05/23/2012
Norton Antivirus vs McAfee AntiVirus 2012: Head-to-Head Comparison
With a lot of the things we as consumers buy--especially things we buy rarely--we narrow the field down from a huge list of options to the two or three things we're most serious about buying.
And since most of us renew our antivirus software for somewhere between one and three years, it's no different. Easily the most common of these narrowed down head-to-head comparisons in the world of virus protection is Norton vs McAfee.
The two questions all of us ask at a time like when we're comparing two things are:
- What's better?
- If the more expensive is better, it worth it?
So, let's take a look at these two heavyweights and get this question answered!
Norton Antivirus 2012 vs.
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Winner: Norton | McAfee | |
 Norton Antivirus 2012 $39.99 |
 McAfee AntiVirus 2012 $49.99 |
|
| Virus & Spyware Protection | ||
|
Prevention / Real-time Protection |
Consistently scores among the top programs in our tests at preventing new virus infections. Earned an "excellent" rating against "zero day" threats in each of our 2012 tests. | Does quite well against most new viruses and earns a "very good" rating in this part of our tests; however, it comes at a huge performance cost that sometimes makes using the web painfully slow. |
|
Manual Virus Scanning & Removal |
Did nearly as well at detecting and removing viruses on our test PCs as it did at preventing them from getting there in the first place. Another "excellent" rating. | Mysteriously, McAfee outright missed about 50% of the viruses we tested with, and some of those that it did find, it had a tough time removing. |
|
Spyware Protection |
Not as impressive against spyware/adware as it is against viruses, but it still earns a "Good" rating in our tests both for preventing infection and successful removal. | Not good, not bad against spyware, truly "Average." It did, however, do better at stopping spyware from getting in than it did at removing it. |
| Verdict | Category Winner: Norton | |
| Installation, Usability & Tech Support | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Installation |
The best installer of 2012.
If we had a rating for "Outstanding," it would earn it. Instead, its 100% score earns it an "Excellent" rating in our scoring grid. |
The complete opposite of Norton's installer. Account setup required, very large, slow installer has to be manually downloaded onto each PC you install the software onto.
Too many hoops to jump through. Really a terrible experience from start to finish. Rating: "Poor" |
|
User Interface |
Black interface takes some getting used to, but it's aesthetically pleasing and mostly easy to use. Some screens feel a bit bolted on. Overall it's fast and works well. |
At the risk of sounding overly harsh, this is a flawed interface by most any measure. Its tiny main window (and huge top label section) forces everything to be done in a window about 2" x 3".
Some features require multiple scroll bars to work. Needs a complete redesign. |
|
Tech Support |
While many help beyond basic installation and upgrades is a "Premium" service (i.e. they charge you for it), the Norton support (long complained about by consumers) has gotten much better. Just don't expect to talk to them for free if you need help. |
Like Norton, McAfee charges for most everything beyond help with basic installation and upgrades.
Overall, a "Good" experience; expect the basic techs to stick to a script, even if your needs aren't on their script. |
| Verdict | Category Winner: Norton | |
| Overall Value | ||
|---|---|---|
| Software |
Norton Antivirus 2012 $39.99
|
McAfee AntiVirus 2012 $49.99
|
| Money Back Guarantee |
60 Days (The longest available.) |
30 Days (Industry average.) |
| Verdict | Overall Winner: Norton | |
05/15/2012
Temporary Fix to Avira Antivirus / Internet Security 2012 Blocking Applications
The Internet is aflutter today with news that many people are having problems with Avira Antivirus Premium and Avira Internet Security.
Apparently, Avira is blocking legitimate applications, thus rendering many PCs all but unusable since even basic programs like Notepad won't start.
Avira has responded with a Knowledge Base article (complete with screenshots) on How to add an exception for a blocked application in Avira".
Adding an exception is easy, albeit something people are upset about having to do in the first place. Alternatively, some folks are suggesting disabling Avira's ProActiv Protection as another possible solution, but that's something we'd discourage since it lowers measurably your PC's security.
Manually adding programs to the blocked applications exceptions list is a hassle, but chances are you only use a handful of programs regularly, so it's really not that time consuming to do, and it's certainly safer than disabling ProActiv.
Given that the first reports started showing up on Avira's forums last night and they already have documentation of the workaround up, their response time thus far has been pretty good.
No news yet as to when to expect a full solution.
Apparently, Avira is blocking legitimate applications, thus rendering many PCs all but unusable since even basic programs like Notepad won't start.
Avira has responded with a Knowledge Base article (complete with screenshots) on How to add an exception for a blocked application in Avira".
Adding an exception is easy, albeit something people are upset about having to do in the first place. Alternatively, some folks are suggesting disabling Avira's ProActiv Protection as another possible solution, but that's something we'd discourage since it lowers measurably your PC's security.
Manually adding programs to the blocked applications exceptions list is a hassle, but chances are you only use a handful of programs regularly, so it's really not that time consuming to do, and it's certainly safer than disabling ProActiv.
Given that the first reports started showing up on Avira's forums last night and they already have documentation of the workaround up, their response time thus far has been pretty good.
No news yet as to when to expect a full solution.