Defender is for the average user imo. When I say this, the smart users dont really need protection because their not dumb enough to click on things like popup ads that look like windows error messages, visit pron sites, etc.

Ill stick with lavasoft, seek and destroy, and my kaspersky.

kind of like, I would rather buy my coffee from a mom and pop cafe rather than a corp hog like starbucks

"Defender is for the average user imo. When I say this, the smart users dont really need protection because their not dumb enough to click on things like popup ads that look like windows error messages, visit pron sites, etc."
--------------------------------------------
Well, Einstein, what do you think most users are other than "average"? As for you, smart user, I have a hunch there are a few other "smart user"(s) out there who will use Defender.
By the way,smarty pants,the word you want is not "their" which is possessive, you want "they're" as in "they are".

*laughs*

the smart users dont really need protection because their not dumb

And yet you use 3 programs instead of one...by your very own words, that must make you a complete moron.

LOL!

Leave defects in your products by design, then charge extra for those who want to TRY to protect themselves from these defects.

Microsoft is an a** of a company.

Are you actually READING these articles?... Windows Defender is a *FREE* product.

Where does the "Charge Extra" comment apply here?

Please ignore the idiots... otherwise they come back.

I'm doing just fine with Lavasoft AdAware, Spybot Search & Destroy, and Spywareblaster.

I don't need anything else from Stinking Microsoft.

Get bent.

Why use one proggy when you can use 3, eh?

Gotta love it.

If you absolutely cannot bring yourself to install another MS product, check out NOD32. Takes care of all three. Costs $40, but your system will run a *hell* of a lot better.

Actually its better to use multiple spyware programs as one doesn't do the job of finding every spyware crap out there.

Unless you are paying for one that doesn't take bribes.

Please show me this single anti-spyware application that catches all spyware. It would save me a MASSIVE amount of time debugging machines.

At present, we have to use 6-10 programs to clean a badly infected machine.

LOL... see the original reply by PC_Tool.

"Why use one proggy when you can use 3, eh?"

So Windows Defender detects every piece of malware? Holy s***!

Seriously, think before you type.

And three programs do?

Puh-leez.

There's a point where the "overprotection" becomes ridiculous.

If you run one decent proggy, whatever it be, your performance will not suffer, and, if you are at all intelligent, you should be safe froma good deal of the malware out there.

If you use 3, chances are, 1.) You're still not 100% protected, and 2.) you're performance has already dropped despite lack of malware. You lose if you do or do not get infected, your system is already under-performing.

Seriously. It seems I'm one of the few here who actually *does* think before typing.

lmao...

Yeah, and your system takes the hit.

Now how much faster would it be if you had 80% protection instead of 88% and only one app instead of 3?

Hell, malware would almost be better than the performance hit you take running the three programs.

Great!

You missed the point completely.

It's fine to have a plethora of anti-malware apps available to clean a system. It is counter-productive, however, to have them *all* installed and running.

One decent app running, and a ton of them available in the rare event the front-line app gets compromised.

Running more than one is overkill and you end taking a performance hit equal to or greater than that of being infected. Not to mention that PITA factor if the apps continuously interact with the desktop/user.

The people who work for that company are some of the most idiotic people I have ever dealt with but they do sell the best damn antivirus program on the market.

i more or less agree, defender is good enough. Also add the fact I'm no fool and it's all the protection I will need. If things change I'll adapt and get something else.

Tenoq,
As a workstation troubleshooting professional, I would highly recommend Webroot Spysweeper as your end all anti-spyware app. If I had to choose one I would go with this one. I've used all the popular apps and this one detects the most from all my experiences. It's a bargain at $20 from BestBuy. Good luck!

By offering Windows Defender without cost, however, Microsoft has irked some security vendors.

Good thing they didn't make it for them, then. Users, on the other hand, were quite pleased.

Agreed. BTW LTNS PC_Tool =p

Anyhow, this whole issue with security vendors is really starting to tick me off.

So let me get this straight, lets say for instance that a Car company comes out with the Definitive brakepad, one which doesnt wear off and that is 100% effective. Are brakepad companies gona start moaning at that car company because they include the brakepad free with their car?

Oh thats right, car companies dont have a monopoly on the car industry. Is this the only excuse we can come up with? Seriously its just stupid. Making a better more secure product should not entail asking permission from every company that makes similar enhancements to your own product.

Great program for removing the hard to kill exploits that Spybot and Ad-Aware could not remove completely. Still has problems with some of the varients of coolwebsearch tho.

yes we were pleased but we pay now?

"Oh thats right, car companies dont have a monopoly on the car industry. Is this the only excuse we can come up with? Seriously its just stupid. Making a better more secure product should not entail asking permission from every company that makes similar enhancements to your own product."

(clap clap clap clap clap)

"So let me get this straight, lets say for instance that a Car company comes out with the Definitive brakepad, one which doesnt wear off and that is 100% effective. Are brakepad companies gona start moaning at that car company because they include the brakepad free with their car?"

That analogy doesn't apply to the Microsoft vs. Symantec/McAfee dispute. A more accurate analogy would be: a car company integrates its own brand of SatNav for the first time; prior to that no SatNav was bundled with the car. Furthermore, the car company make it virtually impossible to remove that SatNav system without huge cost, despite it being an inferior product in the eyes of the consumer, forcing you to run both SatNav systems simultaneously, resulting in conflicts and confusion.

They don't stop there, of course; they add little reminders around the inside of the car advertising their new car stereo, speakers CD changer. At the same time, they "patch" the car to make it difficult for competing companies to install their own stereos, speakers and CD changers.

In your analogy you've asserted that Microsoft's security products are vastly superior and free (Windows Live OneCare isn't free). You've also forgotten that MS' security products bolt themselves into the Security Centre even if you disable them (which is tricky for the average user, anyway). Would a car company ever force you to use its brakepads even if you want to replace them?

ATM Windows Defender is FREE. The Patchguard IS FREE with x64 Vista.

Sorry to say but Windows One Livecare >>>>>>> Symantec/Mcafee. Heck most AntiVirus software>Symantec/Mcafee. lately both of them have been pushing out BLOATware instead of good running software.

Anyhow i believe my analogy is correct. All operating systems are built to defend their territory and try to protect the user(that windows wasnt as secure in the past is irrelevant). Therefore a brakepad is pretty much like security within an operating system.

They should bolt on tight to the OS, TIGHT AS HELL its their freaking OS.

your annalogy doesn't apply because windows defender isn't anti-virus software that conflicts with other anti-virus software due to patching the kernel. Windows defender can run in parallel with other anti-spyware programs like spybot: S&D and Ad-aware.

By the way, the only reason your computer messes up when you install multiple anti-virus programs is because of kernel patching. That is an advantage of patch guard; you will be able to run multiple anti-virus programs at the same time since they aren't messing up the kernel.

Keep in mind we are only talking about windows defender here (FREE) compared to other anti-spyware programs (many also free). But I think these car company analogies need to stop because they don't work so well.

Frankly, I don't know why the security companies like symantec and mcafee would care about competition with anti-spyware. There are a bunch of free anti-spyware programs available. And have been available for years. If they want to gain marketshare on the anti-spyware front, they should offer free anti-sypware like the other companies do. If it's good enough people may want their anti-virus too. Viruses are far more fatal than spyware. Spyware is just a huge annoyance, and could lead to identity theft, but viruses could corrupt your entire system.

Everyone is just getting mad at microsoft for being socially responsible.

Er... No.

FTFA: (For those lacking in reading comprehension skills)

After nearly two years in beta testing, Microsoft has at long last released the final version of Windows Defender, its free anti-spyware software

I put the relevant portion in bold for ya. Hope that helps.

Furthermore, the car company make it virtually impossible to remove that SatNav system without huge cost,

How hard is it to remove Defender?

Well, considering it has to be installed in XP...

As I recall, it's also easily removable in Vista (add-remove, easy, even...)

Your analogy ain't much better, frankly.

You really should see a doctor about that.

Penicillin really isn't that expensive...

You win at reading.

GREAT point.

ROFL

I still never would have understood that without Wikipedia.

Hukt ahn Fonex Werkt for Mee

You need to get out more, man...