Stephanie wants to know why we’re not so keen on Avast anymore
I haven’t see you say many good things about Avast anymore. Last week I noticed you took it off your recommended programs list. I’ve been using Avast since you first recommended it and for the most part I’ve been happy with it. Why did you change your mind? I look forward to your newsletters every week. Thanks for everything. Stephanie
Our answer
The jury (our jury) is still out on Avast. Their new version has ballooned to a monstrous 73MB download. When we first started recommending Avast it was a 7 MB download. Somewhere along the way it put on some weight – but we don’t see that it’s ten times better than it was. Avast seems to be bent on become the next Norton. We don’t understand that. And we’re really disappointed in its venturing into the “WOT-like” reputation-based safe-surfing business.
Allowing non-experts to voice their opinions is one thing if it’s for entertainment or general reviews. But reputation-based file or site ratings have no place in a serious security product. If Avast wants to include reputation-based ratings in their product (like Norton and McAfee already do) then we’re not going to take Avast seriously. There is no room for non-expert opinion when it comes to security software. Since they seem not to be taking themselves seriously with all the bloat and reputation-based ratings, we’ve stopped taking them seriously as well.
Microsoft Security Essentials (less than a 10MB download) is our current #1 choice for free antivirus. Independent lab test results show MSE holds its own or bests most other antivirus products. Plus with MSE you don’t have to put up the upsell nag screens or the silly reputation-based ratings, MSE protects well, has a simple easy-to-use interface, it’s easy on resources, and runs quietly in the background doing what it’s supposed to do – protecting your computer.
Will Avast protect your computer? Yes. Will Microsoft Security Essentials protect your computer as well or better? Absolutely. And with a lot less aggravation too.
I tried MSE a few years ago and found it (then) to be a tremendous memory hog so after a few weeks, I removed it and have been using Avast-Free for roughly two years. Last week, Avast decided that one of my photo editing programs was a trojan and instantly not only quarantined the program, it (Avast) instantly booted my computer.
As soon as my puter came back up, I again tried to run the editing program that I have been using many times daily since 1999. After many attempts, I finally removed Avast, and installed MSE. Haven’t had one problem since and it’s also my humble opinion that MSE is no longer a memory hog.
Scan time with MSE blows all others away by
leaving them in the dust; like a Shelby with a
429 Hi-Po drag-racing a Corvair with twin
cams! Thus far, MSE smokes! Thumbs Up!!!
AMEN TO THAT…LOVE MSE!
It’s a shame that Avast wants to be bigger but not better. I switched to MSE a few months ago and I’m very happy with it. No problems and it works as advertised.
I was really sceptical when you guys recommended MSE. A free Microsoft virus scanner? Get real! I love it. It is the least intrusive & most effective virus scanner I have ever used. I hardly know it’s there. My hat’s off to you guys. That was a good call.