As a developer I am fanatical about my computers, I spend way too much time testing software and hardware. So when I needed to update my antivirus software, I did my usual research and found that Kapersky and BitDefender are usually rated amongst the best available choices. The most popular antivirus software is usually bloated with extra features so I rule them out. Over time I have used most Antivirus/Antispam software programs and just because one package was good last year, does not make it the obvious choice today.

I chose BitDefender and used it for about a month. Like most people I wanted to believe that I was smart and made a good choice. When I finally admitted the truth and dumped BitDefender it had wasted a lot of my time. It caused subtle crashes and instability as well as rendering some of my important programs useless.

I take issue with the online software reviewers about this. They run all of these programs through banks of tests, certifications, performance checks and feature comparisons. But they do not have a dozen or more users run it for a month, so they never find out the practical results in the real world.

Now I am using VIPRE antivirus, it’s leaner and lighter then BitDefender and initially has caused none of the problems I had with BitDefender.

Look for the program with the LEAST features, just the ones you really need. For example many people do not need a software firewall, and many of these programs include that capability.

Check back in a month or so and I’ll let you know if VIPRE is a great choice.

Tags: antispam, antivirus, BitDefender, software reviews, VIPRE

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at 12:51 am and is filed under Software. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.