Slashdot Mirror
No Anti-Virus in Vista
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."
1) Avoiding a possible unfair competition suit.
2) To be able to sell the service on a monthly fee basis.
We wouldn't like Norton to go broke, would we? ;-)
It at least looks like competition.
Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
I'm not certain what the big deal is. Most OS vendors do not ship with an AV solution. I'm not certain I would want to have an AV solution integrated into the OS. Can anyone comment as to why MS 'would' integrate an AV solution?
BBH
The new Taurus will have seat belts only as part of the optional FE (Family Edition).
Security does not have to come in the form of virus protection as the post has implied. This is a common misconception. BSD is considered a very secure OS, but it's not because it has a lot of virus protection software.
No Sigs!
about 4 months ago...
To err is human, to really foul up requires a computer
Why would they ship a product that is likely to erase their own .dlls? What if it removed IE?!
The only change I can believe in is what I find in my couch cushions.
This is one of those areas where Microsoft is damned if they do and damned if they don't.
If they bundle virus protection (ie, "Make it part of the operating system"), they're accused of unfairly using their monopoly status. If they don't, then they're greedy for trying to sell you extra services.
Personally, I think it's good that they don't include it. If I decided I needed antivirus services--something that is generally in need of constant updates--I can shop around between Microsoft, Symantec, McAfee, etc. It also gives the hardware (eg Dell, Gateway, HP, etc.) and network (eg Time-Warner, Verizon, etc.) vendors the ability to provide this protection.
As long as Microsoft doesn't start strong-arming these other companies ("Nice Windows license you have--it'd be a shame if something happened to it."), I don't have a problem with it. But it definitely should give our anti-trust monitors something to keep an eye on...
I know viruses/adware/spyware will still be able to be installed, but why not make it just a little bit harder. Hell, if a burglar wants to get in my house, he can kick the door in... that doesn't stop me from locking and bolting the door every night just to make it a little more inconvenient for Johnny Break-in to steal my stuff.
Evil Walrus >83=
But it's interesting to see how the pundits here spin things, we are hearing and reading about how this is just one more Microsoft trick to stick it to the consumer, but I would very safely bet that if a virus package had been included, we'd be hearing about unfair competition and anti-trust. Religion is blind.
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
You're moving too fast here...
You're just yelling slower and louder to someone who already has no idea what you're truly trying to say...
Less Talk. More Stab.
I'm a big fan of maintaining a dividing line between operating system and applications. As far as I'm concerned, Microsoft should be free to bundle their apps with their OS, but those apps shouldn't be integrated with the OS in such a way that they can't be easily removed (and replaced by competing products). That principle should apply to media players, mail clients, web browsers, anti-spyware and anti-virus tools. I would love to see Microsoft ship Microsoft-brand anti-spyware and anti-virus tools with Vista. I would hate to see them be as tightly integrated with the operating system as Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player currently are.
First of all, I don't know how you can call WVDDM + WPF + DCE 'not a new graphics engine'. New driver model, new GUI system, and a new window manager - seems new enough to me.
.NET 2.0, WPF, and a host of other new technologies
Second, Vista has a number of big new features:
- Brand new networking stack that is 100% IPv6 internally
- New ACPI subsystem including a hybrid STR/STD support, faster suspend/resume, and a more robust mechanism for dealing with bad drivers
- New audio subsystem with per-application mixing
- UAP support (not running as admin all the time) with automatic privelage elevation (with user approval) for installers and other programs that need admin access
- Major memory manager tweaks
- Kernel tweaks to improve streaming performance
- New programming framework (WinFX) based on
- 3D accelerated UI / window manager
- New Media Center and Tablet PC features
- Fast User Switching on AD Domains
- Integrated AntiSpyware
- Integrated indexing / search (ala Spotlight) including extensive metadata and tagging support
- New Windows Media Player
- New version of IE with CSS fixes, phishing filter, tabbed browsing, native XMLHTTP, freform resize (ala Opera), and many security enhancements
- Support for auxiliry LCD displays (windows SideShow)
- New, faster install system (no more text-mode 'copying files')
- New Windows Installer version
- New printing system / PDF alternative (Metro)
So, in response to your question, basically everything.