If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
Rafe Needleman has been covering technology and business since 1988. He started at InfoWorld as a reviews editor. Following that, he launched Corporate Computing magazine, and then moved on to become manager of advanced technologies for ZD Labs. In 1995, Needleman became editor-in-chief of Byte magazine. He joined CNET as editor of CNET.com, shortly after it started in 1997. In 1998 Needleman moved to Red Herring and is now back at CNET.
If HE has trouble and frustrations with this stuff, what does that say about all the rest of the poor, benighted Windows users?
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
I use AVG-free.
It's free for non-business users, and very effective.
When the Norton subscription was drawing to a close on my daughter's laptop, I gleefully un-installed the hideous Norton bloatware and installed the trim and every-bit-as-effective AVG-free.
.
Kaspersky anti-virus is excellent.
Actually the best way to avoid computer viruses is to avoid using computers at all. Why don't we all just shut our computs down, sell them on Ebay and go take a walk or read a good book.
When I upgraded my OS, Disk Doctor no longer worked properly.
I was breowsing the support discussion forums on the Apple site and ran across several posts to the effect that Norton anti-virus slowed down a computers performance.
I uninstalled System Works — no small feat — and sure enough my computer worked better.
The difference wasn't huge, but it was noticable.
In my estimation, Norton sucks.
Your role is to submit to my will. I download when I choose, I lock up your computer when I choose, I only let you know as much as I think you should know. And because I am all-knowing and almost as smart as Rush Limbaugh, I am damn near impossible to uninstall.
Wait, in that last aspect, they're more like vampires. You invite them in and you are in deep trouble.
This year they tell me that my Norton 2002 anti-virus will no longer be supported, please submit 39.95.
As I have never had a problem with Zone-Alarm I will be now using their suite!
PS I bought Norton 2002 security suite. And the only thing I had to use was Go-Back. But I can only keep it if I allow Norton 2002 to stay on my PC!
Regarding Norton antivirus software, which I have used in the past, I usually found that a virus infection was preferable.
I've got an old junker of a PC (came with Windows ME) that I used to surf the internet for about two months with no antivirus stuff whatsoever. I installed the latest Norton on it last week and expected it to be totally overun with viruses and spyware. But you know what? I ran the scan and it came up perfectly clean. A few years ago I had another old PC that I ran "bareback" on the Net, this time for about two years. And again, no viruses (actually I can't say this with total certainty -- I never scanned it -- but it never acted like it was infected with anything.).
You hear stories about computers being targeted within seconds when they're connected to the internet unprotected. I'm starting to think this is mostly fearmongering by outfits like Norton trying to sell antivirus products.
Norton is the absolute worst. When we resubscribed, we found that the only way we could get our emails was to disconnect from their program...rather ludicrous, to pay for something that never worked. We will never have another Norton product.
It's nice to have a platform to write a hit piece because you were dumb enough to upgrade an entire software release remotely (hogging up a good chunk of the available bandwidth no doubt) and you chose the download option rather than getting a CD in the mail. Of coarse, he could have just updated the 065 subscription (which is what the warning is all about) and been done in 5 minutes. But hey, then what would he have written about today?
Norton sux ... big time
Guess what genius? Norton keeps your credit card on file and automatically charges you again in another 12 months, unless you fill out a form and FAX it in to them.
I've alays wondered why Mac users always seem so concerned with what brand of computer I use. Similar to Linux users, they're always trying to get me to come over to the dark side..
You say it's better? Good for you. I use both on a fairly regular basis and I prefer the PC.. running Windows. So at home, that's what I use. Deal with it.
If you prefer Macs, great. I can see why some folks would. But why do some people feel the need to run around trying to 'convert' us poor downtrodden PC/Windows users? Getting a kickback from Apple?
And anyway, IMO, if you're dumb enough to install anything Norton/Symantic, you deserve what you get. :)
If anyone else is using it tell me how to get the anti-spam to hook up with Thunderbird.
Dreaming of a Mac Pro......
I'm in the middle of Norton hell at the moment myself, with my wife's laptop. She's got the Internet Security 2006 suite, which was an upgrade from what came with her P5000 Lifebook (nice lil box).
Being the nice guy that I am, I bought her a 7200 rpm drive to speed up her box. Got a good deal on an 80G for $99. Good so far. Get a copy of Norton Ghost ( unfortunately Norton bought PQMagic and killed Drive Image) for $69. Put the new drive in a USB2 enclosure, and Ghosted it - straight clone, I didn't even expand it to use all the space (due to a secondary partition for factory restore).
Popped the new cloned drive into her laptop and booted it up. No problemo!
About 10 minutes later, Norton calls the mother ship and deactivates her Internet Security suite saying it's been activated on too many computers! #&^Q&*^*@!!!!!
What really pisses me off is that it was their own product used to clone the drive. Ever look up what's involved with disputing their omnicious activation policy? Fill out forms, send in the form with original cd's and sleeves, then wait 3 weeks for them to review the case. Unreal!
AVG Free from Grisoft
SPYBOT
ADAWARE
All free, and effective.