What is the Best Anti-Virus Program?
February 2007, by High Tech Handyman
In my opinion, there is no single best
anti-virus program
because it all depends upon various factors relating to your
computer power & usage, your experience level, and your
personal preferences. I typically recommend two different
anti-virus programs per the scenarios outlined
below.
See which scenario best matches your situation.
About Norton Anti-Virus and McAfee Anti-Virus Programs
Scenario #1 (AVG)
* Your computer is more than 2 years old or it has less
than 256 mb of memory. Or.. You have a fairly new &
powerful computer with plenty of memory and you demand
maximum performance & speed.
* You are reluctant to spend money on an
Anti-Virus
program and willing to accept some responsibility by
using techniques that avoid viruses in the first place.
* You are willing to accept some risk by
not going with
the most top rated Anti-Virus program because you feel
that you don't come in contact with that many viruses.
* You don't want to be bothered with
having to click
and monitor things for performing updates or virus scans,
but are willing to leave the computer turned ON a couple
of hours each day unattended so it can be done automatically.
Scenario #1 recommendation... AVG FREE Anti-Virus
AVG is good basic anti-virus program. It
typically ranks
about a C+ or B rating when compared by experts against
all the other Anti-Virus products. It comes in a FREE
version because the company is trying to gain popularity
in the market place and they also have a very reasonably
priced PAY version (AVG Pro) that has some extra features.
Both versions offer about the same level of basic protection.
Scenario #2 (NOD32)
* Your computer is more than 2 years old or it has less
than 256 mb of memory. Or.. You have a fairly new &
powerful computer with plenty of memory and you demand
maximum performance and speed.
* You don't mind spending a reasonable
amount (under $45)
for an Anti-Virus program.
* You don't want to be bothered with
performing updates
or scans but are willing to leave the computer turned ON
a couple of hours each day unattended so it can get it's
updates or do any scheduled scan that have been set to run.
* You have an open mind and are willing
to spend a little
time learning how to use a program that has a user interface
a bit different from most other anti-virus programs.
* The people using your computer tend to
come in contact with
many viruses because maybe they visit some bad websites like
gambling
& porn sites, or they do lots of downloading, or they
lack the
skills that would avoid contact with viruses in the
first place.
Scenario #2 recommendation... NOD32 Anti-Virus
NOD means... No Overhead Demanded!
NOD32 is one of the best ranked anti-virus programs and
it consumes very little system resources. Your computer
remains protected while still operating at top performance
levels and speed. The NOD32 user interface is a bit
different than most other AV programs, but it's easy once
you give it a chance. It really takes care of itself and stays
out for your way until it detects a virus or other malware.
About
Norton Anti-Virus and McAfee Anti-Virus Programs
Norton Anti-Virus and McAfee Anti-Virus are two of the most
popular AV programs,
but definitely not the best. Due to
their popularity, the bad guys who write the viruses and other
malware do it in a manner that gets past past or disables the
Norton or McAfee programs.
The Norton and McAfee anti-virus and
security products have
become big bloated programs that require the most modern and
powerful computer with lots of memory to operate efficiently.
High Tech Handyman no longer recommends
Norton or McAfee
anti-virus programs or their security suites.
NOTE: The article above relates to the
anti-virus
world as of February 2007. Just be aware that things
change quickly in the computer world, so what is true
one day may be totally different weeks or months later.
IMPORTANT: Besides having a good
anti-virus program,
you also need one or two anti-spyware programs. Refer to
the other articles in my FREE INFO section to see what
I'm recommending for anti-spyware protection.
Your feedback and/or opposing views are
always welcome.
Any questions?
---pete---
HIGH TECH HANDYMAN
609-291-1119