Symantec adds product activation

[Baddog]

Security software and service company Symantec has added a controversial type of antipiracy technology to the new version of its main virus-zapping program.
Norton Antivirus 2004, which Symantec announced Monday for release next month, will use product activation, an increasingly common technique to tie a copy of an application to a particular PC. Symantec plans to add activation to the rest of its consumer software line over the next year.

Del Smith, senior product manger for Symantec, said activation is intended to protect consumers from widespread counterfeit copies of Symantec programs. The company estimates at least 3.6 million bogus copies of its programs are sold annually, causing headaches both for Symantec and unsuspecting buyers, who find out too late that the software isn't doing the job.



"What consumers don't understand is that while those units may appear to be legitimate, there are a number of risks associated with pirated software...including the likelihood that it really isn't protecting their PC," Smith said.

Microsoft was the first major software maker to broadly use product activation, introducing it in the Windows XP operating system, amid concerns that the technology would balk at simple changes in a PC's hardware.

Intuit later joined the product activation camp, using a system developed by software maker Macrovision in the last edition of its TurboTax tax preparation software. Widespread complaints about botched installations, PC slowdowns and inadequate disclosure eventually prompted the company to back off on activation.

http://news.com.com/2100-1046_3-5068370.html?tag=lh

[cdroman]

I already don't care for Symantec products; they don't install or uninstall well and use too much memory. Unlike with MS, there are lots of good alternatives.

[fishybawb]

Norton Antivirus really stinks anyway, and I suspect this will push more customers away from it. A good thing then really

[args]

What do you guys use instead of Symantec.

[cdroman]

I use online scanners.

[SoopaStar]

how is an online scanner going to protect you in real time? If you execute a virus and it screws up your PC, an online scanenr may do your little good if you are unable to get online.
A good alterantive is Kasperksky Lab's AV software, its pretty popular. Just google for AV software and you will find quite a few.
Personally, I like norton. it does a decent job. If its using up too much memory on your PC...then you don't have enough memory
Paul

[Bigjakkstaffa]

AVG, small, compact, regularly updated, and best of all free. Though NAV is probably th emost comprehensive AV availiable, it snone of those things, hence i dumped it

--Jakk

[cdroman]

Originally posted by SoopaStar
how is an online scanner going to protect you in real time? If you execute a virus and it screws up your PC, an online scanenr may do your little good if you are unable to get online.
A good alterantive is Kasperksky Lab's AV software, its pretty popular. Just google for AV software and you will find quite a few.
Personally, I like norton. it does a decent job. If its using up too much memory on your PC...then you don't have enough memory
Paul

I don't rely on AV to protect me in real time. Viruses don't execute on my pc ( at least not in the last 4 years) without me allowing them.
But like I said earlier there are a lot of good alternatives out there.