Think you need more than one software package to take full advantage of your CD/DVD burner? Think again: Ahead's Nero 6 Ultra Edition can handle all of your burning, authoring, and playback needs-and then some. Built on Ahead Software's venerable Nero Burning ROM mastering app and InCD packet-writing software, Ultra Edition adds a capable DVD/movie file player, a much-improved Nero Vision Express 2 movie-authoring and editing application, and the brand-new BackItUp program. Augmenting the bundle are audio editors, a host of utilities, a jewel-case cover designer, and MPEG-4 encoding a la DivX.
Taking a hint from Roxio's user-friendly Easy CD Creator, Nero 6 Ultra ties the suite together with an elegantly designed launch panel, called StartSmart, that is completely configurable and shows only the applications you use.
In my tests with shipping software, I noticed small interface glitches throughout the suite (Ahead has been quick to post fixes), and I found the new DVD player promising but not yet full-feature. I also didn't care for the strict step-by-step approaches used by Nero Vision Express 2 and BackItUp, which grow tiresome to walk through when you've acclimated yourself to the way they work.
But in spite of these drawbacks, the suite's impressive capabilities won me over.
A comprehensive suite that offers much bang for the buck.
Price when reviewed: $100. Current prices (if available)
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