There's no shortage of CD- and DVD-burning software available these days, and Cyberlink's Power2go doesn't really provide any special features that you can't find elsewhere. However, it is cheap, fairly easy to use and provides all the tools you need for creating data, audio and DVD-Video discs.

Unfortunately, things get off to a bit of a bad start. The installer begins by asking you to enter the name of your company, always a bad sign in a product aimed at home users. It then gives you two options labelled 'Make CD/DVD' and 'Burn data/Music', and tells you that you're installing something called DVD Solution 1.0. Needless to say, we were a bit confused by this point, so we just carried on and installed everything on offer.

Eventually we discovered that Power2go is in fact a bundle that contains two separate programs. There's Power2go itself, which provides the main options for burning data and audio discs, and Powerproducer Express, a simple authoring tool for creating DVD-Videos. As for 'DVD Solution 1.0' - your guess is as good as ours.

The most notable feature of Power2go is that it works in two modes. After installation you'll find a group of four buttons sitting in the lower right-hand corner of the Windows Desktop. These buttons allow you to use the program's 'Express' mode. There's one button for creating data discs, one for audio discs, and one for copying existing discs. The idea is that you simply drag and drop any files from the Desktop onto the relevant button and the program will automatically burn these onto a disc in a suitable format. The one exception is the fourth button, used to create video discs, which launches the Powerproducer program.

Express mode certainly isn't the 'unique' feature that Cyberlink seems to think it is, but it's handy for beginners who just want to jump in and start making their own discs as quickly as possible.

If you want a bit more control over the burning process, you can launch the full Power2go program. This starts by presenting you with a similar set of disc creation tools but selecting one takes you into a series of additional windows that provide more detailed options.

The program's interface is functional rather than elegant, and looks a bit confusing at first. The screen for creating data discs is the worst, as it's split into four different sections. However, it soon becomes apparent that the upper half of the screen simply displays the contents of your hard disk in the same manner as the Windows Explorer. You use this to locate the files you need and then just drag them into the lower half of the screen. One useful touch is the display running across the bottom of the screen that keeps track of the size of your files and warns you when you've got enough to fill your target media.

At this point you're not committed to burning your disc, and can save a set of files as a 'project'. This acts as a list of files that you can recall at a later date when you decide you're ready to burn.

The audio features are straightforward, simply asking you to specify whether you want to create a standard audio CD, or use mp3 or wma files instead.

The other main feature is the Powerproducer Express program. This is a very simple DVD-authoring tool that allows you to import video clips and prepare them for use on a DVD-Video. There's a reasonable selection of styles for creating menu screens, although the ready-made artwork tends to be a bit cheesy - pictures of hearts or shots of Paris for the 'romance' section, for example.

The installation process is a bit of a mess, and the interface isn't exactly a work of art, but Power2go does provide a good all-round suite of tools for creating your own CDs and DVDs. And, at well under £50, it's also pretty good value for money.

Contact: Cyberlink
www.gocyberlink.com

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