Microsoft Launches Anti-Virus Public Beta

Chris Gondek writes "The Register has a story reporting that Microsoft has released a free beta of its upcoming anti-virus application. According to Microsoft, the new anti-virus application known as Windows OneCare Live is 'like taking your PC in for a tune up at the service station'. Microsoft announced in May that it would be releasing an anti-virus application based on software developed by GeCad, a Romanian anti-virus company that Microsoft purchased several years ago." More details from InformationWeek.

Comments

Its a good thing

[PlayfullyClever]

IMHO, it's only a "good thing" from a relative standpoint. Sure, it's "good" that MS realizes spyware is enough of a problem that they decide to buy out someone who has already been working hard to solve the problem. (From a few recent comments I read over on ArsTechnica after they posted a spyware-testing article, Giant's product is supposedly quite good. In fact, arguably the best available right now, of the non-freeware spyware removers.)

As the parent poster pointed out though, this stuff isn't even an issue for non-Windows users. I'm using my PowerMac G5 tower right now, and it's rather nice not to have to wait while my anti-virus package loads up (further cluttering up a crowded system tray), and then having to wait while the thing does its automatic updates every day or two. No spyware/malware worries either. Just boot up and go....

I do PC on-site service calls for a living (Mac too, on the odd occasion we get them), and I can honestly say that virus/spyware issues generate the vast majority of my income right now. From that angle, I guess I should be happy there's such a big problem. But somehow I'm not... I often tell my customers about the Macintosh alternative (both the good and the bad), and at least 40% of the time or so, they decide it really sounds like it's "right up their alley" and they consider one for their next system purchase.

Call me crazy or whatever... but after 14 years of working with computers, I just feel like it should be as enjoyable an experience for people as possible. Using as much as 30% of your CPU time running background tasks like firewalls, virus scanners and anti-spyware packages seems so unnecessary....

Gave it a go.

[Conor Turton]

Put it on, gave it a try, took it off. Brought the system to a crawl and Firefox mysteriously stopped being able to get any data from the net even though the firewall showed it as allowed.

It's OK for newbies as it also reminds them to backup and defrag too. Also it turns the Windows Firewall into a proper one.

Think I'll stick with NOD32 though.

Re:True but

[PlayfullyClever]

some spyware installs with "legit" apps MOST seems to come in through the browser through one of the following:

1: users clicking yes blindly
2: users clicking yes becuase the system makes it extremely hard for them not to by overlapping windows or by reloading the page when they click cancel (yes i have seen this done)
3: security holes

while the spyware companies themselves may officially frown on the latter two there is no doubt that they are being used by less scrupulous sites on commission per install.

another problem is that the antivirus companies won't treat spyware like trojans (possiblly because they are scared of legal issues). a good on access scanner should be able to prevent any known shitware (viruses trojans spyware etc) from being run in the first place.