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| Norton Internet Security 2003 (AntiVirus, Firewall, Spam Alert, Privacy & Parental Control) |
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Dont leave cyber-home without it
I can speak only for myself (and, for the record, my operating system is Windows XP Home edition), but I made an exceedingly smooth transition from Norton AntiVirus 2002 and Norton Personal Firewall 2002 to Norton Internet Security 2003. All of my established settings came over without a hitch, I am having no problem at all scanning incoming and outgoing email messages, and the firewall would definitely appear to be doing its job. The AntiVirus program now has the added capability of scanning instant messages, which is a very big deal, in my opinion. The Spam Alert function is not quite perfect at distinguishing between true spam and valid messages, but it is a feature of at least some utility, and I am happy to see Symantec trying to incorporate it into their already excellent software package. The Privacy Control feature is not new, but it is certainly an important part of the deal, affording the user some protection from the accidental release of important personal and financial information across the Internet. I can’t comment on the Parental Control feature because I do not use it, but certainly this is something parents will find appealing. Last and certainly not least, this software allows you to block a great number of those increasingly annoying pop-up ads proliferating online. If this is your first time using the firewall software, you will have to go through some important steps in order to configure your security system for your own needs, but the system walks you through this pretty well, meaning you don’t need to be a computer expert to do it. You will also have to specify any personal information (such as credit card numbers) you want to protect from accidental release via web forms and the like, but this is not hard to do. You can quickly and easily run a security check at any time to make sure your security settings are optimized and working properly. I would not surf online without knowing this great product is there to protect me from all the dangers lurking in cyberspace.
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Good features, poor UI
In terms of features this is a good product, and definitely makes you feel secure, especially with a permanently on broadband internet connection. I found setup relatively easy, and I especially like the warning dialogs that pop up whenever some potentially dangerous action happens (such a program attempting to listen for Internet connection attempts) which allow me to choose what to do. Performance is acceptable on XP Pro, 1200MHz Athlon, no real noticeable performance loss due to the virus/firewall/etc. monitoring, though longer boot times and a very occasional annoying tendency for computer to hang for 10-30 seconds. But on W2K I had a serious continual performance loss and eventually had to turn off the continuous antivirus protection. Lucky I dont use W2K very often now. I had one gripe on setup - the instructions indicated that if running on an NTFS partition, you should first download an activeX control from the symantec site to scan your computer for viruses that might affect installation (why you have to do that for NTFS but for FAT you can do do the pre-scan from the cd isnt explained). Trouble is when I followed the instructions I found my computer being scanned for _all_ viruses, not just the ones that could effect installation, with instructions to stay online while that happened. I was on a 56K modem at the time and it took well over an hour of my phone being tied up. But what really lets this product down - and is the reason I only gave it 3 stars - is the poor UI. Sure it looks pretty - snazzy white and yellow patterns, but theres no consistency in the design. No comprehensive menu system, and just a hotch potch of buttons and listboxes etc. so you can find you have to access two similar features in totally different ways. I wasted a fair amount of time searching for how to do things thanks to the design of the UI (and I still havent figured out how to list particular web sites as to be ignored by the ad blocking feature, which the docs say you can do). I seriously think the symantec programmers need to go away and read the Windows Logo requirements and design guidelines. Full marks for attractive appearance but none for intuitive design.
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Norton Internet Security Suite 2003 Unresolved Problems
I have been an avid fan of Norton for years but this product really was a disappointment.After several necessary uninstalls and reinstalls of this product following on-line technical advice over a period of several weeks, I would recommend avoiding this product which was purchased to replace Norton Personal Firewall and Norton Antivirus. I never managed to gain the full functionality of this suite (in particular successful attempts to update the ISS programs always failed). This was despite following Symantecs detailed instructions and problem fixing suggestions regarding uninstalling and re-installing, and even going as far as to clean out the registry manually, running .exe files downloaded from Symantec that were designed to fix the problems, and clearing out all temporary files prior to each re-install. The anti-virus part though is good, and has worked without any problems. I just wish for the price I paid, I had confidence in the remaining parts of the Internet Security Suite. I am no novice and sense that Norton never really tested this product prior to release. Perhaps the 2004 version will be a more stable program?
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McAfee Internet Security 5.0
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McAfee Internet Security 5.0 protects your PC against a wide range of viruses as well as other external threats such as hackers. McAfee Internet Security 5.0 combines McAfees VirusScan 7 and Firewall 4 programs into one product along with a new interface allowing you to configure everything from one place. On the virus front McAfee Internet Security 5.0 operate..
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Norton Internet Security 2003 Pro (AntiVirus, Firewall, Spam Alert, Privacy Control)
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Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional helps you to protect your PC from online security risks with a firewall, plus it blocks ads, filters spam and includes parental controls. Setting up a firewall can be complex, but the Security Assistant wizard walks you through all the choices you need to make, and it automatically sets up PCs on a home network to work behind the firewall. The Program Scan looks for Internet-enabled software on your system so you can let all your Internet too..
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Norton Internet Security 2003 Upgrade (AntiVirus, Firewall, Spam Alert, Privacy & Parental Control)
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Using anti-virus software isnt enough these days; you need to actively block off your PC from online security risks with a firewall. Norton Internet Security 2003 lets you do both, plus it blocks ads, filters spam and includes parental controls. Setting up a firewall can be complex but the Security Assistant wizard walks you through all the choices you need to make, and it automatically sets up PCs on a home network to work behind the firewall. The Program Scan looks for Internet-enab..
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Norton Internet Security 2003 and Utilities 2002 Bundle
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Norton Internet Security 2003 Using anti-virus software isnt enough these days; you need to actively block off your PC from online security risks with a firewall. Norton Internet Security 2003 lets you do both, plus it blocks ads, filters spam and includes parental controls.
Setting up a firewall can be complex but the Security Assistant wizard walks you through all the choices you need to make, and it automatically sets up PCs on a home network to work behind the firewall...
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Norton Internet Security Mac 3.0
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The true beauty of "Internet Security" is that its like having a security guard sitting on a chair with a newspaper by your internet connection. You can carry on with your business, safe in the knowledge that, should anything looking a bit scruffy try to push its way into your territory, your securi..
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