Microsoft Buying Anti-Virus Software Maker

Reuters ^ | 2/8/5 | Reed Stevenson

[drt1]

ROTFLMAO - MS sells software that is vulnerable to attack and now, after buying an anti-virus software company, they will be selling a 'Solution' to the defects of their own software.

Sort of like the doctor exposing you to the flu and then charging for the cure - A good business model in this era of corrupt capitalism IMHO.

[BullDog108]

I concur. I have had much better experience with McAfee than Norton. Norton was good in the olden DOS days, but now it seems to conflict with everything I do.

[Egon]

You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

[atomicpossum]

Why would I buy antivirus protection when AVG AntiVirus is FREE (despite whatever misgivings I have about it getting to be bloatware with the recent new version)?

[MarineBrat]

One of my machines is running Win2k Server. I tried to install AVG but it said it won't install on a server, only work stations. :(

[The Great RJ]

Given Microsoft's track record on Internet security problems I don't think I will be in any rush to buy their anti-virus product.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I was a McAfee user until the sircam came out a few years ago. It was a week after its release before mcafee had an update or removal tool, and symantec had it the day sircam came out. The company I was contracting to took a hit on users PC's because they had a mcafee corporate account.

To MS's credit; the new spyware removal beta they released picked up a sysgarbage.ocx trojan, 3 exploits and some coolweb crapola on a clients PC three days ago; and that was AFTER I had run several other programs, like a2, hijackthis, cwshredder, anti-trojan, Norton AV, spybot s&d, adaware and one or two others.

If MS picks up on this and does well, it might hurt the other two big ones. And not all problems with an MS OS is a result of coding..combine that with their firewall and it looks like MS stock is going to be splitting again in a few years.

[HAL9000]

Microsoft will probably distribute their anti-virus software free for a while - until they've driven the other AV vendors out of business. Then, you'll have to buy it.

[aft_lizard]

I like macafee because it is absolutely free for me.

Isnt that an oxymoron by the way? Microsoft and anti-virus?

[IonInsights]

I like McAfee, it works well and doesn't gwink up my system

Had to de-install it. It completely locked-up my system with its processes. I now use Trend-Micro.

[Abcdefg]

Happy Trend user here ;)

[dfwgator]

Fox, meet henhouse.

[NoClones]

Microsoft OS's having 'vulnerabilities' is sort of like your automobile being 'vulnerable' to a gang of thugs with baseball bats that target only a certain make of vehicle...

as soon as 'linux' or whatever is supposed to take over the market takes over, the gangs of hacking thugs will target that!

[ShadowAce]

You're assuming that Windows and "whatever takes over next" are equally vulnerable, yet in different ways. That's a really big assumption, and in the case of Linux, dead wrong.

Don't get me wrong, Linux isn't bullet-proof, but it's much tighter, safer, and stronger than Windows is when it comes to fighting off virii, trojans, and worms.

[blowfish]

More like your automobile parked on the street with the doors and trunk open, alarm disengaged and a big 'Steal Me' sign hanging on the hood.
Linux ain't prefect by a long shot, but it has a better security model...

[blowfish]

More like your automobile parked on the street with the doors and trunk open, alarm disengaged and a big 'Steal Me' sign hanging on the hood.
Linux ain't perfect by a long shot, but it has a better security model...

[NoClones]

that isn't quite the case - hackers are currently targeting windows...

when these malcontents decide that linux users would be more fun to annoy, then that os will be the victim of attacks.

[BurbankKarl]

funny, the new update scans for spyware monthly....

that kills a line of McAfee and Symantec line right there.