I Thought Avast Was Great Until Reading This.....

[neal62]

Boy oh Boy! What a blanket statement to make about such a fine product as we all have here in using Avast. This applies especially to those folks that are using the Avast (free) version. My gosh, the old saying that "beggers shouldn"t be choosers" is applicable here.
     These tests are really no more of an indication than say looking at a new automobiles window sticker and noting that the average Gasonline mileage in the city is .....and that the average mileage in the country is ......  I bought a new car last year and my wife and I consistenly get better gas mileage than what was stated on the window sticker. My point is like the point that others here before me have made and that is nothing may be perfect that is man made but by gosh this product is sure one heck of a lot better than other products that are supposed to protect a computer that I had to pay for before switching over to a better product such as Avast. I think while you may have the right to express an opinion here you ought to do some homework on the product that your talking about before making such statements. One last thing that has been mentioned is this, the tech support help that a person can receive here from the team is worth more to me than anything else. Nothing is any better than the "warranty so to speak" that comes with it, if it even has a "warranty/tech support"

[uffbros]

Here is my response.Where better than a lab or experts testing all the major antivirus products.  You say that isn't accurate..well then where is???  I disagree with you on that.  I actually like Avast and especially as you say for free.  I had Norton by the way and Nothing but problems on several machines I and my friends own with auto protect..so I don't promote Norton as someone suggested.  I simply read that test results and was shocked that Avast failed.  Several tech sites I participate in find that test site very reputable.  Take care.

[Lisandro]

Here is my response.Where better than a lab or experts testing all the major antivirus products.  You say that isn't accurate..well then where is???  I disagree with you on that.  I actually like Avast and especially as you say for free.  I had Norton by the way and Nothing but problems on several machines I and my friends own with auto protect..so I don't promote Norton as someone suggested.  I simply read that test results and was shocked that Avast failed.  Several tech sites I participate in find that test site very reputable.  Take care.

No, we do not have to take care.
That test worth nothing: old version of avast, not professional method and so on.
They must be care  

[Kobra]

Here is my response.Where better than a lab or experts testing all the major antivirus products.  You say that isn't accurate..well then where is???  I disagree with you on that.  I actually like Avast and especially as you say for free.  I had Norton by the way and Nothing but problems on several machines I and my friends own with auto protect..so I don't promote Norton as someone suggested.  I simply read that test results and was shocked that Avast failed.  Several tech sites I participate in find that test site very reputable.  Take care.

I ranked em with a 321 virus sampleset here:

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=5248

Sicne then, i've done way more testing....

Picking an AV is a hard decision - LOL! I know! So test after test after test.. I've finally put every AV through almost 30,000 virus samples, i've tested everything from the companies responses to virus samples, to support issues, and even watched their definition response times. Its not ALL about detection, and depending on your tastes, and what you like/dislike, it could be something as simple as the interface or asthetics that are important to you! Hell, even *I* have trouble making these decisions, and would like some reinforcement sometimes!

So what I finally did, was assign numbers to each product based on where I feel they stood in the following catagories:

Support, Definition Response, Stability, Resources/Performance(hog=low, light=high), Asthetics, Detection Power

I decided to rate each product from 1 to 4 in each catagory, 1 being horrible, 4 being superb. So I went about each product, and assigned a number to each one, for each product. Then I took all of the numbers, and added them up for each product, and came out with a 'Total' number for each product. Then I came up with a list of them, ranked in order, based on this final number: (I decided to only include the top 15 scoring products in detection on my virus test runs)


1) Kaspersky 21

2) eXtendia AVK 19
2) F-Secure 19
2) BitDefender 19

3) MKS_Vir 18
3) CommandAV 18
3) F-Prot 18

4) GData Avk 17

5) Virus Buster 15
5) Panda 15

6) DrWeb 14
6) ETrust 14
6) Avast Pro 14
6) AVG Pro 14

7) KingSoft 13
7) NOD32

McAfee 12
Norton 12
Trend 12

Now lets keep in mind, some scored very high in one area, and low in others, and this brought down the score... For example, AVK scored horrible in "Support" because they offer almost no technical support. But if support is a non-issue for YOU, then you can discard this number if you want, and look at everything else, and in that case, AVK scored higher! Here is how they broke down for each product.

(in no particular order)

Numbers rankings are in the order as listed per catagory below:
Support, Definition Response, Stability, Resources/Performance, Asthetics, Detection Power

So for example, MKS was 2-Support, 3-Definition Response, etc...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MKS_Vir 2 3 2 4 3 4 - 18
eXtendia AVK 1 4 3 3 4 4 - 19
Kaspersky 4 4 3 3 3 4 - 21
McAfee VirusScan 1 1 2 2 2 4 - 12
F-Secure 2 4 3 2 4 4 - 19
GData AVK 1 2 3 3 4 4 - 17
RAV No longer available.
Norton 1 1 2 2 3 3 - 12
Dr.Web 1 2 3 3 2 3 - 14
CommandAV 3 3 3 4 2 3 - 18
F-Prot 3 3 4 4 1 3 - 18
BitDefender 2 4 3 3 4 3 - 19
ETrust 2 2 2 4 2 2 - 14
Trend 2 2 2 2 2 2 - 12
Avast! Pro 4 1 2 2 3 2 - 14
Panda 2 2 3 3 3 2 - 15
Virus Buster 2 3 3 3 2 2 - 15
KingSoft 1 1 3 3 3 2 - 13
NOD32 1 1 2 4 3 2 - 13
AVG Pro 2 1 3 3 3 2 - 14

Consider that Kaspersky, AVK, F-Secure and BitDefender are really close, and each has their own strengths and weaknesses. AVK for example, has a way better interface than Kaspersky, but AVK lacks any measure of technical support. BitDefender took a slight hit in support area, but overall is a solid, stable product, that gets definitions pretty quickly. F-Secure uses KAV definitions, and backup engines, so of course it detects great, the interface is great, but it gets some lower marks on support, resources and some minor stability.

Thats it, thats my final rundown, make your own decisions, or use this as a guide, its all up to you in the end. Best of luck.

[Staind]

Kobra, which Anti virus do you use? Or is it a mixture? Or have you not decided yet and keep randomly switching weekly


Also, have you tested the main four free versions - AVG 6.0, Avast! Home, Anti Vir PE and BitDefender Free?  

[Dwarden]

from that new Kobra test i see there is lot of things to be changed in Avast,

i see u gave Avast lowest definition response time ...

[Kobra]

Kobra, which Anti virus do you use? Or is it a mixture? Or have you not decided yet and keep randomly switching weekly


Also, have you tested the main four free versions - AVG 6.0, Avast! Home, Anti Vir PE and BitDefender Free?  

I've actually never stopped running my base setup, which is eXtendia AVK..  I run/test the others on MS's VPC as needed.

I tested AVG7 and Avast Pro, as well as BitDefender Pay one and AntiVir.. Generally, I avoid testing free versions of products personally, as I never believe in something free as important as an AV.  Thats like putting free tires on my car.  

PS: Another reason is I don't think anything free, can support extremely timely, and rigorous updates of the database. That requires people and man hours, and as a result - MONEY..   But again, thats just my opinion.

[Lisandro]

I tested AVG7 and Avast Pro, as well as BitDefender Pay one and AntiVir.. Generally, I avoid testing free versions of products personally, as I never believe in something free as important as an AV.  Thats like putting free tires on my car.  

Edit by myself:
I remove my post from this thread like I do not want to be messed in a personalities battle of nothing.
I won't change my mind about the other users of this forum. I know them enough. They support me when I need. I'll support them when they need.
We are the dream team. We are a band of brothers: so unique so united  

[S.Z.Craftec]

Generally, I avoid testing free versions of products personally, as I never believe in something free as important as an AV.  Thats like putting free tires on my car.  

PS: Another reason is I don't think anything free, can support extremely timely, and rigorous updates of the database. That requires people and man hours, and as a result - MONEY..  But again, thats just my opinion.

Well, I don't know about that... avast! Home Edition works so well, that you practicaly can't tell the difference between Home and Pro version. Saying that free programs are not as good as paid for versions is completely unadvisedly... totaly untrue. avast! Pro gives you more options than Home Edition, but nothing more in protecting your computer from outside pests than wonderful Home Edition.

You are one of those guys who like to be always in the center of everything, and I can tell that... but, I think that your how-antivirus-works knowledge is much bigger than you even know... it's just you are that kind of guy... it seems like you like a lot to make statements like that. I've read somewhere in these forums that you said you had to leave some other forums because some people jumped all over you... calm down a little bit, and no one will force you to leave these forums. That's not the way. You're probably so young and full of energy, but after some time, you'll speak much more wisely, trust me...

Use avast! no matter is it Home or Pro version. You and me, we both know that this application is great. Let's keep avast! forum best in the world...

Cheers !

[Kobra]

Sometimes I wish I was young and full of energy...  

Married, 2 kids, and rapidly approaching middle age.  Everything is great in that statement except middle age.. LOL!

[S.Z.Craftec]

No matter, you are not less worth if you have 40 years or so...

I'm just telling, that sometimes you speak like little brat (sorry, nothing personal)... You have great, GREAT,
G R E A T knowledge, and I can tell that by reading all those virus tests you've done... something unbelievable. We all need people like you in here, and certainly, we won't force you to leave, actually, we will try to make you stay here as long as it's possible... but, you have to speak according to your knowledge. Remember that...

Stay here and don't be mad at my friend Technical. He is so wise and very good fried, I don't have to repeat that... it's well known in here...

He's just trying to calm you down a little bit... I also received some complains through IM, but we all think we can solve that problem easily by talking to you. That's exactly what we're doing right now.

Cheers !

EDIT: You said you don't like skins and you don't like to use them... I don't have problem with that. I don't wanna force people use skins, I'm not like that, everyone in here knows that... I make them, but if someone finds them ugly, he can choose not to use them... fine, problem solved... I'm offering you our friendship here in forums, and I think that's nice gesture... like Technical said before, you won't find this atmosphere anywhere else... if you say you don't like to have friends... then we have problem...

[Kobra]

He's just trying to calm you down a little bit... I also received some complains through IM, but we all think we can solve that problem easily by talking to you. That's exactly what we're doing right now.

LMAO, shows you what I know, I wasn't aware there was a "Problem" that needed to be talked through..

Anyway, like I said in another thread, I am no longer running Avast, its not currently up to the level I require in an AV, so i'm basically checking out of the forum, and will drop back in when the next version comes out and its time to test it again.  Unfortunately, I won't be sending in samples to Alwil anymore for various reasons you can figure out.   I'll check back in though from time to time.

Have fun.

[Lisandro]

I'm basically checking out of the forum...  Unfortunately, I won't be sending in samples to Alwil anymore for various reasons you can figure out.   I'll check back in though from time to time. Have fun.

That was not our intention.
Everybody here knows my intentions and my behavior.
You can stay. You will be very helpful, but we need to learn how to survive here  

[S.Z.Craftec]

Yeah, well you're not basically checking out, but turning your back to us... as we already said - Kobra, stay with us. No matter you don't use avast! as your antivirus tool, stay here as friend and valuable database knowledge...

Can you do that for us ?

Can you be a friend ?

Running away from every single forum you visit is not the answer ! Think twice...

[Tipton]

This type of thread happens where ever Kobra goes. Over at the security forum at BBR, the same thing happened. He acts like he is doing all this good, but he offends people where ever he goes. He said the same thing at BBR, that he was done and would check back later. He never left....hes still posting there. I don't have a problem with people lending a hand, but Kobra thinks he is the expert AV tester, and that is not true. He is a total ameteur, and would not even reveal his test bed of virus that he used in his tests at the security forum at BBR where he started the same AV test thread. As far as Extendia  AVK goes, they have no trial to test the AV. Their tek support is beyond horrible. You have to buy their product, before they will even answer an e-mail. Even then its spotty at best. They have no return policy, and their AV is known to slow even fast systems because it is a resource hog. I would highly discourage anyone from even considering the AVK AV that Kobra claims he uses.

Douglas