Avast is slow scanning, system resources hog and horrible user interface?

[Lisandro]

Schadenfroh, you posted just one and call yourself a security expert...
You tried to answer our questions/points with just one line of quoting your onw statements...

If you're talking about the default your talking about a closed box that you buy at the supermarket and trying to guess its flavor... Common! Take your time to do a good job  

We just want serious and professional statements... that all  

[Eddy]

Amen to that Technical

[Negeltu]

Alot of people use default settings, guys.  It's not like this guys review is total nonsense.  See it from a sensible perspective.  Some people have problems even checking their emails let alone tweaking an antivirus program.

[Lisandro]

Alot of people use default settings, guys.  It's not like this guys review is total nonsense.  See it from a sensible perspective.  Some people have problems even checking their emails let alone tweaking an antivirus program.

NegeItu, I agree with you... Lots of people use the default but look at Schadenfroh's post (answers):

"1) if avast! have many customizations why he(she) could not hide not just one but both icons on system tray? Just change avast4.ini file to do that."
I was talking about the default.

The user wants more powerful options.
Why don't it learn avast before asking for them?
Why don't this guy called Schadenfrohs learn about avast?
He said it's impossible to hide icons. Stop talking nonsense about avast. Learn it I will say.

"2) odd interface? Did he(she) tryed other skins? The skinless appearance? Non sense opinion."
I was talking about the default.

What's odd with the default silver interface?
Odd?
An adjective? I mean, an opinion... Why the 'technical' test messes with opinions?
Does this guy knows about interface?
Why does he post only once here?

"3) System resource hog. Does anybody believes in his(her) test? If so, can he(she) have the same protection with just 1kb of RAM? "
Resource hog refers to RAM usage, which i have screenshots of on the review page.

Igor answered this. Forums are plenty of this answers about RAM usage...

[Starfighter]

I appreciate Negeltu's point... some folks never bother tweaking AV programs etc, because they are either computer illiterate or just plain lazy.  

Quite a few of my friends (esp. the older ones or disabled) only know how to use email and a browser (and barely at that).  These friends are vunerable to malware because they have a habit of getting suckered into downloading stuff that they shouldn't (esp. pop-up windows advertising spyware etc).   They need (excuse the expression) "idiot proof" software that will protect them to the max, with zero complexity to them--as they would otherwise get overwhelmed.  

So I help those friends by installing avast in "idiot proof mode'' i.e. auto-update and silent mode and also by installing firewalls, script-blocking etc. The simpler, the better.  You'd be surprised how many of my friends had previously used other av programs and hadn't even bothered to set them up to auto-update, or renew their AV subscriptions. (as they didnt know better)....   Actually, I think that there must be quite a large market for "idiot proof-all-in-one" security software for these folks--such that the less they have to interact with setting up the software, the better, otherwise they'd screw things up.   I guess for them, that's why AOL etc., exists.  It does seem like quite a few ISPs have now picked up on this market by now offering server-side anti-virus filtering for their clients' emails.  Hmmm, I wonder how that translates in a loss of sales of retail boxed AV programs.  Must make some dent, I'd imagine.

I think the new avast skinless 1/2/3/4 menu option is a step in the right direction for some of my friends who aren't tech savy and aren't able to figure out what the fancy icons mean on *some* of the skinned panels.   Don't get me wrong though--for the advanced user, the skinned panels with the icons are great (I like them)--but for those who need things spelled out -- the simpler the better.  

Well, that's my rant for the day      From a happy avast user!
 

[S.Z.Craftec]

I think the new avast skinless 1/2/3/4 menu option is a step in the right direction for some of my friends who aren't tech savy and aren't able to figure out what the fancy icons mean on *some* of the skinned panels.  Don't get me wrong though--for the advanced user, the skinned panels with the icons are great (I like them)--but for those who need things spelled out -- the simpler the better.

Oh yeah ? And that's exactly what I was saying to everybody  (Vlk and rest of the guys). If you take a look at some of my older skins, you'll see that they have wording included right next to icons. They asked me to take out those wordings in all future skins, just because wordings are not text, but rather bitmaps. In other words, if you are using some other language, wordings is still on english. I'm not saying Vlk wasn't right, I believe he is right... why ? Because 1000 people, 1000 different opinions. You can not please everybody always. They have to LEARN to use avast! If they are too lazy to do that, then I really don't know what piece of advice to give them. People have to learn software they want to use, period.

And really, what's so confusing in those icons. They are exactly showing which action you'll perform if you click on those.... btw, there are those little pop-up windows if you are hovering long enough over those icons, with perfect explanation what's the function for each one...

Cheers !

[Lisandro]

Some folks never bother tweaking AV programs etc, because they are either computer illiterate or just plain lazy. Actually, I think that there must be quite a large market for "idiot proof-all-in-one" security software for these folks--such that the less they have to interact with setting up the software, the better, otherwise they'd screw things up.

Starfighter, I don't blame against computer illiterate. Nobody is obliged to know computer things.
I just laugh when these guys say and post things like a dogma here. I'm talking about an adjective (odd) and saying that, for me, idiot proof-all-in-one won't ever understand skinning software. Let them with all-in-one-application-systemworks-like.  

They have to LEARN to use avast! If they are too lazy to do that, then I really don't know what piece of advice to give them. People have to learn software they want to use, period.

Fully agree. To these people, avast is too good  

And really, what's so confusing in those icons. They are exactly showing which action you'll perform if you click on those.... btw, there are those little pop-up windows if you are hovering long enough over those icons, with perfect explanation what's the function for each one...

They learned the meaning of tons of Windows icons.
Their applications do not have skinning.
They're jealous  

[Germanium202]

If the user use the program will know the stupid things talked

Hey Mr Translator, translate that for me.  

I enjoyed his review, it is not intended to serve as a security specialsts handbook, rather as an impression from a normal home user, and that it does.

Most home users install it and expect it to work perfectly without having to wander through a tweaking process.

Personally i prefer Bitdefender but that's just because it is a lot better.  

[S.Z.Craftec]

Aha, and you just felt like you have to say something, right ? Btw, avast! is the best of the best, so you are free to use your BitDefender...

As you can see, we didn't came into BitDefender forums to blame BitDefender. We are happy because we have our avast!, we don't have to visit other forums. You came her, maybe you are not such a happy with BitDefender after all, and you came to "check" the situation... maybe another antivirus is wandering through your mind... and... I'm not sure does BitDefender offers forums like this one, free phone, e-mail and forum support for even freeware products as avast! home edition is ? I don't think so...  

Have a nice day !

[Lisandro]

Personally i prefer Bitdefender but that's just because it is a lot better.  

The one for free?
It does not have a resident module...
I use BitDefender, it's very good as a backup (not resident) scanner. Nothing more.
Oh, interface could be very improved  
Are you joking (as I can imagine by the   smile)?
Look, I'm not a newbie here. I read tons of reviews with this kind of pseudotechnical thoughts...
Maybe you're the same user as the reviewer that posted only once and went out  

[Germanium202]

Personally i prefer Bitdefender but that's just because it is a lot better.  

The one for free?
It does not have a resident module...
I use BitDefender, it's very good as a backup (not resident) scanner. Nothing more.
Oh, interface could be very improved  
Are you joking (as I can imagine by the   smile)?
Look, I'm not a newbie here. I read tons of reviews with this kind of pseudotechnical thoughts...
Maybe you're the same user as the reviewer that posted only once and went out  

Well, since there isn't any free Avant product for any system i use or administer i would have to say Bitdefender is a lot better in that sense (and the command line interface is pretty straight forward, bdc --all --arc --mail --disinfect), however, i use it in combindation with clamav as a resident module.

I am a newbie here, i just never saw the need to post about a product i would never use nor recommend until i heard about this over at another forum.

It is to be expected that the fanboys at a forum such as this defend their product as much as they can, however, instead of flailing your arms and throwing a hissy fit over it you might be able to understand why this user got that impression and learn from it?

No, i am not the same guy as Shadenfroh, i am sure you can get a mod to verify it if it is terribly important to you.

[S.Z.Craftec]

It is to be expected that the fanboys at a forum such as this defend their product as much as they can, however, instead of flailing your arms and throwing a hissy fit over it you might be able to understand why this user got that impression and learn from it?

Haha, we are not just fanboys... see the numbers of our posts. I'm not saying like I care about that number, but those numbers can show you how long we are here trying to help new avast! users... and that's for free, even for freeware version of avast! Home Edition. No, we are not just fan boys, we also have some girls and ladies in here and I want to mention that... beacuse they are great part of these forums. We are not defending anything, we are telling the truth.  

Cheers!

[Lisandro]

Germanium202, you won't survive here as you don't want to be kind, helpful...
This is not a common forum... At least, you will learn this.

I'm not a fanboy... I'm a technician and I can say I know something about computers and antivirus... Prove us you're not only here to blame avast. Man, you have to reach the 1000th useful posts here  

Please, don't be ironic with me  

[Lisandro]

It is to be expected that the fanboys at a forum such as this defend their product as much as they can, however, instead of flailing your arms and throwing a hissy fit over it you might be able to understand why this user got that impression and learn from it?

I'm not a fanboy... I'm a happy, very happy avast Professional user  
That user must learn avast. You will have to learn about us, the avast forum users...
Don't worry, we can understand each other and be friends, if you want, believe us  

[Germanium202]

Germanium202, you won't survive here as you don't want to be kind, helpful...
This is not a common forum... At least, you will learn this.

I'm not a fanboy... I'm a technician and I can say I know something about computers and antivirus... Prove us you're not only here to blame avast. Man, you have to reach the 1000th useful posts here  

Please, don't be ironic with me  

I honestly don't care if i won't survive here, I don't use Avast so i need no help with it, neither can i give any advice on it.

However, giving helpful advice was not the point of this thread, now was it?

The best thing (and most certainly the most professional thing) anyone could have done who disagreed with the interview would be to contact the reviewer, explain why you don't think his points are valid, offer advice on how to tweak the system or provide a link on how to do so that he can include in his review and be generally understanding.

You see, his review was the result of what the average home user can expect from installing these products, what he said is what he experienced in comparison to the other products and this is what most home users will experience too.

If anything, reviews like these should work like user reviews and offer advice to developers and maintainers on how to improve their products default install and/or behaviour, user critique is NEVER wrong, it is just an experience and an opinion.