Which to choose: Norton or Grisoft?

(I have Win98se, OE 6.0, IE 6.0, Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz Pentium III)

Hello, in your understanding and experience, would anyone know which of the two (below) is more efficient in security and easier to contact for support?

(1) Norton SystemWorks2005 (I have the 2000). This includes a year's subscription to LiveUpdate2005 anti-virus (I have the 2003), for $39.95 as an upgrade; OR:

(2) Grisoft (AVG) latest version which also includes an anti-virus program, for about the same price as Norton? (Though I couldn't find which is for home and which for business)...

(3) Additionally, I just read somewhere that Avast (http://www.avast.com/) and Trend Micro's PC-cillin (http://www.trendmicro.com/) are the best. Has anyone experienced any of these?

I anticipate my thanks for any help you can give. Adela

 

Hi

You're going to get as many different answers as there are responders. BUT... here goes. I've used all three. For many years I was a faithful user of Norton software. When it became Symantec things started going downhill as far as I'm concerned. Their programs are bloated... they dig incredibly deep into your registry and are nigh to impossible to extract and they tend to be resource hogs. I've used Grisoft as well and had no problems for the most part. Last year my wife and I switched to Trend Micro's internet suite. We absolutely love it. We are updated daily (sometimes two - three times a day). Yesterday it caught a virus headed for my Inbox. It is very light in terms of resource-using. When we come up for renewal... we're renewing.

 

James summed it up nicely, I concur.

 

James

By reading your post ( with which I also concur ) I can hear my Son and myself discussing the very same issue on our front porch yesterday before he left for home.

Your post reads 99% identical to our conclusions.

I myself use Grisoft on all three machines.

BillyBob

 

Thank you very much James, TJ-IT, and BillyBob for your valuable opinions! I see that trend-micro costs more than AVG though they give, apparently, more functions, but I don't need some of those functions, especially since the last techi I had made me buy, among other things, an $80 Linksy's router/firewall ..which I'm not even using because it interfered with my emails.

But I think I'll try the free AVG, and if it doesn't help me, I'll upgrade it, and I will certainly keep in mind also the trend-micro.

Thanks ever so much again! Adela

 

???????????????????????? Interfered with E-Mails ???????????????????

I do not understand that at all.

I have one and it has three machines hooked to it. 1 XP Pro and 2 98SE.

All have Mailwasher which I used to check the mail first and Eudora as the main E-Mail which only gets what I do not delete with Mailwasher.

Also I believe the Linksys Router is a HARDWARE Firewall. Could it have something to do with that ?

BillyBob

 

I am still a Norton User on my primary machines. I feel that it is worth paying for since it costs money to maintain these programs.

As far as free antivirus, I once recommended AVG, but after trying Avast free home edition
I have recommended it ever since. It is fast, has a very nice skinnable interface, has a great ability to integrate with email, IM and even P2P and it uses very low resources. The update has never given a problem and it updates not just the database, but upgrades the entire program automatically if they have a newer version released.
You have to register it once a year (free , just give them an email to send the key to).

 

I switched from NSW to AVG Free about 18 months and pleased ... except ...
version 7 (current version) is testing resource limits on kids networked w98 (300 MHz, 128 MB) system. Also do fair amount of digital pic via email (outbound on my XP), AVG is very persistent in scanning these files, even though I have (tried) disabling the feature. Avast appears to be a full featured AV and I would like IM port scan (kids live in IM) ... think my old w98 is up to the task ??

 

AVG 7 is by far the best free anti-virus program available to day.

 

Which AV program to use

I was a loyal Norton user for years, but SystemWorks 2005 was the undoing of that relationship. I'm now getting ready to format the hard drive on my 3rd machine and reinstall everything BUT Norton.
I posted here a few months back also asking people's opinions. I gave AVG antivirus, Computer Associates eTrust antivirus, and the Zone Alarm antivirus/firewall combo a good look-over, and decided on the CA eTrust antivirus. I've been very happy with my choice, and have it on two machines. I too, see multiple updates daily, plus the ability to easily perform a manual update at any time. The third machine is going to get the new Zone Alarm Suite (the included antivirus is actually CA eTrust anyway); I have people who rely on me for what to use on their computers, and this is the direction I'm going to be sending them, so I want it installed on one of my machines where I can see exactly how it works (I have Zone Alarm Pro on all 3 machines already). The Zone Alarm suite also includes a spam blocker and anti-phishing protection (web content filtering too, if you have youngsters on that machine).
AVG was my second choice--it gets high marks and they have a free version.
Whatever you chose, I hope it works well for you!

Dave H

 

Anti Virus

I using NAV and the free version of AVG and have had no conflicts. The NAV is the not for free version

 

Hello with thanks to Oshwyn5, Dennis L, Dave H 628 and Inkeeper4:

Just to explain that I was going to post another security issue...when I saw all your valuable additional (to the other 3 members) replies for which I wasn't notified as far as I can tell; hence the delay in acknowledging and thanking you. Will quote and aswer separately. Thank you again! Adela

 

Hi BillyBob, yes, in a rage I disconnected my hardware Linksys totally because it would interfere with my incoming and outgoing OE email and some other functions too. I don't know maybe it was something else that did it but I was very tired of not being able to get my work done. It's brand new and it's sitting pretty on my desk. However, I did call Linksys Co. to help me configure it as I thought I'll try again...but the employees there had such a heavy Indian accent I couldn't understand 3 quarters of what they said, especially since it's not a regular conversation but technical instructions... and coming form a far distance: India! (I noticed many other American corporations are doing this). If you have any suggestions I will appreciate it a lot! Adela

 

Hi Inkeeper4, may I know why it's necessary to have 2 security programs? Thanks. Adela

 

Hi oshwyn5, Denis L, and James:

I'm glad to hear that AVG Free is not a bad one as I had decided to use this one since about a month, but appreciated a lot to hear that other programs are also good (or better), just in case AVG gives headaches...

Dave H 628, I'm also glad to know that there's yet another good one, the CA eTrust antivirus, to consider if the one in use doesn't do its job... But is it a must to use it inconjunction with the Zone?

I got the first "headache" with AVG and will ask about it separately.

Thanks so much to all! Adela

P.S. I know I've used several separate windows, which may interfere with the space in this forum. For the future, should I answer everyone in one window only?

 

Adela

If you mentioned it or not I do not recall. But did the machine(s) go onto the Internet OK when the Router was being used ? If they did then it may have something to do with OE itself and not the Router.

I can be of NO HELP with your E-Mail problem. I just do not know. And I have never used OE.

I just setup the Router, plugged the ISP cable and two machines into it and I was on my way. Later I just added a NIC to the 3rd machine and plugged it in.

Later on I even plugged a Printer into it. Never had to touch a thing.

OK Folks. Could this POSSIBLEY have anything to do with the setup etc. of the NIC itself ?

Again. I can not even begin to fix a problem I have not had.

BillyBob

 

Hi again, but so sorry I don't recall anymore. I did want to try it again, but as mentioned, I couldn't understand the Linksys employees' accents. I suppose Ishould try several times in the hopes I'll get someone I can understand. Adela

 

Have had similar "accent" problems when working with HP / phone support with a network printer install. 15 minutes later I did call back and connected with someone I could understand.

 

Yes, thanks Dennis, that's what I'll do again. It's a practice that's spreading rapidly...it must save them tons of money...at our "expense "!!!! Adela