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Adaptec's stable, capable Easy CD Creator has been winning the race for market share for years. But with droves of new buyers entering the market for affordable CD-RW drives (see Top 5 CD-RW Drives), the program has been begging for a friendlier look and feel. Relief is here in the form of version 4.0 Deluxe of Easy CD Creator ($99), which works with Windows 9x and NT 4.0. This colorful new release is packed with help wizards and animations, and it adds useful apps for creating lively jewel case inserts, CD labels, multimedia CDs, and even backups for your hard drive. As a final touch, the software also adds support for the MP3 and Video CD formats.

More Than a Pretty Face

Easy CD Creator 4.0's interface is not only easier on the eyes--it's also more intuitive. Gone is version 3.5's tabbed main window. You now create a new layout for your CD by simply choosing the type from the main menu: audio, data, mixed-mode, CD extra, or bootable (for DOS and Windows PCs). Adaptec introduced only one glitch: The disc info gauge at the bottom of the screen flickers when you add files to a data layout.

Easy CD Creator's handholding for inexperienced users has been greatly enhanced with CD Guide, an animated cartoon character that provides context-sensitive help. The only drawbacks to CD Guide are that he stays on top of the screen even if you switch to another program, and sometimes the guidance he provides isn't as topical as it should be.

Some of the more subtle enhancements are most welcome: For example, CD titles are now editable from the main window rather than requiring the opening of a properties dialog. And the bar that separates the selection and layout windows is wider--making it easier to size windows. In addition, Adaptec took care of some long-needed housecleaning by graying out menu options that aren't accessible and by retaining user-selected options from session to session.

Most importantly, Easy CD Creator enhances control over the CD creation process by allowing users to define the length of time between audio tracks, specify 30-character file names for ISO 9660 standard CD-ROM format discs, and force Easy CD Creator to verify a disc after it's created. Version 4.0 also automatically tests your drives to ensure optimal safe write performance.