McAfee Total Protection 2010 hits many of the right notes. It’s easy to use and it’s effective, but years of below-average releases will likely leave many users unwilling to give it a try.

Quicken 2010 is a solid finance package, especially for novices, but offers little that’s substantively new.

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 isn’t necessarily the best suite around, but it’s definitely effective and should appeal to those who like making granular adjustments to their protection.

iTunes 9 is a natural, yet relatively minor, evolution of Apple’s popular media management software and is a required download for new iPod owners.

Trend Micro Internet Security Pro’s broad feature set combined with its look and feel make it a serious contender, but its questionable efficacy and middling performance make it a program we’re not recommending.

Going by older detection and removal numbers, Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware offers competent if basic security protection.