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Microsoft Officially Announces Anti-Virus Product

Harry Maugans writes "Microsoft has officially announced their entrance into the anti-virus market. By combining anti-virus scans, anti-spyware scans, and firewall protection into a single package, Microsoft thinks they've created something fresh. So fresh they're charging an annual fee of $49.99 per year." From the article: "Microsoft's Windows OneCare Live program will be launched in June and made available online and via retailers for an annual fee of $49.95 on up to three machines. Customers who beta test Windows OneCare Live between April 1 and April 30 get to take advantage of a special $19.95 promotional price. Microsoft's pricing means Windows OneCare subscribers are likely to pay less up front than if they bought traditional anti-virus software like Symantec, for example, whose Norton AntiVirus 2006 protection pack for three PCs lists at $89.99."

9 of 399 comments (clear)

  1. Cool by dfiguero · · Score: 5, Funny

    So now they sell you the problem and the fix!

    --
    My penguin ate my sig
  2. Great! by Mathiasdm · · Score: 1, Funny

    [joke mode]
    Detailed information available here.
    [/joke mode]

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    Join the anonymous, help develop the network: http://www.i2p2.de
  3. Nice computer you have here by CaptainZapp · · Score: 2, Funny

    Would be a shame if something happens to it...

    --
    ich bin der musikant

    mit taschenrechner in der hand

    kraftwerk

  4. annual per year? by MartinG · · Score: 2, Funny

    an annual fee of $49.99 per year.

    Oh, an annual fee per year, as opposed to all the other kinds of annual fee.

    It always annoys me when people use duplicate unnecessary redundant superfluous words in their sentences.

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    -- MartinG To mail me: echo kewyjlcxyzvjfxbqwh | tr bcefhjklqvwxyz .@adgimnoprstu
  5. Best. Anti-virus. EVAR. by RyoShin · · Score: 2, Funny

    This has the opportunity to really sweep up the anit-virus market.

    Using holes first introduced by them, they can identify a virus, protect a user against that virus using OneCare Live, and then dive into their code to see how the virus slipped through, and, two or three weeks later, release a patch to completely stop that virus and any other like it. Since the patch would be available to all users, many would update their system and stop spreading virii, which would cut down on the number of wild virii, which would decrease the work load for the AV service, meaning they can make more profit without changing rates!

    They could do more than just make a reactive anti-virus program, they could make a proactive anti-virus program. Within a year or two, they could close up most common security holes in Windows, making their system more lucrative to those trying to decide on an OS.

    And, then, they can take what they learn from this, and apply it to Vista, making it a robust and secure OS, rivaling any open source OS! BEST. ANTI-VIRUS. EVAR.

    ...Whoa, wait... Microsoft is the one making this?

    Nevermind. [sigh]

  6. Re:To be fair to Microsoft by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 1, Funny

    No, I think a lot of their buffer overflows are still done in-house.

    They do probably outsource the coding for things that work.

    --
    You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
  7. Re:To be fair to Microsoft by JonTurner · · Score: 3, Funny

    >>put "I love you" in the "bad words" filter for your mail server, rejecting every single email containing the phrase "I love you"

    Now I've seen it all. Following that line of reasoning, if they'd just filter on the word "virus"...

  8. Mac Users Shafted by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Pffft. Once again, Mac users are left out in the cold. Where's the Mac version, Microsoft?

  9. Percentage by algf2004 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Chance of a hole in Microsoft Antivirus that allows remote-code execution: 101%