Fortunately, Nero now includes a StartSmart menu, as shown in Figure A, that lists all the different tasks you can choose with Nero, such as ripping MP3 files off an audio CD or viewing a DVD video. By letting you choose a task you want to do, the StartSmart menu loads the most appropriate Nero program automatically.

FIGURE A


The Nero StartSmart menu lets you choose a particular task so you don't have to figure out which Nero program you need to use. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Burning discs
The heart of Nero lies in its CD/DVD burning capabilities. You can store individual files and folders onto a CD or a DVD. If you have a CD+RW or DVD+R, Nero can format your disc like a giant floppy disk so you can copy and transfer data between multiple computers.

If you want, you can use Nero to burn a backup image, so you can transfer the entire contents of your hard drive as a single file for backup purposes. That way if your computer crashes (and with Windows, that's almost a near certainty), you can restore your entire hard disk back within minutes.

For added protection, Nero even includes a built-in antivirus scanner so when you burn files to a CD or a DVD, you don't accidentally burn a virus on to your CD or DVD at the same time.

With Nero, you can make a bootable CD or a hybrid CD that both a Windows and a Macintosh computer can read. For added convenience, Nero can also create a mixed-mode CD that lets you store both music (such as MP3 files) and data files on the same CD. That way you can burn your favorite songs on a CD to listen while you're taking your important data too.

Editing and playing sound and video
Since the most popular use for CD burning involves saving music, Nero gives you the option of burning entire audio CDs or ripping songs individually off audio CDs to store them in MP3 or other audio file formats. Before you burn your audio tracks to a CD, Nero lets you edit your files. Since some songs can sound louder than others, Nero lets you adjust the volume so all the songs play at the same volume.

In case you have any audio tape cassettes or vinyl records laying around, you can store them into Nero and edit the audio files to remove any tape hiss or vinyl record pops. In this way, you can save your record collection that may include songs that will never be available on commercial CDs.

For the really creative, Nero lets offers a huge variety of audio editing features to alter the pitch, add special effects, or add reverb to an audio file. You can even splice, cut, and combine audio files to customize your own songs.

If you've captured any digital video, you can burn it directly to DVD or cut, edit, and splice your video while adding transitions and titles to make it look as professional as possible. If you just have digital photographs, Nero can create a slideshow that you can burn to a CD or DVD that includes transitions, titles, and background music. When burning a DVD, Nero lets you create menus so you can users can chose to view different video clips just like commercial DVDs.