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Security, spam, software patches. Those four words say a lot about the software you need to run your business. Our 2004 Complete Guide to Software includes tools for protecting your computers against these threats and much more. The programs on our list will make you more productive, save you time and even save you some money. We have applications that will help you run a one-person shop or spread work out across your departments. And we've included applications for Mac users, PDA devotees and hosted services that require no software installation at all. Get to work!

APPs FOR SMALL TO MIDSIZE BUSINESSES

ENTREPRENEUR'S COMPLETE GUIDE TO SOFTWARE

ACCOUNTING/FINANCIAL/TAX PREPARATION

ACCPAC

Simply Accounting 2004 PRO

www.simplyaccounting.com

(800) 773-5445, $99 (a five user pack costs $269)

Accounting system includes time-tracking, purchasing, payroll and project-management features. It offers multiuser capabilities and supports online banking and electronic payments.

Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

ACCPAC

Simply Accounting Payroll 2004

www.simlyaccounting.com

(800) 773-5445, $79

Full-function payroll for an unlimited number of employees. Maintains employee profiles, and backs earnings and benefits, expenses and deductions, advances sick days and bank days. Works as a stand-alone package of with QuickBooks, MYOB of Simply Accounting.

Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

BEST SOFTWARE

Peachtree Premium Accounting 2004

www.peachtree.com

(800) 247-3224, $500

Double-entry accounting and business-management software that generates consolidated statements for multiple companies, Includes general ledger, account s payable and receivable, and payroll, and a Web-based remote access feature.

Windows 98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

H&R BLOCK

TaxCut Premium Home & Business 2003

www.taxcut.com

(800) 457-9525, $49.95

Software for completing personal and business taxes. Includes forms for sole proprietorships, corporations, 5 corporations, partnerships payroll returns, fiduciary returns and nonprofits.

Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

INTUIT

Quicken 2004 Premier Home & Business

www.quicken.com

(800) 446-8848, $79.95 ($10 rebate is also available)

Complete personal financial suite, with business features such as invoicing ,job trading, accounts payable and receivable, investment tracking and online bill payment.

Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP

INTUIT

TurboTax Premier Home & Business

www.turbotax.com

(800) 446-8848, $7905

Software for personal and self-employment income taxes. Assists you with Schedule C, home office deductions, and calculating and reporting depreciation. It also includes tools for printing W-2 and 1099 forms for employees and contractors.

Mac OS 8.6 to 9.x/OS X, Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4.0/ 2000/XP

MICROSOFT

Money 2004 Small Business Edition

www.microsoft.com/money

(800) 426-9400, $89.95 ($20 mail in rebate available)

Software for managing personal and business expenses. Allows you to create customized invoices with your company logo, to import and export contacts to and from Microsoft Outlook, and to print paychecks from the desktop. A one-year subscription to PayCycle online Payroll service is included.

Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

MICROSOFT

Small Business Manager 7.5

http://mbs.microsoft.com/smallbusinessmanager

(800) 426-9400, $995

Designed for businesses that have outgrown off-the-shelf software, this suite features asset management, order and inventory management, payroll and deduction tools, and financial reporting tools.

Windows 98/NT 4.0/2000/XP

MYOB

MYOB Plus 2004

www.myob.com

(800) 322-6962, $249 ($119 upgrade)

Accounting software with business management tools. Features integrated Electronic Business Services, which supports direct deposit of employee paychecks, electronic vender payments and online payroll services, and allows you to accept credit cards from customers. Offers enhanced financial reporting features.

Windows 98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

BACKUP

ACRONIS

Acronis True Image 7.0

www.acronis.com

(877) 825-0953, $49.99

Creates an exact image of your system for emergency backups; system image includes data on OS, programs, software updates and patches, configurations and preference settings. Also supports incremental backups that can be performed daily.

Linux, Novell Netware, Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

DANTZ

Retrospect Professional 6.5

www.dantz.com

(800) 225-4880, $89

Offers automated backups for desktops and notebooks. Saves OS files and settings, device drivers, and applications and settings for local and networked computers to backup devices including hard drives, CDs of DVDs, and tape drives.

Mac OS 7.1 or higher/OS X, Windows 95/98/Me/ NT 4.0/2000/XP

EXECUTIVE SOFTWARE

Diskeeper Professional Edition 8.0

www.executivesoftware.com

(800) 829-6468, $49.95

Automatic disk defragmentation software. Features scheduled defragmentation to speed up desktop and networked computers. Also monitors hard drives for reliability problems due to fragmentation and low disk space.

Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Server 2000/ Server 2003

EXECUTIVE SOFTWARE

Undelete 4.0

www.executivesoftware.com

(800) 829-6408, $39,95

Data-protection application that locates and recovers lost files on desktop PCs and over a networks. A $299.95 server version adds management features, including a remote installation feature.

Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP/Server 2003

SYMANTEC

Norton Ghost 2003

www.symantec.com

(800) 441-7234, $69.95 ($49.95 to upgrade)

Backup and disc-imaging application. Clones hard drives for system recovery and stores disc images on multiple types of media, including network sewers, other hard drives, and CD and DVD discs

Windows 98/Me/NT WS/2000/XP

VERITAS SOFTWARE

Backup Exec 9.1 for Windows Servers

www.veritas.com

(800) 327-2232, $795

Back up and restore software for networks Protects desktop, laptop and server data. Features a Web-based administration console.

Windows NT/2000/Server 2003

BUSINESS PLAN/LEGAL

BUSINESS RESOURCE SOFTWARE

Plan Write for Business 7.0

www.brs-inc.com

(800) 423-1228, $130 ($120 to download)

Includes a library of sample business plans and a plan writing wizard. Allows you to export to Microsoft Word and Excel or PDF and HTML documents, and supports expanded financial statements.

Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP

JIAN

BizPlanBuilder 2004

www.jian.com

(800) 346-5426, $99.99

Helps you develop and create business plans; allows you to create brochures for investors. Includes prewritten sample plans and spreadsheet tools that allow you to fill in your own variables.

Mac OS X, Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP

NOLO

Incorporator Pro

www.nolo.com

(800) 728-3555, $89.99

Provides tools for forming a corporation, including information and resources for reserving a name, preparing corporate by laws, creating articles of incorporation based on official state forms, issuing initial shares and using corporate tax breaks.

Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

NOLO

LLC Maker

www.nolo.com

(800) 728-3555, $89.95

Allows you to form and run an LLC. Offers legal and tax information, including resources for choosing a valid LLC name in your state, generating and filing articles of organization, and preparing an operating agreement.

Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP

NOLO

Quicken Legal Business Pro 2004

www.nolo.com

(800) 728-3555, $49.95

Offers legal guidance for starting and running a small business, including more than 140 contracts, forms, letters and checklists. Provides information on tax laws, employment laws, small claims court and leasing space. Online updates are provided to keep up with changing laws.

Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

PALO ALTO SOFTWARE

Business Plan Pro 2004 PREMIER

www.paloalto.com

(800)229-7526, $299

Includes basic business-plan features, including examples And instructions. Advance features include Investment analysis, sales forecasting, and the ability For multiple users in different locations to work on the plan simultaneously.

Windows 98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

PLANMAGIC

PlanMagic Business 6.0

www.planmagic.com

fax: (914) 962-0149, $99,95 CD-ROM and download

($84.95 for download only)

Generates detailed business plans. Includes templates and automated financials. Also offers a product line and number-of-products generator.

Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

COMMUNICATION

AOL

AIM Enterprise Gateway 2.0

http://enterprise.aim.com

(877) 836-3726, $34 per user per year

Allows business to secure the use of AOL's IM application. Supports logging and auditing messages, and allows staff manage IM traffic as well as employee identities and permissions. Desktop client: Mac OS g/OS X, Red Hat Linux,

Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP Server component: Red Hat Linux 7.2, windows Server 2000/2000 Advanced Server

IBM

Lotus Notes 6.5

www.lotus.com

(888) 746-7426, $89.82 per user

Complete e-mail and collaboration suite featuring integrated IM tools. Includes calendar, scheduling and collaboration features.

Mac OS X, Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP

MICROSOFT