Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0

When we looked at the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials in 2009, we were impressed with its clean, easy-to-use interface, but less so with its sluggish scan speed. This still holds true for Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0; also, it hasn’t kept pace with newer antivirus products when it comes to detecting malware.

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BitDefender Antivirus Pro 2011

BitDefender Antivirus Pro 2011 ($40 for a one-year, three-PC license as of 11/23/2010) ranks second in our roundup of 2011 paid antivirus software. In our tests, it did a good job at detecting malware, and was the top performer at removing infections from a PC, which pushed it up the leaderboard, but it had [...]

Free vs. Fee: Free, Paid Antivirus Programs

Depending on whom you ask, paying for antivirus software is either a good investment or a total ripoff. In reality, neither viewpoint is accurate. You can find plenty of good reasons to choose a paid antivirus product, and plenty of good reasons to go with a freebie.

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Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 takes fifth place in our roundup of 2011 antivirus software, closely trailing fourth-place finisher G-Data AntiVirus 2011. It did a great job at stopping brand new malware attacks, and a reasonable–though not top-notch–job at detecting known malware, and it sports a well-designed interface. On the downside, its impact on PC performance was [...]

Avast Pro Antivirus 5

Avast Pro Antivirus 5 ($40 for a single-PC, one-year license as of 11/23/2010) ranks third in our roundup of 2011 paid antivirus products. When PCWorld last looked at Avast’s paid antivirus offering, our reviewer wasn’t particularly impressed with either its interface or its malware detection capabilities. Avast Antivirus Pro 5, however, is a definite improvement, [...]