Symantec Campaigns Against Free Antivirus

Free is... bad?

As we reported earlier today, Microsoft today released its final version of anti-malware software Security Essentials. It's free for Windows users and it'll take care of most of your viruses and spyware headaches.

At the price of nothing, it's an offer that’s hard to refuse. Of course, there are other free alternatives, such as Avast and AVG.

Symantec isn't such a fan of free alternatives, naturally, and has created a video that hopes to convey the virtues of the paid Norton – in as few spoken words as possible. Is it convincing? We'll let you be the judge of that.

Symantec's view on free antivirus software

Via DownloadSquad.

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5

overdose_86 , September 30, 2009 5:09 AM

And since my previous post disappeared, I work in IT repairing pc's, Norton has a bad track record in our shop, we simply refuse to sell it because we know it's not really up to scratch, even though it would be profitable to do so since it's such a well known name.

I've seen machine after machine running norton with a healthy payload of virii sitting on the hard drive. The firewall also leaves much to be desired. The only good thing norton have done is release the "norton removal tool" !
3

overdose_86 , September 30, 2009 5:05 AM

Anyones who's watched that video and knows a bit will likely agree with me, freeware can do all the things that are listed in the video (you just might need more than one application depending on your tastes)! I call propoganda on thy'...
2

Clintonio , September 30, 2009 5:26 AM

"Freeware" AVs are the best from my experience. Avast for instance does it all, and I need no firewall with a hardware firewall + windows firewall combo.

Whenever I do tech support, I FORCE people to uninstall Norton before I touch their PCs. I refuse to spread that infection.