|
From:McAfee
|
![McAfee Internet Security Suite 2008 - 3 User [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41TW01HnGrL._SL160_.jpg)
See Product Page
|
User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#160 |
| | Page: << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ... 19 >> |
3 of 3 customers found the following review helpful:
 The enforced auto-renewal program is a big negative, 2008-08-18
It is very difficult for the typical user to provide a truly insightful review of a product like this. Why? Because most of us are already protected from most internet threats by our Internet Service Provider. For example, the router supplied by my DSL provider has a firewall. My domain host screens for viruses and other malware. And, of course, I don't open attachments from strangers or even many of the people I know.
Additionally, there are many free utilities that perform many of the same tasks with less burden on the computer and less intrusively.
So I simply can't realistically evaluate this package in terms of how well it performs its basic functions.
Those services who do test programs such as this for their actual effectiveness put McAfee Internet Security Internet Suite in the middle of the pack. I'll have to take their word for it.
Installation is no more difficult than it should be on a computer running Windows XP. I have not tested it on Windows Vista.
In terms of operation, McAfee puts a burden on the CPU, much the same way the Norton competitor does. McAfee is very intrusive with popups and warnings and, frankly, is irritating.
The very worst feature, in my opinion, is the enforced automatic renewal plan. You are compelled to provide a credit card number in the installation process to sign up for this dubious benefit. Yes, you can cancel, but not through McAfee's web site. No, you have to use Chat, Email or Telephone which require 8, 7 and 5 steps respectively. None of these methods provide instant cancellation.
If it were not for this "benefit", I might have given the product three stars. Because of it, I was tempted to give it one star. I find it offensive that a software publisher demands I obligate myself to a financial committment before I have even used the product - and makes me jump through hoops to cancel this forced purchase. McAfee also offers a 30 day refund policy on the entire product.
Overall, ignoring the forced renewal subscription agreement, the product is about average. A bit more streamlined than Norton, it is also more intrusive. It costs a bit less for three computer coverage than Norton. On the whole, computer users are well advised to research and consider both free and other commercial offerings before choosing this product. And if you do purchase this product, be very wary of their forced automatic renewal.
Jerry
 Nice but it can slow your system, 2008-08-16
This is a very comprehensive protection package. It comes from the second oldest name in this field. That said it's a bit unwieldy. Since installing it I have had a noticeable slow-down in my computer. I don't have that slow of a PC, Quad Core 4 GB of RAM?? Now it's crawling worse than it usually does. I also had an instance when installing that it kept giving me errors on the password I needed to create for it. It kept telling me it was invalid, but not why. It wouldn't let me create an online account. I finally guessed that it might want a password with mixed letters and numbers. That worked. I shouldn't have to guess.
After install, it scanned my computer at 4 in the morning and I was clean except for 5 cookies it didn't like. No viruses or anything overly malicious. I was using Windows Defender and Avast! before this. They are free. Overall it's quite a deal especially if you qualify for the rebate on it, currently.
It's good but too much overhead, 2008-08-14
The good: McAfee Internet Security 2008 covers three PCs for about $50; includes backup and recovery; all of the tools integrate well.
The bad: Telephone tech support still costs. With all of its features and protection it will slow down you PCs a bit but that's the price you will have to pay for protection.
The bottom line: McAfee Internet Security 2008 trounces Norton Internet Security 2008, offering a better designed product with more security tools.
Specs: License qty: 3 users; License type: Complete package; Min Operating system: Microsoft Windows XP SP1
Firewall:
The McAfee firewall will keep intruders out and your personal information safe. It monitors your computer's ports and all data that enters or leaves. With one click, you can lock down the firewall, which blocks all network traffic between your computer and the Internet. It also stops remote connections from accessing your computer.
Setting up custom firewall rules and changing the firewall configuration was difficult if you're not technical. I also had issues with the firewall not opening ports that we had specified within the custom rules.
Antivirus:
McAfee is one of the few companies that submitted their software to all three major testing labs, ICSA, Virus Bulletin (VB) and West Coast Labs (W.C.L.), and passed all three tests. The suite offers a variety of virus scanning options. You can scan files on demand, real-time or schedule your system scans. With scanning real-time, doing a full system scan and scanning incoming/outgoing emails and instant message attachments. It will put some additional overhead on your system.
Antispyware:
The ISCA also gave their approval for the antispyware function of the McAfee Internet Security Suite. This software will detect spyware of all kinds including adware, keyloggers, Trojans, browser hijackers and more. The scanner did miss many tracking cookies as well as some pre-installed spyware toolbars.
Other Security/Features:
In addition to the main security functions listed above, McAfee will detect problems, filter spam and notify you of potential phishing schemes. Phishing is creating a fraudulent email or website that appears to be a legitimate company, like a bank, credit card company or government agency. The goal is to collect personal information. McAfee also has extensive parental control features that will filter web content by keyword, by using a blacklist or by image analysis. You are able to set up an account and customize web filters for each user.
We used the "Maintain Computer" function to clean out old and unused files. You can shred the files for privacy purposes if you want. From this screen, you can also reconfigure your PC for optimum performance.
McAfee's main user interface is well organized so you can quickly access and configure the firewall, antivirus and parental controls. You can also access reports and logs so you can see exactly what functions have taken place and what the results are.
A large problem with McAfee's security suite is that it slowed down my system considerably while it was installed. At times we were able to type faster than Word could display the letters on screen because of the slowdown.
Ease of Installation/Setup:
We didn't have any problems while installing this software. The initial setup is simple and the software has default settings so you don't have to do any extensive configuring. McAfee integrates well with other programs like Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook. Uninstalling the MacAfee Internet Security seemed to go well until we searched for things that it might have left behind. Many registry keys as well as several directories were still present after a forced reboot.
Help/Support:
McAfee provides tutorials, a user manual and FAQs. You can also contact customer support by phone, online chat and email.
Summary:
McAfee Internet Security Suite provides the security you need to safely navigate the web. It is a little bit anemic in some areas, and has the potential to slow your computer down while the real time scanner is functioning.
1 of 1 customers found the following review helpful:
Former User Compares , 2008-08-12
I used to be a long-time McAfee user after having tried - and hated - Norton. A couple years ago I switched to the Zone Alarm product line but decided to give McAfee a try when this came up on the Vine offer. Zone Alarm seemed to be slowing things down more than usual so I had high hopes the McAfee would provide some much needed pick-up. That was mistake number one. I loaded it to my PC based laptop which I keep for travel or emergencies so it is clean and relatively unclutted...still slow.
The Good...
The child protective features are a nice tough (I suppose)if you have young children at home. On the other hand, if you are like me (sans young kids) then it is just one more bulky portion of an already bulky program. McAfee is easy to use just like always, in fact, that has always been a plus of the software. The automatic updates are a mixed bag at best - great for helping remind of important updates but annoying the rest of the time. The price is excellent (even the regular retail) and I like the idea of protecting all three computers at once.
The Bad...
Perhaps it is too much to ask for any of these to not slow the computer to a crawl but like most people, I want protection and I want it fast. It becomes a battle to remain prudent and protected rather than speed things up and risk a loss or corruption. The online support is better than nothing but chat and email don't make the cut compared to live support. Yes, I know that is increasingly rare but I increasingly vote with my pocket to those vendors that provide excellent customer service (like Amazon I may add).
The Verdict
Probably about average product with an above average price especially for three computers. All in all you could do worse but would need to pay quite a bit more for anything above and beyond this level.
1 of 2 customers found the following review helpful:
Color me unimpressed, 2008-08-10
Installation was simple, encountered no errors running XP Pro. The interface seemed straight forward and easy to understand. However, I didn't notice any features that I would readily use that aren't available from freeware programs such as Zone Alarm. If you know where to look, you can get everything McAfee offers for free on the net from AdAware to K9 to Spybot. I've been using these freeware programs since release and I've never had a complaint. My PC has never been affected by any virus of any kind. So in my opinion, why fix what ain't broke? I can get better protection for free and I don't have to worry about McAfee dipping into my bank account without warning. Not a difficult choice! Avoid and stick with the freeware. They work better, they're free, and they don't hog all your system resources.
|
| Page: << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ... 19 >> |
|