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Symantec Seeking Beta Testers

By BetaNews Staff, BetaNews

May 18, 2006, 3:18 PM

Security software vendor Symantec is seeking beta testers for its 2007 line of products, including Norton AntiVirus, Internet Security and Norton Save & Restore. The company also has a number of new products in the pipeline, which will be provided to the Symantec Beta Testing Team.

Interested users can complete the brief registration process on Symantec's Web site. The company has also added an electronic non-disclosure agreement to ease the process. "Participants are expected to remain active throughout a project lifecycle and communicate issues to Symantec team members," the company says.

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By c4p0ne

edited May 23, 2006 - 5:40 AM

As always, Russian programmers seem to be leaving their American counterparts LITERALLY in the DUST. This is a shame to me as an American living abroad. I mean it, it's really upsetting to see what once were companies with respect go downhill like this. Instead of paying their engineers 3x as much as they should be getting for writing this CRAP, Symantec should be taking them one by one to the west-wing of their headquarters and shooting them in the face (hey we can dream can't we).

Kaspersky, NOD, and maybe BitDefender are all SUPERIOR PRODUCTS IN EVERY RESPECT to Symantec Norton Anti-Virus. I haven't used it in YEARS to be honest and don't plan to. But I have been keeping up with how the product performs and as expected, it's worse then ever. Stuck in a perpetual stage of unstable bloatedness, it is a product no-one should ever recommend, ever again to anyone else. ever. I'd say one of the TOP-10 WORST software packages of 2001-2006 and almost certainly will remain in that list for 2007.

F* Symantec. Go Kaspersky.

::EDIT::

As a matter of fact, and this is really hilarious, I wouldn't even use their product CRACKED or KEYGENED (not kidding about that) its something I totally just stay away from. Now when someone doesn't even wish to use your commercial software for free by keygenning it, its GOT TO SUCK BIGTIME!!!! ROFL.

Score: 0

By tscar12

edited May 21, 2006 - 1:36 PM

Fact is, in most ratings Bit DEfender9 and Kaspersky come out the best. Symantec was pretty far down on the list. For a free verson avg was highly rated though I haven't seen any site that is reasonably objective do a side by side comparison between free versus pay. Best advice, from my view, is to not go with any "all-in-one" set-up. Get a good anti-virus and a good firewall and add 2-3 good anti-spyware/adware programs, keep them updated, and run them. I know that sounds like it should be common sense but it is amazing how many people buy these products and then don't update or run them. It's sort of like buying a car and then not doing the specified routine maintenence and then scratch your head when you have a problem.

Score: 0

By Trinity_SQ

edited May 19, 2006 - 7:04 PM

~ perfect tester ~

Score: 0

By Johnbald01

edited May 20, 2006 - 12:45 AM

When Symantec was actually Norton it was a solid product, but it is currently mediocre at best vs other comparable products. It is bloated, difficult to install or uninstall and rates average by most of the major review type publications. If a new crop of beta testers can help the company actually improve their products more power to them. Perhaps those in the know can explain why their anti virus only surface scans and does not scan inside zip files, or puts many in quarantine with no option for deletion? In the mean time I will stick with my Kaspersky.

Score: 0

By seier

edited May 20, 2006 - 2:25 AM

Hi John,

I'll be the first to agree the quality of symantec's products is downright embarassing. They can't write uninstallers, or upgrade capable installs, and the number of times their internet security software took down a client's connection is downright embarassing. The security software usually fails, because it needs to be patched or completely uninstalled. They also have a long history of their software telling you it needs to be re-installed, when in fact their program is experiencing problems with its MS-Office scanning plugin. It's also big and slow. AVG-AntiVirus (free edition) works fine for me. Also if you have friends you can take their 2005 edition when they move on to 2006 and use that for a whole year :).

Cheers,
Christian Blackburn

Score: 0

By donahu1

posted May 19, 2006 - 11:15 PM

I think it ironic, we spend all this time on a site called "BETA NEWS" and yet fear testing a world known product. I haven't received a virus infection in FOUR years!(thanks to Norton's Antivirus)
Yes I do test their products and as "arossetti" states, it is a chance to offer input. Some of their testing only allow 300 testers and that is world wide so if you apply it is not a done deal. They are selective and unlike some beta product companies, Symantec provide you with the finished product(s) you test($200-300)

Score: 0

By iNsuRRecTiON

posted May 20, 2006 - 5:39 PM

Hey,

lol, no need for that..Kaspersky Internet Security 2006 (KIS 6.0) cost only 39 EUR! And the price for Kaspersky AV 2006 (KAV 6.0) is only 29 EUR!

So where is Symantec/Norton here? :D

CYA

iNsuRRecTiON

Score: 0

By kdk

edited May 18, 2006 - 3:50 PM

You should reduce your renewal prices.

Score: 0

By horsecharles

posted May 19, 2006 - 3:47 AM

Run away, Reneé!!!!!!!!!

Score: 0

By MikeMo

edited May 18, 2006 - 8:03 PM

Why not? I am interested in what Symantec can do for me. I have done alot for it already. Might do some more.
(signed)/Love To Test

Score: 0

By racermark

edited May 18, 2006 - 7:13 PM

Don't you people have better things to do? Get off the computer and get outside. Your not forced to test for Symantec.

Plus all you have to do is image your system before you test and restore the image when your done. Then you don't have to wipe your system. Pretty easy eh?

Score: 0

By AlexBR1974

posted May 18, 2006 - 6:37 PM

Symantec "final" releases are pure crap! Imagine what a beta symantec software can do to your machine! Thank you, but NO thank you! I´m ok with NOD32 and Zone Alarm.

Score: 0

By zridling

posted May 18, 2006 - 6:08 PM

No thanks. Every time I thought someone killed Symantec, it raises its bloody head out of the coffin with another upgrade. Be afraid, indeed.

Score: 0

By ozersarilar

posted May 18, 2006 - 4:56 PM

"The company has also added an electronic non-disclosure agreement to ease the process."

What does an NDA happen to ease a registration process?

Score: 0

By Neoprimal

posted May 18, 2006 - 4:41 PM

A few years ago you couldn't keep me from testing Symantec/Norton software. Now, you couldn't get me to do it if you paid me.

Score: 0

By rijp

posted May 18, 2006 - 4:44 PM

I will give you $100 dollars to test Norton Antivirus 13.

Score: 0

By fxer

posted May 18, 2006 - 5:27 PM

And after I was done testing, having to wipe my whole system and reinstall everything because you can't really get rid of Symantec products any other way? Not a chance for $100.

But maybe for $1000...

Score: 0

By spongy-poo

posted May 18, 2006 - 6:46 PM

That's why beta-testers have testing machines and imaging programs.

Score: 0

By Metshrine

posted May 20, 2006 - 9:45 AM

Only a moron would use beta software on a production machine (or your primary home machine) without making a ghost or image of it somehow (or simply backing up your data). Especially when it comes to something that affects your system as much as a firewall/anti-virus product does. If you had to reinstall a production or primary machine, then its your own fault for choosing to test on that machine instead of using a development box. I am sure that their EULA clearly states not to use the software on a production box as most beta EULA's do.

Score: 0

By arossetti

posted May 18, 2006 - 10:08 PM

And Symantec provides ghost gratis to insure testers have a "clean" system from which to test and to restore to after testing. Only a fool would test beta software on a production machine without an updated backup image.

Score: 0

By arossetti

posted May 18, 2006 - 4:06 PM

Symantec has one of the best formal beta testing programs of any "large" software company that I've tested for. One of the reasons I enjoy testing for them is BECAUSE I am not 100% happy with the direction of their software and I like to have at least some input shaping the direction going forward. At a bare minimum at least there is a better chance of my voice being heard by those with some say over the final product by interacting with some product group heads and others.

Score: 0

By ogman

posted May 18, 2006 - 4:33 PM

Well said and true.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted May 18, 2006 - 4:31 PM

Agreed. It's the *only* reason I'd use *any* of their products.

Of course, for Home products, I wouldn't even go *that* far.

Symantec's Enterprise products are all that I will use, and only grudgingly if the management-monkeys refuse to listen to reason.

Score: 0

By rijp

posted May 18, 2006 - 3:29 PM

Be afraid, be very afraid.

Symantec is the AOL of the security world.

Run, don't walk, RUN away!

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted May 18, 2006 - 3:28 PM

"Symantec seeking suckers"

Yeah. Much better. :D

Score: 0

By rijp

edited May 18, 2006 - 3:31 PM

Ya basta'd! You beat me, why I oughtta..

Ya'll'ven't (3 apostrophes baby!) seen the last of me!

Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? I ask that of all my prey.

Score: 0

By ogman

posted May 18, 2006 - 4:34 PM

Why, I think rijp is in love!

Score: 0

By rijp

posted May 18, 2006 - 4:43 PM

I don't know, are you cute? If you aren't cute, forget it.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited May 18, 2006 - 4:36 PM

...with himself, his car, his stereo system...

...in that order, even.

Score: 0

By rijp

posted May 18, 2006 - 4:42 PM

No way! Its CAR stereo, THEN computers, THEN Jennifer Anniston, then CAR, THEN PC_Tool. Let's get it right!

Score: 0

By ogman

edited May 18, 2006 - 11:30 PM

Dude...not Anniston. That's like walking into Baskin-Robbins and ordering vanilla, or going to a great micro-brewery and getting buttwiser. Please have better taste than that.

Besides, admit it, it's really PC_Tool, THEN everything else.

Aniston! Yuck! ***spits on floor in disgust***

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited May 18, 2006 - 5:30 PM

Jennifer Aniston?

You can't be serious! She looks like a friggin c***er Spaniel. (You can't say c***er in here? Well s***, god d***, hell, oh ****!)

c***er? I hardly know 'er.

Yech...

Uma can kick Jennifer's ass. (I'd pay to see that, ya know...)

Score: 0

By c4p0ne

edited May 23, 2006 - 5:34 AM

They are both low-end women. Mediocre at best. Uma is slightly "better" but remember Aniston must be worth something cause Brad-Pitt was butt-bangin' dat a$$. Ha! What a dumb biotch she is to EVER let her x-husband play in a movie with Angelina Jolie!!!!!!!!! Anniston must be totally brain-dead!

Well, now as we all can plainly see, brad's c*ck has a new 100x lovlier a$$ to be inserted in. He's with Jolie now. Good move brad I don't know what I'd ever do if she offered me a piece of that juicy home-grown delicous a$$. I'd probably do a wily-cyote move.

Score: 0

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