Best of 2004

These days, when you're shopping for a new lightning-fast computer or a slick DVD recorder, you probably don't look to just one source for information. You read PC World (naturally!), but you also see what other tech pundits have to say, and you read reviews at Web sites dedicated to the equipment you want.

In this 22nd edition of the World Class Awards, we've taken care of that work for you. To choose the best that the world of technology has to offer, we tapped not only the expertise of our own editors and PC World Test Center analysts, but also the knowledge of a team of outside experts--industry analysts, reviewers, and leaders at specialty sites. We looked for hardware, software, and services with exemplary usability, design, innovation, features, performance, and value. After considering hundreds of candidates, we chose 68 winners, from powerful notebooks to versatile cameras to hassle-free remote access software.

This year, we're also establishing the World Class Hall of Fame. Which products get in? Only those that consistently show World Class qualities for many years. After all, being great once or twice is impressive, but being great over the long haul is truly exceptional.