"-->"Amazon Games & Software") there is an icon labelled "Go to Your Games & Software Library". If you click on that, then click to "view order key", it will show you the "key code". The key code does not look like the example that H&R Block shows you ("ABCD-1234"), it _is_ four characters -dash- four characters, but it's totally random looking (not letters on one side and numbers on the other -- e.g. "HQ8F1-RG29L" -- I almost didn't recognize it after looking at the example that H&R Block had in their Help text).

I used TurboTax last year. I switched this year to H&R Block At Home because I wasn't happy with it and someone in a review had mentioned this program. I am much happier with H&R Block than TurboTax -- it seems much less like a random series of questions, and I can guess what it's getting at on the forms when it' asking me questions.

Review by Cat Herder:
I have been using this product since 2004. I liked it better than Intuit's TaxCut when I compared them head to head.

Sure, it was clunky, but it seemed to have the tax code down pat and the step by step methodology was effective.

This year H&R Block renamed the product and put a slightly slicker interface on the product. Unfortunately, they seemed to have missed a few things under the hood.

I've spent about three hours with the software this evening and have found two problems. One minor and one major. They are both related to the sale of our old house and purchase of another house in 2009.

The minor issue is that the software makes it easy to enter the data to support a home office deduction. For the last two years we have been claiming my wife's office as it was qualified in all respects. We sold that house last year and while doing the interview on the sale, it wanted me to calculate who much depreciation IT calculated in prior years. Umm, if the darn software can read last year's return, surely it could extract last year's depreciation. It would be reasonable to expect it to ask for other Taxcut save files to extract add'l years depreciation. But it can't/won't. That's minor compared to my next discovery.

We have read and re-read IRS publication 5405 - related to the Federal Homebuyer's credit. The form seems clear. We appear to be eligible for 00 for helping the economy. A nice surprise! The software even has the right IRS form, with the right date, and it calculates correctly. Yet.....the INTERVIEW doesn't address the November 2009 extension covering existing homebuyers hwo buy a new home. That's looking like a defect to me.

So, I availed myself of the support options:

1. I called the 800 # (nice that it's 24x7 this time of year). Waited a modest 4 minutes, and a nice lady with perfect English. She asked for my email, and then we were disconnected.

2. Good thing I also had the CHAT page up and another tech showed up. I explained the issue and he asked me to double check that the software was indeed up to date (I told the software to update 3 times). All he could offer was an apology and did not know of anyway for me to report what appears to be a defect. He did offer that if I filed and there was an error and a fine, H&R Block would cover me up to ,000. I explained an omission may be an error, but it there wouldn't be a fine. Thus H&R Block was not going to cover this situation.

Frankly, if I finish my return using this software I'm going to need whiteout to add the credit when I follow the IRS requirement to print the return (and supporting documents) and mail it in. [DRG - see updated notes below].

I hope this is so obvious that H&RB knows about it - perhaps the economy is so bad I'm their only customer fortunate enough to buy a house this year? I don't know. I'm going to give their corporate office a call tomorrow and see what happens when I "ask for the President's office". If that doesn't work then Amazon can refund my money and Intuit can suck me a little bit drier as I'll have to become one of their Zombies this year.

Updated 3/1/2010

I called their HQ during the day and asked for a manager, after some quick forwarding I was talking to a manager and explained the situation and why I felt that there was an incomplete feature. The outcome was two fold:

1. I was shown that you can use the attached IRS forms in lieu of the interview. The credit did calculate correctly - I just have to avoid using that particular interview.

2. I spoke with a support tech who knew how to handle tech savvy customers and professionally represent his company. After taking exquisite notes, and reading them back to me, he assured me that they were going to get this over to "engineering". I believe him.

So I continue on feeling much better about the situation.

Buy H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download] now for only $ 35.14!

H&R Block At Home 2009 Basic Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut]

Guidance for all your personal tax situations. Federal forms. Step-by-step interviews guide you through a customized experience relevant to your tax situation. Everything you need to prepare your federal taxes in one complete program.H&R Block At Home Basic includes everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files. Ideal for simple tax situations and easy for first-time users, H&R Block At Home Basic guides customers through their return with a step-by-step Q&A in a new, easy-to-use interface. Everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files. Click to enlarge. The program automatically double-checks for errors and includes features available only from H&R Block, such as built-in expertise and audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent customers in the event of an audit. At Home Basic Simple Tax Situations
The right choice for customers with simple tax situations to easily complete their federal returns. Includes five free federal e-files and built-in expertise available only from H&R Block! Includes These Features: Customized interview process to help customers easily complete their federal taxes.

Automatically double-checks returns for errors.

Five FREE federal e-files included-get your refund in as few as eight days

Prepare and print unlimited federal returns for FREE

Audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent you in the event of an audit. Included when you file a federal return.

Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return.

Quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, and Microsoft Money software.
Compare At Home Editions

• H&R Block At Home Basic includes everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files
• Customized interview process helps you easily complete your federal taxes; ideal for simple tax situations and easy for first-time users
• Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return; quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, and Microsoft Money software
• Automatically double-checks returns for errors; built-in expertise and audit support with guidance
• Five free federal e-files included--get your refund in as few as eight days

Rating: (out of 24 reviews)

List Price: $ 19.99
Price: $ 5.22

H&R Block At Home 2009 Basic Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] Reviews

Review by Allan Ray Miller:
There are two bugs that affect H&R Block At Home 2009 for some Apple Mac users. Since both problems prevent customers from updating the program from the H&R Block web servers, customers must correct both problems manually before any updates from H&R Block are possible. I already discussed this in the Comments section on John Young's review, however I realize that not everyone follows the Comments link, plus this new description is more concise. So you get it again.

Who it affects: Mac customers who both: 1) have multiple login accounts on the Mac and 2) attempt to run H&R Block At Home 2009 from a non-admin account.

Problem #1: During the installation process the initial update fails due to file permissions. Error message is: "1008:5,-5000 Access denied error. You do not have enough access privileges for this installation"

Resolution: 1) Stop the program installation and log in under the admin account, 2) open a Finder window, 3) open the Applications folder, 4) uninstall the H&R Block 2009 program by dragging the icon to the Trash, 5) in the Finder window open the Utilities folder, 6) run the Disk Utility program, 7) select your hard drive as the disk upon which to operate, click on the "Repair Disk Permissions" button and wait for that process to complete, 9) reinstall the H&R Block 2009 program under the admin account.

Problem #2: When running H&R Block 2009 using a non-admin login account, the program crashes immediately upon launch due to file permissions. Error message is: "Initialization Failed. Exception thrown during initialization: File open failed. File = /Users/Shared/H&R Block/2009/update.tim in open:MacFileWriterImpl"

Resolution: 1) Exit the program and log in under the admin account, 2) open a Finder window, 3) open the Macintosh HD icon, 4) open the Users folder, then the Shared folder, then the H&R Block folder, 5) right-click on the 2009 folder, 6) select "Get Info" on the menu, 7) on the pop-up window in the "Sharing & Permissions" section set ALL permissions that say "Read Only" to instead say "Read & Write", return to the Finder window and open the 2009 folder, 9) right-click on the update.tim file, 10) select "Get Info" on the menu, 11) on the pop-up window in the "Sharing & Permissions" section set ALL permissions that say "Read Only" to instead say "Read & Write".

Upon successful resolution of both of these problems the customer will be able to run H&R Block 2009 from a non-admin account to do their taxes. As of the date of this note however (1/22/2010) all program updates must still be made using the admin account.

I discovered and diagnosed this on my own machine. Fortunately I'm a geek and so was able to figure out the problem & share it with others. Obviously H&R Block did not test this scenario before they shipped the program. Dunno if a similar problems exists on Windows machines. Also dunno if there will be further problems when I download & install the State program. I haven't gotten that far yet.

UPDATE Problem #3: I installed the Maryland state program tonight (1/27) when it became available for download. Given the problems above I used the admin account to do the install and then switched back to my normal account. Ran the program: no Maryland state tax program installed! And you're only allowed to download it one time without paying again! Turns out the state program downloads into the directory ~/Library/Application Support/H&RBlock/2009/ (for non-techies ~ means starting at your home directory) and a non-shared plugin is created. This thwarts other accounts from using the state program.

Resolution: Using a Finder window in the admin account copy the file ~/Library/Application Support/H&RBlock/2009/Completed Updates/md.dmg (for other states replace md.dmg with your state's abbreviation e.g. va.dmg for Virginia.) Paste this into a shared directory such as Macintosh HD/Users/Shared. Go back into your normal account and copy that same file from the Shared directory into your own ~/Library/Application Support/H&RBlock/2009/Completed Updates/ directory. Double click on that file (md.dmg in my case.) A new window will pop up and you'll see a new file which starts with your state's two-letter abbreviation. In my case it was called MD.TCstate09. Double click on that file. Another window will pop up which says it is installing the state plug-in. After that, you'll be able to use the state program under your normal user account as you intended.

Don't ask me how to update all of this mess at this point when H&R Block is ready to push out new program updates. Do you use the admin account? The user account? Who knows? It might even depend upon whether you are updating the Federal or the State return. What a mess!

H&R Block really blew it this year on multi-user account support, at least on the Macs. I tried relaying this to their Customer Service (3 phone calls and 2 online Chat sessions) but they had no one who understood the Macs and no way for me to email to them my diagnosis and solutions. They were nice and tried to be helpful but I'm not sure they got exactly what I was saying. I hope so though.

I have liked H&R Block in the past and they are cheaper than TurboTax. This year, however, makes it difficult to remain a loyal customer. We'll see what I do in tax year 2010.

Anyway, I hope my pain is able to help other Mac users get up and running.

Review by Alan W. Harris:
Having used TaxCut Basic last year, I received two CD copies in the mail of this year's tax program from H&R Block, but both keyed to the "Premium" level program, at "premium" price. For me, all I am looking for is the equivalent of a spreadsheet that propagates entries into all the relevant forms and schedules and does the sums. The "Basic" level program is good enough for that, even though my return is fairly complex; it covers all forms and schedules for federal filing. The difficulty is getting one's hands on the "Basic" version, H&R Block is so aggressive in peddling the higher level programs that it can be difficult finding the "Basic" version -- thanks, Amazon.

An annual annoyance is state returns. For most states, mine (California) included, filing state taxes is so simple, once the Federal is done, and so automated on the state web site, that I don't waste money on state tax options. Too bad H&R Block and TurboTax don't price their state products closer to what they're worth. In the meantime, I just waste some paper and file by mail.

Buy H&R Block At Home 2009 Basic Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] now for only $ 5.22!

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download]

Guidance for all your personal tax situations. Federal forms. Step-by-step interviews guide you through a customized experience relevant to your tax situation. Everything you need to prepare your federal taxes in one complete program.H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files. With a new, easy-to-use interface, H&R Block At Home Deluxe searches for hundreds of deductions to get customers the biggest refund. Everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files. Click to enlarge. Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income. Click to enlarge. Ideal for homeowners and investors, the program includes personalized tax guidance and features available only from H&R Block, such as built-in expertise and audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent customers in the event of an audit. At Home Deluxe (No State) Investors / Homeowners
The right choice for customers with more complex tax situations to easily complete their federal returns. Includes five free federal e-files and built-in expertise available only from H&R Block! Includes these features: Customized interview process to help customers easily complete their federal taxes.

Five free federal e-files.

Personalized tax guidance for popular occupations and specific deductions, plus answers to FAQs.

Audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent you in the event of an audit. Included when you file a federal return.

Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income.

Advice, tips, and planning tools for the upcoming year.

Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return.

Quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and H&R Block DeductionPro software.

H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations.

• Ideal for homeowners and investors, H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files
• Customized interview process helps you easily complete your federal taxes
• Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return; quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, and Microsoft Money software
• Automatically double-checks returns for errors; built-in expertise and audit support with guidance
• Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income; H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations

Rating: (out of 9 reviews)

List Price: $ 29.99
Price: $ 26.58

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download] Reviews

Review by Dion A. Antonio:
The purchasing and downloading process was a breeze. Although I'm not a big fan of installing Amazon's download application (why couldn't they just give us a direct link to download the program?), it went without a hitch. As far as installation, that went well too. No errors.

I have Windows 7, 64 bit. The H&R Block website states that this software works on both 32 and 64 bit versions of the OS. So I was surprised when I went to run the application that it wouldn't work! A pop-up immediately came up and states that the application crashed. I tried various "Compatibility" modes and even tried to "Run as an Administrator". None worked. I checked the Windows Event logs and the H&R Block application crash does show up. I uninstalled and reinstalled the program, again to no avail.

Long story short, I didn't feel like messing around much more. So I just fired up VMWare, installed Windows XP 32-bit, and installed the B&R Block software. It now works perfectly! It sucks that I had to do that just to get the software to work. So I give a 3 because it works great now, but loses 2 points for not working as advertised (on a Windows 7, 64-bit machine).

Review by A. Varney:
I have used the Taxcut software for the past few years and have always been happy with the product and price. This is the first time I have tried the downloaded version. I'm happy to say it downloaded quickly, installed easily and worked as flawlessly as the boxed versions I have used in past years. I was working on my taxes within 10 minutes instead of waiting for my software in the mail. I also liked that downloaded version is more enviromentally friendly since there isn't all that added packaging and shipping. Just an FYI, you will need a to redeem a "keycode" in order to file your federal return for free. This keycode is in your download library in your Amazon account.

Buy H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download] now for only $ 26.58!

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut]

Guidance for all your personal tax situations. Federal forms. Step-by-step interviews guide you through a customized experience relevant to your tax situation. Everything you need to prepare your federal taxes in one complete program.H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files. With a new, easy-to-use interface, H&R Block At Home Deluxe searches for hundreds of deductions to get customers the biggest refund. Everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files. Click to enlarge. Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income. Click to enlarge. Ideal for homeowners and investors, the program includes personalized tax guidance and features available only from H&R Block, such as built-in expertise and audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent customers in the event of an audit. At Home Deluxe (No State) Investors / Homeowners
The right choice for customers with more complex tax situations to easily complete their federal returns. Includes five free federal e-files and built-in expertise available only from H&R Block! Includes these features: Customized interview process to help customers easily complete their federal taxes.

Five free federal e-files.

Personalized tax guidance for popular occupations and specific deductions, plus answers to FAQs.

Audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to represent you in the event of an audit. Included when you file a federal return.

Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income.

Advice, tips, and planning tools for the upcoming year.

Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return.

Quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and H&R Block DeductionPro software.

H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations.
Compare At Home Editions

• Ideal for homeowners and investors, H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files
• Customized interview process helps you easily complete your federal taxes
• Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return; quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, and Microsoft Money software
• Automatically double-checks returns for errors; built-in expertise and audit support with guidance
• Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income; H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations

Rating: (out of 49 reviews)

List Price: $ 29.99
Price: $ 21.50

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] Reviews

Review by M. Spalmacin:
The H&R At Home Deluxe Federal + E-file CD received from Amazon installs quickly enough. On attempting to start the installed program I immediately receive a message saying that At Home is not running on the computer it was originally installed on. That's silly because this is the only computer I have. But I follow the suggestion to un-install, then re-install the software. I get the same result, At Home won't start.

My on-line chat with H&R Support eventually leads to their request to check into Microsoft Update and install any missing "Critical" updates. There are none. But there are some "Important" ones. However, they're for programs I don't have (e.g., Office 2003, Server 2005, etc.) or don't want (e.g., Internet Explorer 8). H&R Support can't be any more specific about which updates might be necessary and I can't tell from the explanations of the updates which one(s) might affect At Home's inability to know where it's running.

I'm stuck.

I'm not going to install 8 updates willy-nilly, hoping one (or more) of them will solve the problem. At Home is obviously checking some internal value somewhere that tells it where it thinks it was installed against some value stored in the bowels of 64-bit Windows Vista, but H&R Support can't tell me what At Home is looking for.

So I still have no clue why At Home won't even start up. Has anyone else stumbled across this problem in 64-bit Vista (w/Service pack 1) and solved it? If not, I'm going to have to return H&R Block At Home (2009) and see if I have any better luck with Turbo-Tax for 2009.

I'm frustrated because last year I switched from Turbo Tax to H&R Block Tax Cut and found it easy and simple to use. Oh, well, back to Turbo Tax.

*** Update, Jan 12th, 2010 ***

An H&R At Home representative contacted me at home (no pun intended!) after reading the above review. He apologized for the failure and said that I had encountered a known problem that wasn't related to "critical" Vista-64 updates. The problem affects some but not all Vista-64 users. Anyway, nothing I might have done during or as a result of the on-line chat would have solved my problem. He said they have a fix in hand for the problem and that they expect to have it available for download on Jan 15th. All in all, well handled by H&R and a good public relations endeavor. My opinion of them has risen substantially as a result of our conversation.

Review by Allan Ray Miller:
There are two bugs that affect H&R Block At Home 2009 for some Apple Mac users. Since both problems prevent customers from updating the program from the H&R Block web servers, customers must correct both problems manually before any updates from H&R Block are possible.

Who it affects: Mac customers who both: 1) have multiple login accounts on the Mac and 2) attempt to run H&R Block At Home 2009 from a non-admin account.

Problem #1: During the installation process the initial update fails due to file permissions. Error message is: "1008:5,-5000 Access denied error. You do not have enough access privileges for this installation"

Resolution: 1) Stop the program installation and log in under the admin account, 2) open a Finder window, 3) open the Applications folder, 4) uninstall the H&R Block 2009 program by dragging the icon to the Trash, 5) in the Finder window open the Utilities folder, 6) run the Disk Utility program, 7) select your hard drive as the disk upon which to operate, click on the "Repair Disk Permissions" button and wait for that process to complete, 9) reinstall the H&R Block 2009 program under the admin account.

Problem #2: When running H&R Block 2009 using a non-admin login account, the program crashes immediately upon launch due to file permissions. Error message is: "Initialization Failed. Exception thrown during initialization: File open failed. File = /Users/Shared/H&R Block/2009/update.tim in open:MacFileWriterImpl"

Resolution: 1) Exit the program and log in under the admin account, 2) open a Finder window, 3) open the Macintosh HD icon, 4) open the Users folder, then the Shared folder, then the H&R Block folder, 5) right-click on the 2009 folder, 6) select "Get Info" on the menu, 7) on the pop-up window in the "Sharing & Permissions" section set ALL permissions that say "Read Only" to instead say "Read & Write", return to the Finder window and open the 2009 folder, 9) right-click on the update.tim file, 10) select "Get Info" on the menu, 11) on the pop-up window in the "Sharing & Permissions" section set ALL permissions that say "Read Only" to instead say "Read & Write".

Upon successful resolution of both of these problems the customer will be able to run H&R Block 2009 from a non-admin account to do their taxes. As of the date of this note however (1/22/2010) all program updates must still be made using the admin account.

I discovered and diagnosed this on my own machine. Fortunately I'm a geek and so was able to figure out the problem & share it with others. Obviously H&R Block did not test this scenario before they shipped the program. Dunno if a similar problems exists on Windows machines. Also dunno if there will be further problems when I download & install the State program. I haven't gotten that far yet.

UPDATE Problem #3: I installed the Maryland state program tonight (1/27) when it became available for download. Given the problems above I used the admin account to do the install and then switched back to my normal account. Ran the program: no Maryland state tax program installed! And you're only allowed to download it one time without paying again! Turns out the state program downloads into the directory ~/Library/Application Support/H&RBlock/2009/ (for non-techies ~ means starting at your home directory) and a non-shared plugin is created. This thwarts other accounts from using the state program.

Resolution: Using a Finder window in the admin account copy the file ~/Library/Application Support/H&RBlock/2009/Completed Updates/md.dmg (for other states replace md.dmg with your state's abbreviation e.g. va.dmg for Virginia.) Paste this into a shared directory such as Macintosh HD/Users/Shared. Go back into your normal account and copy that same file from the Shared directory into your own ~/Library/Application Support/H&RBlock/2009/Completed Updates/ directory. Double click on that file (md.dmg in my case.) A new window will pop up and you'll see a new file which starts with your state's two-letter abbreviation. In my case it was called MD.TCstate09. Double click on that file. Another window will pop up which says it is installing the state plug-in. After that, you'll be able to use the state program under your normal user account as you intended.

Don't ask me how to update all of this mess at this point when H&R Block is ready to push out new program updates. Do you use the admin account? The user account? Who knows? It might even depend upon whether you are updating the Federal or the State return. What a mess!

H&R Block really blew it this year on multi-user account support, at least on the Macs. I tried relaying this to their Customer Service (3 phone calls and 2 online Chat sessions) but they had no one who understood the Macs and no way for me to email to them my diagnosis and solutions. They were nice and tried to be helpful but I'm not sure they got exactly what I was saying. I hope so though.

I have liked H&R Block in the past and they are cheaper than TurboTax. This year, however, makes it difficult to remain a loyal customer. We'll see what I do in tax year 2010.

Anyway, I hope my pain is able to help other Mac users get up and running.

Buy H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] now for only $ 21.50!

H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium & Business Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut]

Guidance for corporate, partnership, and payroll business returns. The complete personal and business tax return solution from America's #1 tax preparer. Step-by-step interviews guide you through your personal and business tax situation.H&R Block At Home Premium & Business is two complete, easy-to-use programs in one and includes everything you need to complete your personal and business federal and state taxes, plus five free personal federal e-files. Everything you need to complete your personal and business federal and state taxes. Click to enlarge. Ideal for corporations, S corporations, partnerships, LLCs, non-profits, and estates and trusts. Click to enlarge. A simple question-and-answer process helps your customers find hundreds of deductions to get the biggest refund. Ideal for corporations, S corporations, partnerships, LLCs, non-profits, and estates and trusts, the program includes built-in H&R Block expertise, business tax planning, payroll and employer forms, live personal tax advice, and personal audit support. H&R Block At Home Premium & Business also includes unlimited business state returns at no additional cost. Premium & Business Small business owners
Two complete programs in one for customers to manage their personal and business taxes. Includes five free personal federal e-files and built-in expertise available only from H&R Block. Includes these features: Customized interview process to help customers easily complete their personal and business federal and state taxes.

Unlimited business state programs and one personal state program included.

Five free federal e-files for personal returns.

Personalized tax guidance for popular occupations and specific deductions, plus answers to FAQs.

Live personal tax advice from an H&R Block tax professional.

Audit support with guidance, plus an H&R Block enrolled agent to provide representation in the event of an audit. Included for personal taxes when filing a federal or state return.

Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income.

Money-saving tools for selfemployed Schedule C filers.

Advice, tips, and planning tools for the upcoming year.

Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return.

Quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and H&R Block DeductionPro software.

H&R Block DeductionPro software for a personal return to maximize tax savings from donations.
Compare At Home Editions

• H&R Block At Home Premium & Business includes everything you need to complete your personal and business federal and state taxes, plus five free personal federal e-files
• Ideal for corporations, S corporations, partnerships, LLCs, non-profits, estates and trusts
• Easily import W-2, 1099, and data from last year's return; quickly import data from TaxCut, TurboTax, Quicken, and Microsoft Money software
• Guidance for reporting investments, dividends, home sales, and retirement income; H&R Block DeductionPro software to maximize tax savings from donations
• Personalized tax guidance for popular occupations and specific deductions; Advice, tips, and planning tools for the upcoming year

Rating: (out of 32 reviews)

List Price: $ 79.99
Price: $ 44.04

H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium & Business Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] Reviews

Review by JBW:
I've used TaxCut's Deluxe or Premium software to do my personal taxes for several years without any complaints. Before that I used Turbo Tax for several years and only switched because TaxCut was less expensive to do the same thing. This year my husband and I started a small business, so I purchased the H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium & Business software. After loading the software, the federal interviews would not run for a corporation (1120/1120S forms and supporting forms).

I waited until Jan 4, checked for updates and had the same problem. So, after calling their customer support center three times, I finally got a support person who told me their business interviews were not yet available and they did not have a tentative date for their availability. The main forms have been approved by the IRS, but H&R Block hasn't finished the interview portion of the software.

I had hope to use the product to complete our W-2 and W-3 forms which are due by Jan 31, 2010. But, now I have no way of knowing whether to return the product since the business portion is inoperable and buy TurboTax, or wait it out and hope the updates are available in time.

I hope this is helpful in reducing anyone else's frustration who might have a small business and want to use this to complete their W-2 forms.

Review by Linda Day:
The section that follows is my first impression of the Business program, generated on January 15. At the end of that, I include my second impression on February 15 of the business program (1120S). I'll include a review of the 1040 portion of this software after I do those taxes. OK, that review is in at the very bottom. I'd rate the 1040 as 4-stars.

Ok, I knew H&R was a little more primitive than TurboTax (which I used for 10 years or so), based on my experience with their personal tax package for 2008 taxes, but it was adequate. So this year I tried the Business software (S corp), the only part of this combo-burrito I've tried so far. It is REALLY primitive:

1. First, don't necessarily expect to be able to make sense of the display! The program may show up on your monitor with the check boxes bearing NO spacial relationship to the actual choices. So you call the help desk, and someone tells you to reset your monitor properties to display 1024x768. Oh and make sure that under "Advanced" the dpi resolution is set to 96. The is the only software I've ever used that couldn't recognize my monitor and display correctly. Massive lameness -- and it took 2 long tech support calls to fix it.

1.5. For a while, tech support thought the software was corrupt. I had registered it but BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE SOFTWARE FROM AMAZON, H&R BLOCK HAD NO RECORD OF MY REGISTRATION. So if the software had actually been bad, they could not have downloaded a clean version -- I would have had to return the box to Amazon for a refund and reorder it!! And the tech support person noted that Amazon would probably not take it back because it had been opened! Be warned -- if you really want this stuff, pay the man and download it from H&R Block.

2. Recognize that tech support people have just been hired and will not really know anything, tho they will be friendly and eager to help. Plan to spend an hour or two with vague directions trying to get where you're trying to go. Cultivate a Zen state of mind...

3. Expect the "interview" questions to be something like: "Did you have any 53(c) sect 89 reclaimable charge-backs loss amortizations for deductible klefnabulator expenses?" When you look for more information, there isn't any. When you check out the IRS instructions, they say (surprise!) exactly what the "interview" question said. TurboTax asks you in English, tells you what the amount applies to, and even tells you how commonly this item is entered.

4. Don't expect the program to be smart about anything. TurboTax figures out that if you don't have deduction A, you can't possibly have B or C, but H&R Block asks you every question.

5. Don't expect to be able to import from QuickBooks or last year's taxes produced by TurboTax. Generate those reports and type in your numbers.

6. Don't expect all the forms to be there -- and don't expect the software to let you know. I tried and tried to get to Form 4562, Amortization and Depreciation, and ended up at several different dead-ends. I again called tech support and talked at length with a guy who took me through more dead-ends before finally discovering that the form "hadn't been released by the IRS yet." You might think the software itself would let you know, but you'd be wrong.

7. To switch between your 1120S and filling out a 1099-misc for a contractor is not intuitive. Another call to tech support. For 20 minutes or so, the guy didn't seem to understand what a 1099 was, or even understand that I was working on an S-Corp return and not a 1040(!). More dead ends. Finally, he got help and told me to close the program and reopen it to get where I wanted to go.

8. I then gave up. I should say that I did all this stuff on Jan 15, which I admit is early in the year. So if things improve markedly, I'll update this review.

9. Meanwhile, based on this experience, I would say that the fact this combination package is about half the price of the separate TurboTax business and personal packages, does NOT make it a good deal! It is easy for me to loath Intuit, but next year I'll most likely be doing business with them again. Sigh.

Here's an business tax update on February 15. The updated software still doesn't recognize my monitor, but at least I knew what to do this time and finished filling out taxes fairly quickly. I have done my own taxes for years and had QuickBooks reports and prior year forms. Dollar-wise, the program is off from what I calculated from QuickBooks by about 4, but at this point I'm not quibbling. Nothing has changed from what I said in January, although it seems that all the forms are now available. The interview still seems quite stupid -- and it makes mistakes: I filled out the tax form for an S corporation, which NEVER pays taxes, and the program asked me how much estimated tax I'd paid and tried to get me to pay a penalty for not paying -- AND the business lost money last year! (How often do YOU pay taxes on money you've lost?] Plus, when I opened the file I'd saved from January, the program did not remember where I was but started over at the beginning. Very lame. Yes, TT costs twice as much, but it terms of ease of use and lower stress factor, it is probably worth it. Sigh. I really expected more.

Feb 26, 2009. I've just finished my personal 1040 taxes, and my what a difference! This part of the software is professional, smooth, and easy to use. It recognizes my monitor (ta da!) so I don't have to reconfigure my system to run it. However, I changed the location of my tax file, and it did not remember that. It's a little different than TurboTax, but seems to work fine. Only disadvantage I can see compared to TT is that there is no way to see a WYSIWYG version of your forms (what they show you has the information but does not look much like the paper in your hand) and their reporting and comparison functions at the end are not as complete or complex as TT. But it does the job, and the interview is friendly and intelligent.

Now the question is: Knowing that the business software is lousy and the personal stuff is good, what you gonna do?

Buy H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium & Business Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] now for only $ 44.04!