Norton AntiVirus 2008

(Windows XP, Windows Vista)*

The good thing about Norton AntiVirus 2008 is that its still a solid tool for removing and preventing viruses, spyware, and other malware from infecting your computer. Norton has been the leader for many years and rightfully so. Symantec (the makers of Norton) has and still is one of the best antivirus software programs out there.

So why is it only number three on our list this year? They've fallen short in the usability of their product. It's a big clumsy and heavy on resources.

$39.99



Editor's Overview

• Solid Antivirus
• Good Antispyware
• Good Internet worm protection
• Good rootkit detection
• Ample settings
• Lacking in usability
• Heavy use of resources
• Doesn't offer 3-licence option

What does Norton AntiVirus 2008 do Right?

Norton is still a leader when it comes to the task at hand: stopping viruses from infecting your PC. It installs easy and runs just fine out of the box. Another nice feature they've added this year is network monitoring. This doesn't mean it will monitor all of your personal computers around the house, it only means it will monitor and scan any computers that are on the same network. For monitoring and scanning multiple computers around your house, you'll need to buy an individual license for each PC, unfortunately (most good antivirus packages offer significant discounts for multiple licenses – but not Norton).

Software Features

• Improved performance delivers faster scans
• One click access to expert support
• Works quietly in the background.
• Network mapping provides a view of your home network.
• Detects and removes spyware and viruses
• Blocks spyware and worms automatically
• Antivirus protection for email and instant messaging
• Prevents virus-infected emails from spreading
• Rootkit detection finds and removes hidden threats

The Downside

Norton AntiVirus 2008 is 6 times as large as Kaspersky (which means lots more of your precious PC memory eaten up), it doesn't support Firefox for its help pages, it doesn't work with newer AOL and Yahoo IM applications (only older versions), and on top of that, they charge for their technical support. While Norton is still great at catching viruses and malware, it's seriously lacking in just about every other field. Its solid antivirus features are the only reason we've given this our number 3 slot.


Support

Requires fee for technical assistance


Conclusion

Overall, Norton AntiVirus 2008 is still a viable AntiVirus and AntiSpyware software program, they really only dropped the ball on their huge size, price, and usability.


*System Requirements

• Windows Vista Home Basic/ Home Premium/Business/Ultimate**
• Windows XP with Service Pack 2 Home/XP Pro/XP Media Center Edition
• 300MHz or higher processor
• 256MB of RAM
• 300MB of available hard disk space
  
  
• ** Must meet minimum Windows Vista operating system requirements.

Email scanning supported for POP3 and SMTP compatible email clients.
Supported instant messenger clients:

• AOL – 4.7 to 5.9
• Yahoo! – 5.x and 6.x
• Microsoft – 6.0 or higher
• Trillian – 3.1 or higher

$39.99