bruceb news

If you’re not backing up your computer, you’re not alone – but the backup utility in Windows OneCare Live should be on your mind. The price is low, the software is easy to use, and losing data when a hard drive fails is awful, whether it’s business data, Outlook folders, financial data, family photos, or a big music collection.

Here’s a sample page of external USB hard drives from Buy.com. Some things to know:

• These are commodities. There’s little to distinguish one brand from another. With that in mind, I usually buy Maxtor or Western Digital because they’ve been making hard drives for the longest.

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Microsoft’s antivirus program, Windows OneCare Live, is now open for general beta testing by anyone running Windows XP with Service Pack 2. Go to the Live.com web site (http://ideas.live.com/) and click on Windows OneCare Live Beta / Sign Up.

This is a potentially huge development that will eventually affect almost every computer user. Stop buying Norton Antivirus and McAfee VirusScan. As of today, the world has changed.

BACKGROUND

Symantec, McAfee, and other antivirus vendors have dropped the ball.

• Security suites from the antivirus vendors became prevalent a few years ago. They were poorly designed; their components were difficult to configure, unnecessarily complex, and tended to generate countless windows demanding attention.

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Norton’s products are steadily deteriorating – I’ve written about some of my frustration with Norton Internet Security for single PCs and Symantec Antivirus for server-based networks. Last week I installed Norton Antivirus 2005 on a typical desktop PC and got a phone call within a few hours complaining about how the computer had slowed down to the point of being nearly unusable. McAfee products are even worse, and I have yet to work with a competing antivirus program – Trend Micro, Panda, etc. – that wasn’t overly busy and complex and confusing.

Microsoft will be introducing a new subscription security package soon. […] continued

Microsoft has begun beta testing of its Windows OneCare Live service. Windows OneCare combines antivirus protection with an adware/spyware monitor, scheduled PC maintenance, an enhanced firewall, and other tools. It will be sold as a subscription service for an annual fee. (If you’re feeling brave, you can submit an application to be a beta tester.)

My loyalty to Symantec and Norton Antivirus is fading fast. Although I still recommend Norton Antivirus 2005, it’s not out of love for the program as much as habit and familiarity. Competing products continue to have cluttered interfaces, confusing control panels, and way too many screens appearing unnecessarily. […] continued