Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

No Anti-Virus in Vista

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the left-out-in-the-cold dept.

truthsearch writes "Microsoft will omit anti-virus protection in Vista, the next version of Windows. Redmond is promoting Vista as a landmark improvement in Windows security. Yet Jim Allchin also told CRN in a recent interview that there will be no anti-virus software. For unspecified business (not technical) reasons, Microsoft will sell anti-virus protection to consumers through its OneCare online backup and security service."

8 of 444 comments (clear)

  1. Two possible reasons by RandoX · · Score: 5, Interesting

    1) Avoiding a possible unfair competition suit.
    2) To be able to sell the service on a monthly fee basis.

  2. EU reasons? by cnettel · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Ok, it's probably a bit stupid to connect the dots just because they occur together in time, but might this be a preventive move to avoid further troubles with the EU commission (and possibly the U.S. DoJ) for leveraging the existing semi-monopoly into related markets?

    Firewalls, media players and other stuff is generally included in distros and the other commercial desktop OS (MacOS X) now. AV isn't. Therefore, it could seem intrusive by MS to include it. (On the other hand, we are all quite aware why noone else NEEDS to bundle that.)

  3. I know we hate M$ here... by the+computer+guy+nex · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...but isn't it just the least bit ridiculous that a company cannot ship their own anti-virus solution with their OS? I'm sure they could make it an option similar to the firewall in SP2.

  4. Re:So first virus in? by luvirini · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Have not heard about that in the wild... proof of concepts do not count.

  5. Re:Damned if they do, Damned if they don't by ivan256 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You're going to have to explain to me what you mean by 'properly configured'.

    You certainly can't mean anything that is close to the default settings.

  6. Great by dtfinch · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Now, if Windows Vista runs slow all the time, it'll be because of viruses/malware, not because of virus protection.

  7. This is taking the piss by 99luftballon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sooner or later Microsoft is going to have to admit that it isn't interested in doing antivirus. It deals in boxed product and proto-web services within a rigid framework. Antivirus is primarily a signature service system with a dollop of heuristic programming. It looks like it has bought a few companies, looked at the depth of the problem and decided not to bother. Vista is looking increasingly toothless.

  8. Does Ford explicitly charge you for brakes? by gelfling · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Let me see if I get this right. Implement a bad design that's vulnerable. Force people (more or less) to upgrade to it. Toss normal ecnomic efficiencies out the window so that price never goes down. Then charge folks a premium for a bunch of extra tools meant to overcome the badly flawed design vulnerabilities?

    This is like car companies charging you for brakes or airlines charging a premium for not crashing.