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The 100 Best Products of 2006

Powerful computers, handy services, tiny utilities, mammoth HDTVs--our editors' top picks include all these and a whole lot more. Plus: the worst products of all time.

Alan Stafford

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Best Products: 51-60

51. StumbleUpon
Browser Add-On (free) When you click a toolbar button in Firefox, it will transport you to a random site that fits your preferences. Web Site

52. NoScript 1.1.4
Browser Add-On (free) Block hazardous JavaScripts site-by-site in Firefox (the browser itself blocks either all JavaScripts or none). Review

53. Webroot Spy Sweeper 4.5
Antispyware ($30) Spy Sweeper catches more stuff than its competitors do, and it provides sound advice on which adware and spyware pieces to remove. Review | Latest Prices

Click for enlarged view.

Photograph: Marc Simon
54. Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
Keyboard ($60) An ergonomically optimized keyboard, the Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 swells upward in the middle so you can position your hands and wrists naturally. Review | Latest Prices

55. Western Digital Raptor X
Hard Drive ($400) Though the Raptor X has just 150GB of storage space, it's the fastest hard drive we've tested. Its see-through window lets you watch it work (if your PC's case has a window, too). Review | Latest Prices

56. Yahoo Maps (Beta)
Online Mapping (free) Yahoo Maps--the version still in beta--provides great directions, and allows you to determine the route you want to use by setting waypoints. Review

57. Intuit Quicken Premier 2006
Personal Finance ($80) Quicken has its annoyances--particularly its shameless marketing pitches--but the latest version lets you attach electronic images of canceled checks or statements. Review | Latest Prices

Western Digital Raptor X, ATI Radeon X1900 XTX

Photograph: Marc Simon
58. ATI Radeon X1900 XTX
Graphics Board ($600) Cards based on ATI's X1900 XTX chip and on nVidia's GeForce 7900 GTX chip (#92) compete for the fastest gaming performance. We think the ATI board delivers slightly better image quality, hence its higher ranking. Review | Latest Prices

Click for enlarged view.59. Javacool EULAlyzer Personal 1.1
License Analyzer (free) We're always urging you to read the end-user license agreements that pop up when you install software--but who has the time or the legal background to read and understand end-user license agreements? Just copy and paste EULAs into EULAlyzer, and it will tell you whether you're getting into something dubious. Review

60. Eizo FlexScan S2410W
24-Inch Wide-Screen LCD Monitor ($1700) This is the first 24-inch display to take color as seriously as a graphics professional does. Its flat, touch-sensitive electrostatic switches are much more comfortable to use than buttons. Review | Latest Prices

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