Customer Reviews:
By
M. Allen Greenbaum (California)
The bottom line on top@. It's serviceable and simple, but without the higher-tech features that some people may want. There's no problem with installation or scanning, and it caught a small amount of spyware and unwanted cookies that the 2010 version didn't get. However, the product is good for only ONE PC, and many competitors offer multi-PC protection for about the same price.
Note: I am using this product on a Sony VAIO with Windows 7.
PROs.
1. Quiet, quick, adjustable scan for spyware and viruses, with a choice of a quick scan (under one minute!), a full scan (more like 20-25 minutes), and a custom scan.
2. Unlike many of the free downloaded programs, this product does not freeze, or prevent you from downloading other programs, or just crash.
3. Easily understood control board. When you right-click on the TREND MICRO icon, a fairly basic window pops up. Here you can choose the scope of the scan (e.g., fast, full), view the percent of files it has scanned,view a log of past and current scan results (with details on the date and time of the scan, the location and type of threat,and TREND MICRO's response (always "removed" so far).
4. Some flexibilty. You can schedule a weekly scan, although TREND MICRO's pop-up (which you can delete) reminds you that it's really always on, but operating in the background. THe "settings" menu also lets you choose how aggressively you want to block "minor risks," how much of a scan you want before the computer boots up (if you choose a pre-scan, it obviously slows down the boot-up time; I chose a compromise setting that does activates some--but not all--of the security scanners when you turn on the computer. The user can also set up an "exception list" to override Trend-Micro's threat detection at specific sites (for example, maybe you want some adware at a particular site)
CONs
1. As far as I can tell, TREND MICRO ANtivirus+ eliminates that which it deems malware WITHOUT asking for your permission. The information about the removed content is scant, just a list that names the offending intrusion under one of three categories: Viruses, Spyware, and Internet Threats. I prefer something that gives you control over the disposition of the detected threats, bugs, etc.
1A. HOWEVER, if you bring up the LOG on the ANtirus COntrol Board, you have 30 days in which you restore the "removed" threats.
2. The 1 PC license means you can't install this on any other computers. Given the price, the competition has the advantage here.
3. Unlike the slightly more expensive "Internet Security" product ("Maximum Security" offers the most protection--one wonders if the marketing dept. head ever worked in the corrections field), Antivirus+ does not do the following: Block email and image spam (although many email providers already offer some elementary anti-spam capabilities), optimize your Windows firewall, ensure the safety of sensitive information with the "Data Theft Protection" that comes with the pricier versions, or offer content and time restriction on use by your children (or someone else's children, for that matter).
I give this one hands up and one hand waffling over whether paying a little more might be worth it. The main reasons I'd recommend buying this would be the excellent integration with the rest of the computer (i.e., no freezing, not causing other programs to crash) and the extreme ease of set-up and use, including scheduled and automatic scanning.
See more information, click here:>>Trend Micro Antivirus plus Antispyware 2011
