Best of 2004
PC World editors and a team of tech gurus put their heads together to crown the year's top hardware, software, sites, and services.
Editors of PC World
Security
Antivirus Software
Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 2004
PC-cillin outperformed the competition at removing infections, and its neat interface lets you access components easily. $49
Firewall
Continuing to set the standard in the firewall category, ZoneAlarm Pro blocks most incoming and outgoing e-mail viruses, manages cookies, and stops pop-up ads. $50
Spam Filter
SpamNet delivered a catch rate of 98 percent and an uncanny ability not to block legitimate mail. Use it for Outlook and Web-based, POP3, or IMAP e-mail. $4 a month
Privacy Software
Let Privacy Bird gauge the privacy level of any site with a machine-readable privacy policy. At sites that guard your information, the bird is a calming green. At sites set up to sell your data, the bird turns an angry red. Free
Anti-Spyware Scanner
Search & Destroy scrapes bothersome software from your PC as you would barnacles from the underside of a boat. Free
