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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.
Sheesh, look at how many times the word 'beta' appears on that page. They're trying to out-beta Google...
Be a real patriot: Question authority. Think for yourself. Formulate your own conclusions.
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....
Check out my website: Playfully Clever
So, now Microsoft are releasing third-party programs themselves for fixing their own bugs? If they're trying to make us trust their OS, I can't see the point.
[sig]
How would changing the oil and brake fluid on my PC make it more secure?
What happens when one of the major Movie studios implement some bullshit DRM tech that smells, looks and sounds like a virus? Will they take steps to treat it as such, or will their obvious conflict of interests prevent them from acting on it?
They have a lot to prove before I even think about using this application.
Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
until there is a vulnerability discovered to install a virus through the anti virus application?
You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson: never try.
For most users, the only thing in the windows security alert that could not be fixed by simply turning something on was antivirus software. All the others (auto-update, firewall) were included and could just be activated. Now they have one for that last bit (not like I use thier versions of the stuff, and hate autoupdate, but its good for the _normal_ user).
By reading this, you have given me brief control of your mind.
It seems any profitable application that gets developed on the Windows platform gets noticed by Microsoft and they immediately start buying up companies, releasing a free version, or making their own. They are trying to take out Adobe (Photoshop, PDF), Antivirus (McAffee, Norton, etc), they already killed Netscape, Office Suites, E-mail clients, and they are working on killing SQL servers.
Why does anyone think it is a good idea to partner with Microsoft again?
The more you know, the less you understand.
Should they have to pay for it? I think the only fair way to do this make it free for users. There is something very wrong about paying MS "protection" fees monthly or whatever to keep your OS "safe".
Microsoft may claim that the reason they need to charge for it is that if they bundled it they would run into anti-trust issues. But when has that ever stopped them before? Make is free, integrate it into the OS, and take some responsibility for your poorly thought out security framework.
If you wanna get rich, you know that payback is a bitch
"The company that invented software vulnerability has launched a new AntiVirus application. Microsoft executives say the new initiative, when combined with the relaxed security in such products as Office, Internet Explorer, IIS, and Outlook Express, allows the company's revenue streams to come full circle; making them both the cause-of and solution-to most of your computer's security problems."
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.
Conor "You're not married,you haven't got a girlfriend and you've never seen Star Trek? Good Lord!" - Patrick Stewart
Yeah. Now there's a trip to the service station I'd like to see.
"So, what kind of car is it?"
"It's an '03 Nissan Maxima."
"And... you say there's some kind of problem with the steering?"
"Well, yeah. Actually, it ran great for about twelve minutes, then it seemed to just take on a life of its own and started trying to run other cars off the road."
(pause)
"I don't think it'll pass inspection like this."
So not only do people now have to pay a huge amount for Windows, but people will have to essentially pay for 'protection' from vulnerabilities built into their own product? Sounds like a regular racket to me. "Pay us or your OS gets it in the knees"
Maybe I could make a deal with Linus to toss some bugs into the kernel so that I can sell antivirus software. He'd get appropriate kickbacks of course.
Have you used their products in the last few years?
Norton Anti-Virus: An incredibly bloated AV scanner that rarely can REMOVE any viruses, on the off-chance it actually detects them.
Norton Internet Security: Includes the bloated AV scanner, and a Personal Firewall that regularly shits itself and screws up the whole TCP/IP stack. The only fix? Un-install Norton Internet Security.
Ghost: A good program until Symantec bought it, now most of the features that made it useful are gone.
Screw Symantec. They're actually WORSE than Microsoft when it comes to selling shitty software. Much worse.
I have had this for the past few months, beta testing it. I finally took it off after I received a known virus (the FBI one) saved the attachment, scanned it and it found nothing. I updated the program just to be sure and then scanned it again, still nothing. Oh well, so much for that idea. I went back to AVG Free. It wasnt a terrible product, but missing known viruses that have been around for a few days is really really bad...
When your greatest competition is making effective and useful products for free, you will have to follow that same route. So when does google come out with its own free operating system?
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
Its good that they are helping out those who can't help themselves. But the truth of the matter is there are those of us who run windows, who DON'T run antivirus/antispyware, and do just fine. I am vehimently anti-anything on my gaming machine at home. If you are smart about your online habits you don't need antivirus/antispyware. If you aren't then you do. Platform doesn't matter.
-everphilski-
You don't sleep. You call 9-1-1.
'like taking your PC in for a tune up at the service station'
Yeah, folks break into my car all the time because only the glove box is secure. Exploits to defeat my door locks with a bic pen and rabid goat are all over the Internet. Then the bad guys store porno in my trunk to sell later and rent out time on my engine. I regularly take my car to the service station to have it tuned up because of this.
I wouldn't trust an M$ application to report on M$ operating system and other flaws even if I were offered large sums of money to do so.
:)
/. would argue that is already the case)
It all depends on how large a sum of money. If they give me a check for say $2 million dollars, then no problem, Microsoft is the answer. Of course I would retire at the end of the week.
A real fix would be for Microsoft to use this http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/get.jsp or even this http://www.redhat.com/. Of course this would cut into their revenue stream but these are real fixes for the problem not bandaids like anti-virus software and spyware removal tools. I am sure an OEM branding deal could be setup for Microsoft to use either of those options. They just need to port some of their other applications to either of those choices. Of course they would then be competing against the likes of Apache, postgresql, mysql, and Openoffice/Staroffice.
In the long run that is what is going to happen anyway. Real alternatives are available today for most things running on Microsofts OS. As more and more companies and governments learn they can reap significant savings by moving away from Windows products Microsoft will either have to adapt or slowly become irrelevant. (I am sure some on
I've said it before and I will keep saying it, Microsoft is in a downward spiral. They will continue to lose customers at an increasing rate. Today there are viable alternatives to all of their products. A year or two ago that was not really true. Today things are much different. And now that Sun is releasing their development tools for free there are even more alternatives. We have reached a tipping point, expect to see over the next two years a steady increase in developers moving to one of the many alternative systems available. As that happens the third party products available for Solaris and Linux will explode which will in turn have users demanding to run something other than Windows.
And watch Microsoft continue to try and reinvent themselves. I expect any day to read where Microsoft will release their OS in a form that is zero cost, probably not as open source but using a license scheme where they can claim they compete directly with Solaris and Linux. They may even claim to have invented open source at some point, assuming they fail to attack it successfully in the courts.
If Microsoft can make anti-virus and anti-spyware software to cover shortcomings in its own OS, shouldn't this be included as PART of the OS? They can make a great argument why file compression, web browsing, disk defragging and other utilities should be part of the OS. Why not this as well?
(Before I get flamed because Microsoft is currently giving its BETA away for free, check the facts. They will most-likely charge a subscription fee for them later.)
sig: sauer