Symantec Campaigns Against Free Antivirus

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Free is... bad?

As we reported earlier today, Microsoft today released its final version of anti-malware software Security Essentials. It's free for Windows users and it'll take care of most of your viruses and spyware headaches.

At the price of nothing, it's an offer that’s hard to refuse. Of course, there are other free alternatives, such as Avast and AVG.

Symantec isn't such a fan of free alternatives, naturally, and has created a video that hopes to convey the virtues of the paid Norton – in as few spoken words as possible. Is it convincing? We'll let you be the judge of that.

Via DownloadSquad.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
74 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ubernoobie
    Norton, stop being jealous and lower your prices
    Reply
  • ssalim
    I thought they didn't bat an eye over this?
    Norton = bloatware.
    Bloatware is not good.
    I think you are catching n.
    Reply
  • ponchato
    good luck hacking me i have nortan
    Reply
  • Vythiel
    Avast (Home Edition) scans web pages, IMs, and even P2P application traffic. Zonealarm and Comodo firewalls (free versions) provide excellent incoming and outgoing network traffic control and security. The video is a little misleading when it starts addressing security software.
    Reply
  • nun
    wow maybe better actors without the random head bobs
    Reply
  • Montezuma
    Talk about wasting two minutes of my life. That was one of the dumbest goddamn, pieces of shit "commercials" I have ever seen. I will laugh when Microsoft's "free" anti-virus program outperforms Symantec's shit program.

    Unlike that dogshit commercial tries to tell people, Microsoft's anti-virus program is not free, since you need Windows to run it. I figure that that is the least Microsoft can do since I gave them $300 for the OS.
    Reply
  • dro524
    Freeware also isn't as bloated.
    Reply
  • ag3nt smith
    Ok I see why Norton wants people to pay for their product; it keeps their company running. But that video is as misleading as Apple's Get A Mac commercials. My free version of Avast scans webpages; blocks hackers and scans my e-mail. NOD32 30-day trial can be downloaded over and over again and it scans e-mail and webpages. Avast will tell you if a website is infested with malware; but it's up to the user to continue or not. Comodo Firewall is freeware and it kicks major ass aswell as blocking intrusions and DDoS attacks. But they got one thing right; they don't offer recovery disks; but computer manufacturers do, and if you build your systems you obviously know what to do.

    I've had more customers complain about Norton than anything. If Norton finds a virus in a system file it deletes it; often causing system corruption and BSODs. I have put over 200 of my customers on Avast Home and they love it so much better than Norton.
    Reply
  • The_Blood_Raven
    I love Avast, it is a great free virus protector. I hate Norton, I wouldn't use it if I was PAID $100 a year to do so. Nod32 is a great virus protector and it only costs $30 and wont ruin your computer.

    So Norton sucks balls and should never, ever, be used on ANY PC just like Mcafee? Your catching on.
    Reply
  • tipoo
    They say nothing free is good, then they proceed to say Norton offers free support...
    Reply