I’ve written about Avira’s free AntiVir Personal here and its Premium Security Suite 9 here. Since my subscription to the latter was ending, I decided to revert back to the free Personal antivirus. For some reason or other, it kept flagging my blog with having a flashframe trojan, which seems more like an FP (False Positive). So out of frustration, I decided to download and install the big brother, AntiVir Premium. The neat thing about this is that Avira gives you 30 days to try it out. And guess what? No more false positives!
Here are the main features of Avira AntiVir Premium, as detailed in their website:
AntiVir: stops all types of viruses- Anti Adware/AntiSpyware: eliminates ad/spyware
- Anti Rootkit: protects against hidden rootkit threats
- Quick Removal: eliminate viruses per mouse click
- Netbook Support: for laptops with low resolution
- Anti Phishing: proactive protection against phishing
- Enhanced AntiSpyware NEW!
- Anti Drive-by: prevents against downloading viruses
- Rescue System: create a bootable rescue CD
- Email Scanner: enhanced email protection
- Web Guard: protection against malicious websites Optimized
Avira have set up shop here in Malaysia, so I went and bought it from one of the local computer stores. A 13-month license cost me around $13 USD which is quite reasonable. All I had to do when I got home was to enter in the activation code and voila, my 30-day trial became a full version.
Aside from its great detection rate and good scanning speeds, I have only one gripe about this product and it’s the progress bar in the scanning window. In my opinion this is probably the ugliest progress bar I have ever seen in a 2009 product, bar none:
Yes, Miss Miller, I am nitpicking, but I do wish they could implement a more up-to-date progress bar instead of that blue ghastly thing. Even the free Microsoft Security Essentials has a nicer-looking progress bar (and some of us geeks just love to stare while it’s scanning)
I joined the Avira Forums and wrote about it in this thread. One of the moderators replied, and I quote:
This is an aesthetic issue, not even a functional one. Also, please take in account that the more prettier a GUI is, the more resources it consumes. This could lead to a speed penalty and this is a much more important aspect.
Well hello, an updated progress bar consumes more system resources? How much more? And how come other programs can do it? The same moderator later on says, and I quote:
Taking in account that you are the only one that requested such a change, I don’t think this will be made.
I’m the “only one?” Hmmm—I’m no programmer, but I have a feeling that implementing a nicer and more modern-looking progress bar wouldn’t be difficult and the amount of system resources taken by this would be negligible. And to know that this fine product comes from Germany (the home of BMW, Mercedes Benz, Steinway, etc.) jeez, they could at least spruce it up!
Ok, rant over. I’ll still use Avira AntiVir Premium for now, since it’s a great antivirus. I’ll also try not to look at the scanning window (but no promises there).
Tags: antispyware, antivirus, Avira Antivir Premium
What, may I ask, is wrong with blue? It happens to be MY favorite color LOL
I won’t change from my Panda Cloud AntiVirus Beta (I’ve been waiting too long for the 64-bit version) but I’m very glad you are happy with your choice and that price is certainly VERY reasonable.
Wow, that mod sure sounds rather petty and demeaning in their reply to you according to the quotes. Whatever happened to the nice and polite people? I think they’ve all gone; either that or government has secretly been killing them off!
But yes, you asked a valid question and get a reply like that. Niceeeee! *rolls eyes*
I’m using Avast on the children’s Windows computer. A lot of techie people I know rated it for both find and removal techniques and it’s free. I was horrified to see what had been downloaded on my children’s download window on Firefox. They like visiting game websites and they come with all sorts of adverts and spyware bonzibuddy crap, etc. Argghh!
Doris: I don’t mind blue as long as it’s not that horrid shade that reminds me of Windows 95 or whatever. I suppose those AV people are smart because once you’ve bought a license you wouldn’t want to switch programs halfway, unless something terrible happens.
Lisa: Yeah, that mod seemed very aloof but I’ll cut him some slack as he did give a prompt reply and English probably isn’t his first language. And seriously, it wouldn’t cost the company much just to pretty up that damn progess bar. I’m not asking them to overhaul the whole blooming thing, LOL!
Maybe this geek needs to find something more productive to do with his time rather than spending it watching the antivirus scan progress bar for entertainment.
I stand by my earlier comments! xoxo Besides, I happen to prefer blue to green–so there.
Once a geek, always a geek!