For a long time, I’ve recommended AVG Free Antivirus as one of the options for my clients to use in a home environment. But the downside to the AVG free is that it won’t protect you from stuff that comes across instant messaging, e-mail and the like. Nor does it have a firewall. Thus users who need those options need to pony up for something more. In this case AVG Internet Security 2013.
First, let me talk about the install. It’s painless. You download a small installer and once you run it will download the files it needs to install onto your computer. That’s a good strategy as you always get the latest version that way. One reboot and an update of the virus definitions and you’re in business. The user interface is very simple and clear. It has icons like “Computer”, “Web Browsing”, “Identity”, “Emails”, and “Firewall.” If you’ve seen Windows 8, this will look very familiar. Even if you haven’t seen Windows 8, it makes finding the settings that you need an easy process. Needless to say, it gives you complete protection from viruses regardless of the source.
To test the speed, I set it up on my wife’s Windows XP computer. Frequent readers will note that my wife is sensitive to the speed of the computer. After a few days of using this, she noted that at worst, it ran about the same speed. At best, it was a touch faster. Speaking of fast, it is quick to scan files. It took almost 20 minutes to scan my wife’s computer which has over 60,000 files on it. I’ll also note that it has a reduced memory footprint likely helps with the speed.
Now for what I wasn’t thrilled about. You have buttons for “Fix Performance”, “Family Safety” and “LiveKive” (for online backup). These are all paid services and it isn’t clear until after you click on them that this is the case. In the case of “Fix Performance”, it will scan the computer for problems. But it makes you buy the product to actually fix them. I must admit that I’m not a fan of that. I’m all for companies trying to sell their stuff. But please, don’t make it seem like a bait and switch.
The bottom line? AVG Internet Security 2013 offers powerful protection. The thing is that AVG also offers AVG free antivirus which while not having the same features of the paid product, will protect you just fine. If your needs are simple, then you don’t need to spend $60 to get decent protection. But if you want complete protection, then take a look at AVG Internet Security 2013. You’ll be glad you did.
Are You Ashamed To Have A BlackBerry?
Posted in Commentary with tags BlackBerry, RIM on October 16, 2012 by itnerdI have to admit that I look at my wife’s iPhone 5 and I feel jealous. It’s fast, it has a better camera, it has apps that I wish were available for my BlackBerry. In short, I feel that my BlackBerry is absolutely “ghetto.” Apparently other BlackBerry users have similar feelings if this article from the New York Times is any indication. Titled “The BlackBerry as Black Sheep” it details how the BlackBerry has fallen from the must have to the least wanted gadget:
The BlackBerry was once proudly carried by the high-powered and the elite, but those who still hold one today say the device has become a magnet for mockery and derision from those with iPhones and the latest Android phones. Research in Motion may still be successful selling BlackBerrys in countries like India and Indonesia, but in the United States the company is clinging to less than 5 percent of the smartphone market — down from a dominating 50 percent just three years ago.
And it’s not just individuals that feel this way. Take Yahoo:
Among the latest signs of the loss of cachet: One of the first steps Marissa Mayer took as Yahoo’s newly appointed chief executive to remake the company’s stodgy image was to trade in employees’ BlackBerrys for iPhones and Androids. BlackBerrys may still linger in Washington, Wall Street and the legal profession, but in Silicon Valley they are as rare as a necktie.
I have to admit that I am getting an increasing amount of requests to either help companies migrate away from BlackBerry products in whole or in part. So one has to think that this is a trend that isn’t going to reverse itself.
Sucks to be RIM.
So, let me ask you. Are you ashamed to have a BlackBerry? Post a comment and share your thoughts.
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