Dr. Pepper

While barely edging out Pepsi in caffeine performance level and definitely qualifying as a "boutique" soft drink, Dr. Pepper's unique user interface qualified it for review. Bottled by Pepsi, Dr. Pepper has had little national advertising in the past few years, being seen as a perennially big seller in Texas and a fancy alternative to root beer.

Despite this, Dr. P weighs in as a reasonable choice for programmers. The taste is somewhat lemony, light and fruity. Documentation is good, but Dr. P lacks a toll-free number for support. When I did call technical support, the Pepper People seemed confused. I bounced seven times before finding the right person at the right number. However, once I got there, support was excellent and very cordial.

Although Dr. Pepper cannot be recommended outright due to its mediocre performance, slipping a few in between a long night of Classic Cokes may be just the change you need.