Author Topic: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer  (Read 14682 times)

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Lex

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Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« on: June 29, 2009, 08:22:46 AM »
Hi All,

Hard times are coming...
Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) is on testing phase already and will be launched before long-waited avast! 5

Let's think a little bit. Main marketing initiative of avast! - its free version for home users. But money comes from corporate sales only (I don't belive that Professional version give a lot of money as it has even never been at retail boxes). And main driver for corporate sales is free home version, installed by administrator or decision maker in that company.
Currently home user has 4 alternatives: no protection, paid protection, pirated protection, free protection.
Almost everybody now knowk that "no protection" is no good...
So we have only 3 choises.
Paid protection is good if you need something more than just antivirus - firewall, antispam, privacy control, parental features and so on.
Pirated protection is not so good as it was before. Nowadays it's really huge chanse to become infected before you even install crack for antivirus.
So currently we have a greate marketing driver - free home version. And in this field avast is in competense with another third-party vendors like avira or avg.
And it's obviouse for home user that having free antivirus is better than having nothing.

With Microsoft Security Essential it's not enought to compete with avira and avg to share market of free users. Avast! will have to show something really exclusive to manage users to swith from default installed FREE antivirus to another FREE antivirus. And currently in terms of functionality avast is not much more than MSE - tha same antivirus, antirootkit and antispyware functions.
Terrible thing that avast will lose it's main marketing driver - free version exclusive offer...

Somebody can tell that MSE will be accessible only for licensed versions of windows. Yes, but is it good to have potential customer with pirated operating system? He will never purchase professional and in really rare case can be decision maker in corporate environment.

And McAfee with Symantec is not so vulnerable now. Their products has much more functionality and never have had free full-functinal version as marketing instrument.

Any ideas on this situation?

Offline bob3160

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2009, 04:25:54 PM »
Will MSE take a byte out of avast! ?  Sure and that scenario goes for all the other free (home) versions of all the
other AV programs currently available.
Will it kill avast! ?  No, never.
As some of us have already found out, MSE does have some shortcomings - Web scanning is just one of them.
The addition of Malware scanning is a plus for MSE even though avast! does a fair job in that department.
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Sammo

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2009, 05:28:57 PM »
I tried MSE. It constantly took up over 90% of my cpu and was a total piece of crap. What else can you expect from Microsoft? Its better to stick with a tried and true product like avast!

Offline bob3160

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2009, 06:15:22 PM »
Quote
What else can you expect from Microsoft?
You better check the reviews. It isn't a piece of crapp even if it's from MS.
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Sammo

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2009, 07:40:37 PM »
My personal experience is that when an app takes up 90% of your cpu, well.. that can't be too good!  :)

YoKenny

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2009, 08:39:29 PM »
My personal experience is that when an app takes up 90% of your cpu, well.. that can't be too good!  :)
My personal experience is that when an app takes up 90% of your cpu, well..  
1.The system is loaded with un-necessary stuff
2. The CPU is slow or the system does not have enough RAM

MSE runs fine on my old XP Home system that is only P4 2.5GHZ CPU and 512MB RAM with 32MB RAM taken by the video adapter.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2009, 08:41:52 PM by YoKenny »

Sammo

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2009, 09:00:48 PM »
My personal experience is that when an app takes up 90% of your cpu, well.. that can't be too good!  :)
My personal experience is that when an app takes up 90% of your cpu, well..  
1.The system is loaded with un-necessary stuff
2. The CPU is slow or the system does not have enough RAM

MSE runs fine on my old XP Home system that is only P4 2.5GHZ CPU and 512MB RAM with 32MB RAM taken by the video adapter.
MSE seems to have the same problem that AVG 8 sometimes has - its a resource hog on some machines. My system is a 3.2GHZ with 2GB RAM. The only other security software I had running was Outpost firewall. I for one really do not like Microsoft stuff.

YoKenny

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2009, 10:04:08 PM »
I for one do not like Outpost Firewall.

I do not run any software firewall as I have a very good hardware firewall in my DSL modem. 

If you don't like Microsoft then there are plenty of Linux versions and you could always get an Apple Mac.

I just loaned my old XP Home system to my neighbor because her system is on the fritz as she had to take it into the PC store where she bought it as it is still under warranty.

This is an interview with Bruce Harrison who is a developer at Malwarebytes – the company who created Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware (MBAM):
http://www.besttechie.net/2008/08/20/malwarebytes-developer-interview <== software firewall discussion begins 8 minutes into the excellent video

Offline mkis

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2009, 10:44:07 PM »
Hi YoKenny. I've been waiting for the link to that video to come up again. I'm recording it now on my dedicated Microsoft laptop. My only non-Firefox computer.

I've got Outpost on the laptop. It's a bit hardline, but I'm using a combo - runonce / learn-mode - to set some default rules. And keeping my fingers crossed.

BTW lots to add about MSE but just keep track performance for now.

I have had problems with vulnerabilities on the laptop due to outdated IBM functionality, including obsolescent web access features, as I have already posted about. Well, Windows Updates came to the rescue - I selected Custom instead of Express and checked for updates - I selected Hardware from the options available and found all that was needed to bring the IBM up to Lenovo support 2009, update all necessary drivers, including ATI Radeon, and considering I had flashed the bios earlier to bring the motherboard up to 2007 grade, everything just loaded perfectly, including I got a few new features, and the native IBM toolbox has been left totally unscathed as a stand-alone option. Plus MSE got its first kill - only a small fry ad-ware from IBMcentre but nevertheless MSE doing its work. Those underlying vulnerabilities were playing small havoc with MSE - turning it off twice. But I have to hand it to Microsoft this time, if perhaps expected in mainstream, a truly massive support role, what computer technology is meant to be all about.

I wait awhile before posting my MSE performance, but happy so far.
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Sammo

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #9 on: June 29, 2009, 10:46:08 PM »
I for one do not like Outpost Firewall.

I do not run any software firewall as I have a very good hardware firewall in my DSL modem.  

If you don't like Microsoft then there are plenty of Linux versions and you could always get an Apple Mac.

I just loaned my old XP Home system to my neighbor because her system is on the fritz as she had to take it into the PC store where she bought it as it is still under warranty.

This is an interview with Bruce Harrison who is a developer at Malwarebytes – the company who created Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware (MBAM):
http://www.besttechie.net/2008/08/20/malwarebytes-developer-interview <== software firewall discussion begins 8 minutes into the excellent video
I never used to like the old Outpost, but really like the new version (http://free.agnitum.com)

Hardware firewalls are useless against leaks, keyloggers, screenloggers, clipboardloggers, etc. Try the tests from these sites:
http://www.zemana.com/SecurityTests.aspx
http://www.pcflank.com/pcflankleaktest.htm
« Last Edit: June 29, 2009, 10:49:08 PM by Sammo »

Mr.Agent

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #10 on: June 30, 2009, 02:04:01 AM »
Outpost and Pc Tools seem to my eyes really good free firewall which is no annoying like Comodo... But maybe i could give a try when i would want to them. For now Vista Firewall is up and doing good job.

Lex

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #11 on: June 30, 2009, 11:16:32 AM »
For now Vista Firewall is up and doing good job.

This is the way Microsoft kills. Market of commercial personal firewalls is almost dead.

Offline bob3160

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #12 on: June 30, 2009, 06:08:49 PM »
For now Vista Firewall is up and doing good job.

This is the way Microsoft kills. Market of commercial personal firewalls is almost dead.
There are many other FREE firewalls available. I didn't notice you mentioning them in
your statement ???
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Lex

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #13 on: June 30, 2009, 09:02:34 PM »
I'm just talking about marketing drivers. Free avast is the driver for commercial sales of commercial antiviruses (for corporates or Professional version). And it was the market for commercial firewalls before. Now we have no commercial personal firewalls on the masses, so I afraid about the same future for commercial antiviruses in the future, at least alwil should change its marketing strategy.

Offline mkis

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Re: Microsoft Security Essential (MSE) - avast! killer
« Reply #14 on: June 30, 2009, 10:54:06 PM »
Hi Lex

Please explain further why should Alwil in particular change its marketing strategy?

Quote
Walling Data joins avast! distribution network

ALWIL Software is pleased to announce that Walling Data, North America's top value-added distributor of online security products, is now also an authorized distributor of avast! products in North America.
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