One aspect of the compatibility between Nero 9 Reloaded and Windows 7 is that the Nero BackItUp & Burn software that ships bundled with the multimedia suite has evolved its interaction model in concordance with the new Windows Aero GUI bells and whistles.

• Pros Faster installation. Kontakt Crack. Adds limited online backup. Designs disc labels. Mixing and scratching for DJ creations.

Detailed and easy burning apps. Burn PowerPoint slideshows to disc. • Cons No video rotation. Many of the apps have outdated UIs and lack usability. Little integration with online sharing. Blu-ray support costs extra.

• Bottom Line The Reloaded version of Nero 9 brings little new to the party. Its smaller and faster installation comes at the expense of live TV watching software. And though you get automatic backup (including limited online storage) and PowerPoint import, competitors offer more and slicker tools. The fact that Nero hasn't upped the version number for the latest incarnation of its media suite—as it's done every year in the past—tells you a lot.

Had enough problems to warrant a full makeover, but you don't get one with Nero 9 Reloaded ($99.99 list, or a $79.99 download). The suite's incredibly long installation time, and the frequent associated error messages, have been reduced—Nero claims this version uses 40 percent less disk space.

Part of this savings comes from the elimination of one very problematic part of the suite: the Nero Live TV watching and recording software. Other changes include certification, the ability to import PowerPoint presentations, and the inclusion of. But this doesn't add up to the overhaul that Nero needed to keep last year's score, as competitors Roxio and Cyberlink forge ahead. One advantage Nero 9 Reloaded has over Roxio is that you can choose which of Nero's modules you want to install if you don't want them all; this can speed installation even more. The installer needs to place some support code on your machine before installing its own, including Microsoft XML and C Runtime Libraries. I tested on a 3. Installing Flashing And Drip Edge here. 16-GHz Core 2 Duo machine with 4GB RAM running Windows 7. Interface The Nero StartSmart launcher app has a behavior I prefer over Roxio's home screen: It closes when you launch another app, and then reappears when you close that.

Another difference is that Roxio populates its home with the most popular tasks; the Nero home page is a blank slate, with an Add/Remove button that lets you customize it with the apps of your choice. I should note, too, that Nero now implements Windows 7 features like Jump Lists—although only for documents, not for component apps. I also like how Nero places all its major sub-apps in a folder in the Windows Start menu, so you don't even have to run StartSmart to get to the app you need if you already know which you want. Unfortunately, Nero's interface is now more cluttered than Roxio's, with RSS feeds at the bottom, and a welcome screen taking up the middle. Along the right are tabs for actions you can do right within StartSmart—data burning, audio ripping and burning, disc copy, backup, and playing media files.