Is my free antivirus really enough?

Darius Chang | Mar 04, 2009

For the longest time, I have avoided using antivirus software from major software houses such as Norton and McAfee. Besides having a bad rep for being resource intensive, I have never felt a reason to pay for a software and subscription when there are plenty of freeware which offer a similar feature set.

Norton, however, has been revamping its product line to combat not only new online threats, but also the public perception of a bloated and resource-intensive software. During the recent norton summit in Singapore's Equinox Complex, The latest Norton 360, now in its third edition, was showcased. Not only possesses all the features of its predecessor, but adds a couple of new tricks as well.

The new version installs in under a minute and uses less than 10MB of system RAM while idle, giving it a small resource footprint. Antispam protection is now included, while identity protection, online backup and PC tuneup features have all been given new tweaks and functionality.

The new features of Norton 360 version 3 are highlighted in yellow.
Credit: Symantec (click for larger image)

The new software will be available in limited quantities at the IT Show held in Singapore (March 12 to 15), before hitting the Symantec online store on March 17. Retail outlets will get the boxed sets from March 25. A one-year subscription goes for S$129 (US$93.07), while a two-year plan will cost S$249 (US$179.64). Users of Norton 360 version 2 with active subscriptions will get a free upgrade to the new version.

But will all these funky new features be enough to convert antivirus freeware users? Well, considering all the extra protection you'll be getting from Norton, it will be prudent to put it on your main PC, which will likely be always connected to the Internet. For your secondary machines like your Netbook, a free version should suffice since a system failure is unlikely to be catastrophic.

Filed under: PC & Peripherals
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