MS antivirus will be free

[Wraith]

Microsoft has been offering their OneCare subscription-based anti-virus/malware software for a few years now, but starting mid-2009, the next version of the software will be available for free, under the name "Morro."

Microsoft Announces Free Antivirus Software for H2 2009 (http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Announces+Free+Antivirus+Software+for+H2 +2009/article13469.htm) (DailyTech)

Microsoft Announces Plans for No-Cost Consumer Security Offering (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/nov08/11-18NoCostSecurityPR.mspx) (Microsoft)

I suppose Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro and the rest will be none too pleased.

[LarsenNET]

Interesting, I wonder what this will do to the corporate site of anti virus. We pay thousands for MS Forefront which includes mailbox & desktop coverage.

[Goronmon]

I suppose Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro and the rest will be none too pleased.Nortan and McAfee can suck it for all I care. Both are crap from my past experiences.

[muddi900]

Ms paint is free. So is IE. Don't forget the windows firewall.

While I have nothing against MS, this will only give non-power users a false sense of security and result in more infected computers.

[Goronmon]

While I have nothing against MS, this will only give non-power users a false sense of security and result in more infected computers.Well, unless the MS AV solution works reasonably well. Any links to sources saying it doesn't?

[roboninja]

Well, unless the MS AV solution works reasonably well. Any links to sources saying it doesn't?

Nope, I am just going on past experiences. I hope to be proven wrong, but do not expect to be.


I use Avast, which is already free. Norton and McAffee? lawls

[Telefrog]

Well, unless the MS AV solution works reasonably well. Any links to sources saying it doesn't?

MS AV is partially based on Kaspersky (http://www.kaspersky.com/) tech, so it's pretty robust and stable.

[PathMaster]

And it is not meant to compete against Norton and McAffee.

[J Arcane]

Ms paint is free. So is IE. Don't forget the windows firewall.

While I have nothing against MS, this will only give non-power users a false sense of security and result in more infected computers.
This.

I find the idea of buying "security solutions" from the company that gave us Internet Explorer to be laughable.

[Goronmon]

I find the idea of buying "security solutions" from the company that gave us Internet Explorer to be laughable.It's about as laughable as buying an OS from them as well.

[J Arcane]

It's about as laughable as buying an OS from them as well.
Which is why my main OS is OS X and I've never paid for a copy of Windows. ;)

[Krispy]

This.

I find the idea of buying "security solutions" from the company that gave us Internet Explorer to be laughable.

To be fair, IE 8 met the new web standards months before Firefox 3 did. Microsoft just can't win.

[KingGorilla]

Two things.
1. given the number of people who have terrible surfing habits, out of date AV, running Win 98 or earlier, the world is a better place with more basic security support.
2. it is free because no one bought it when they sold the damn thing.

[cawblen]

my only question is: define free?

[muddi900]

And it is not meant to compete against Norton and McAffee.

HAHAHAHA. My cuckoo clock can compete against McAfee and Norton. No matter how secrity concious you are, there is better software you can pay for(like NOD32)

[BLeeP]

People have faith in any AV? No one program will ever do a 100percent perfect job. It's sort of like jeans. Use whatever you are comfortable with.

[muddi900]

People have faith in any AV? No one program will ever do a 100percent perfect job. It's sort of like jeans. Use whatever you are comfortable with.

But there is AV software out there that does a better job than McAfee and Norton, without hogging all your memory.

[PathMaster]

HAHAHAHA. My cuckoo clock can compete against McAfee and Norton. No matter how secrity concious you are, there is better software you can pay for(like NOD32)

Possibly, but does your cuckoo clock want to be involved with another antitrust suit?

[ClannerDelta]

Ms paint is free. So is IE. Don't forget the windows firewall.

While I have nothing against MS, this will only give non-power users a false sense of security and result in more infected computers.

This assumes your average Internet user can do anything worse. I find this to be a bold and optimistic assumption.

[Telefrog]

This assumes your average Internet user can do anything worse. I find this to be a bold and optimistic assumption.

Agreed. Look, this software isn't for folks like us. Neither is Windows Firewall, MS Paint, or Wordpad. This is an awesome deal for folks that chat on IM all day, giggle at Youtube, and surf their Myspace friends. Frankly, I'll feel better knowing those idiots have some form of rudimentary AV protection at all. Anything is better than nothing, and right now those users are just potential propogators of viruses. The more of these unprotected morons there are, the harder it is for us competent users to have a secure internet environment.

[Brady]

I beta tested both version 1 and 2 of the onecare software. It really is a solid piece of software and I'd suggest using it over both mcafee and norton. It doesn't hold up to my favorite, NOD32, but it is aimed at a diff crowd.

Microsoft has invested a lot into this software and they've got a great team behind it. I also know they've recently purchased a company by the name of Komoku which specialized in military grade types of security so they could use their rootkit defense in onecare.

Again not a product for me, I love my NOD32. But for free, its pretty solid. I haven't seen the 2.5 release, but I'd def prefer a free onecare vs a free grisoft avg virus scan.

Microsoft really is the only company that can be criticized for giving away something for free...

[J Arcane]

Agreed. Look, this software isn't for folks like us. Neither is Windows Firewall, MS Paint, or Wordpad. This is an awesome deal for folks that chat on IM all day, giggle at Youtube, and surf their Myspace friends. Frankly, I'll feel better knowing those idiots have some form of rudimentary AV protection at all. Anything is better than nothing, and right now those users are just potential propogators of viruses. The more of these unprotected morons there are, the harder it is for us competent users to have a secure internet environment.
Dude, those people are the ones who MOST need a high quality anti-virus solution. They're the one's who get most of the viruses and malware out there. MySpace alone is like a giant fountain of the stuff.

[Disgustipated]

Dude, those people are the ones who MOST need a high quality anti-virus solution. They're the one's who get most of the viruses and malware out there. MySpace alone is like a giant fountain of the stuff.

If Microsoft's new antivirus is based on Kaspersky, then it's high quality. Kaspersky is the best. Keep riding that ignorance train, though.

[Stoke]

Dude, those people are the ones who MOST need a high quality anti-virus solution. They're the one's who get most of the viruses and malware out there. MySpace alone is like a giant fountain of the stuff.

It doesn't matter what they need. That crowd doesn't pay for AV software. Having a good, free, solution is preferable to an excellent, but expensive solution.

[J Arcane]

It doesn't matter what they need. That crowd doesn't pay for AV software. Having a good, free, solution is preferable to an excellent, but expensive solution.
There already are decent free solutions that I'd trust well before I'd trust a Microsoft security product.

[Telefrog]

There already are decent free solutions that I'd trust well before I'd trust a Microsoft security product.

The problem is that the demographic we're talking about wouldn't search out, download, and install a free AV solution if you paid them. This is free and automatic.

Again, much like Windows firewall, it's not a great solution, but it's free, automatic, and most importantly, it's transparent to idiots.

[J Arcane]

The problem is that the demographic we're talking about wouldn't search out, download, and install a free AV solution if you paid them. This is free and automatic.

Again, much like Windows firewall, it's not a great solution, but it's free, automatic, and most importantly, it's transparent to idiots.
I guess in the end, it's for the best, if only because small computer shops like the one I work for make their bread and butter off virus/malware cleanups.

This'll probably just replace Norton as the new false security generator that winds up in our shop more often than most.

[KingGorilla]

Given the Symantec money hats to Best Buy, Dell, HP, etc. I think you will see plenty more people coming in.