So I'm Looking to Buy Some Anti-Virus Software...

[BicyclePunk]

....any recommondations? Norton? Symantec? Is it worth it just to pony up and pay for .Mac and use the anti-virus software there? Thanks in advance for the advice....

[flyfish29]

Originally posted by BicyclePunk
....any recommondations? Norton? Symantec? Is it worth it just to pony up and pay for .Mac and use the anti-virus software there? Thanks in advance for the advice....

Norton used to make the Mac symantec...now they are one in the same I think. I have virex, don't like it cause you have to run it each time you want to check for viruses, but when I had symantec Norton AV it would run all the time, but I imagine it slowed it down a bit. With so few virus threats out there for the mac I might rec. virex anyway. I got .Mac and there are so many uses for .Mac for me that it was way worth it! You would need to decide if it is worth it for you. definitions are always updated as long as you keep .mac.

[SilentPanda]

I second that. Just go with .Mac and use Virex. Yeah it'll cost you a little more but you'll always have "free" virus updates. The odds of getting a virus in the first place are slim to none so you might as well get .Mac and as a bonus get your virus scanner.

[BicyclePunk]

Very cool. Right now, it looks like it is some screwy virus with Word or in a Word doc. The only hesistation I have with .Mac is that the mounting of iDisk might cause my computer to not fall asleep.

[SilentPanda]

You never have to mount your iDisk. Your computer should fall asleep if the iDisk is mounted. Mine does.

[wdlove]

I use Norton Antivirus, it is easy to use. The Live-Update makes it very easy to get the latest updates. My wife has .Mac, if you have a need for the other items that are offered, it also makes updates easy.

[Koodauw]

Is Anti-virus software really needed? It seems like most users who post say they don't have any/ don't use it. Maybe I am wrong though. I would be interested to see what others think.

[russgra]

Fully operational trial of Symantec's Norton AntiVirus™ 9.0 for Macintosh®

http://nct.symantecstore.com/fulfill/0001.115#nav

[Bluefusion]

Are you sure you really want/need an antivirus system?

There are approximately 120 viruses for the Mac, not one of which runs in OS X (they are all from OS 9 and earlier). None of them are particularly harmful, to begin with. (there are thousands of viruses for Windows discovered every year, ranging from benign to horribly destructive, and they spread using back-access in programs such as Outlook, which is not on the Mac at all. All the tools viruses use to propogate and to destroy critical files do not exist on the Mac, and the Mac OS won't allow the kind of activity that most viruses would have.)

Word macros are buggy and all, but it's highly unlikely you've got any viruses at all. It's a much more secure system, and a much lower chance of viruses, than Windows...so much so that I have never even seen a Mac virus on any computer I've owned or troubleshooted, Classic or OS X.

While anti-virus software is one of the top-selling categories of software on the PC, anyone who tells you you really need it on the Mac is just trying to sell you something. I wouldn't worry about it! :)

[BicyclePunk]

I had some sort of virus...on 9...a few years ago, but it was in a Word document and it was caught because I sent this word document to another Mac shop...their anti-virus caught it.

Sort of the same thing just happened to me day before yesterday. A client (probably on a PC) sent me a Word document. I edited it and sent it back to her. I immediately got a bounc message that their corporate email system would not deliver the email because the attachment was infected.

I agree that there are not many viruses for the Mac. But...A: I don't want to take any risks and B: there is...maybe...this goofy one with Word.

Hmmmm....

[3-22]

I may be wrong but I never saw much need for a virus scanner in OS X. One article I read the only real reason you may want to invest in one is to avoid spreading anything by accident. (You could forward something on that does nothing to you, but would affect a windoze box)

Running virus scanners cause a performance and stability hit. Atleast on my Windows box, so i don't bother with it on my OS X box.

This is my philosophy today anyway, if next week viruses start targeting OS X I might need to install something.

News Article (http://www.baltimoresun.com/technology/custom/pluggedin/bal-mac082103,0,7518456.column)

[Horrortaxi]

Personally I like a free antivirus which is available on horrortaxi.net. It's called "It's a Mac, Don't worry about Viruses."

[iJon]

i would get .mac cause even if you ever cancel .mac you can keep virex free from any montly fees. but honestly virii doesnt exist on the mac hardly, i dont run any

iJon

[fartheststar]

I interact with a lot of PC users, so I use Norton.

Why?

When I transfer files back and forth I want to make sure I'm not infecting someone by passing through an infected file, even though it won't hurt my system.