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Reliable, Free Anti-Virus Software?
oahazmatt writes "Some time ago my wife was having severe issues on her laptop. (A Dell Inspiron, if that helps.) I eventually found the cause to be McAfee, which took about an hour to remove fully. I installed AVG on her system to replace McAfee, but we have since found that AVG is causing problems with her laptop's connection to our wireless network. She's not thrilled about a wired connection as the router is on the other end of the house. We're looking for some good, open-source or free personal editions of anti-virus software. So, who on Slashdot trusts what?" When school required a Windows laptop, I used Clam AV, and the machine seemed to do as well as most classmates'. What have you found that works?
Just teach your wife not to do run random .exes, to use a secure secure browser and email client (Firefox and Thunderbird would work) and generally exercise some common sense and you won't need AV software.
Funny though this is, to be honest his 'in b4 Linux' comments were actually justified in that everyone subsequently has gone with the whole "LOL GUY USE LINUX" which partially misses the point - the article says "when-it-positively-gotta-be-windows" not "when-it-is-windows-but-unless-you-know-an-alternative-os-then-shut-your-trap."
...but back on topic, if you want high quality virus scanning, then get something paid-for, like NOD32. Elsewise, if you really don't believe in paying for software, then I'd recommend Avast, although the Clam AV mentioned here doesn't seem bad either...
Honestly, my biggest problem with Linux is genuinely the fanbase who are raging zealots who respond to (generic MS Windows issue) with their 'Get Linux' mentality. Yes, Windows isn't perfect; yes, OS X has its fair share of retarded features (or lack of, wherein) and yes, Linux doesn't happen to work perfectly with everything that has ever existed. OH WOW. Shocking. It's not perfect?
Heck, when I first looked at Linux there was a page called something like "Linux is Not Windows." Bemused, I looked at it, and what I could surmise from the page was this idea: "Linux software is mostly open source software, and that means it's free. Because the developers can't always be bothered to work on stuff they're not being paid to do, not every program will always work all the time - if there are bugs and you find this inconvenient th- LOL GO BACK TO WINDOWS NOOB!"
Linux zealots are just as guilty as Console Fanboys of ignoring issues as long as their shiny-object is shinier and tougher and cooler than everyone elses' shiny-object.
"You want the truth? You can't handle the truth"
There are obviously more and more MS-apologists moderating every day. Modded down or not, my comment (parents) is still true. The fact that some deluded fools have moderator points doesn't change that.
When I bought a friend her first-ever computer, [...] Oh, yes, she really likes the machine.
a better investment would have been an novelty oversized ass-dildo. I bet she would have liked that better.
Stop Computers/Cars Analogies on S