PC-Cillin Internet Security 2006 review:5 stars (No more resource hogging!) - I've always used Norton products and been reasonably happy with them. Until I upgraded to the Norton Internet Security 2005 this summer. I configured everything exactly the same on the upgrade, and my computer became this slow-ambling dinosaur. It took 10 minutes to start up, an average of 4 to 5 minutes for a web page to load (using DSL), and even slowed down non-internet accessing applications. Even using the simple calculator accessory was a chore. A couple of calls to their customer service did not help greatly. We tried a few different configurations, and while it helped slightly it upped the risk and let in a couple viruses. I was then told I would either have to upgrade my computer, or live with the slower time. That got me mad. The fact that I have spent major bucks for Norton over the years made me madder.
I decided to try something else and after researching came across Zone Alarm Pro and PC-cillin. I went with the Zone Alarm first and encountered similar slowing times, plus it took forever to do a scan. My computer is a couple years old, but taking 5 hours to scan is still ridiculous.
Frustrated I went to the PC-cillin website and tried their 30 day trial before investing any more money. It was a breeze to install, set up and run. After 2 weeks, I dived in and bought the full application (at a heck of an offer on amazon.com). The email application does run a little slower but it's worth it to have all that spam filtered out automatically. The average time on starting up is a litle longer too, but once the computer is on, everything runs at normal speeds and the web loading is as quick as it should be. After a week of use, I am still very pleased. I've run daily scans and nothing has turned up so it's working the way it should.
Finally, internet security at a decent price and doesn't slow your computer down.5 stars (Upgrading Norton) - I have been a long time user of Norton Antivirus and recently had the opportunity to try both Norton 2005 and Norton 2006. These may both be quite capable programs but they suddenly made my top of the line computer feel sluggish as the time needed to fully boot up more than doubled.
For me, that was unacceptable. I decided to give PC-Cillin Internet Security 2006 a try and I wasn't disappointed. It immediately found two minor viruses that had managed to slip by Norton without being detected.
PC-cillin also does a very good job blocking adware/spyware. I used to run Ad-Aware on a regular basis to scan my computer but now PC-cillin is blocking internet junk at the source before it has a chance to even get on my computer.
The software firewall built into Windows XP may block inbound internet traffic but it is not designed to prevent internet traffic flowing in the opposite direction. The PC-cillin firewall does a proper job by blocking unauthorized internet traffic in both directions. This feature alone is far more important than most casual users realize.
PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 is a very capable program at a reasonable price and it won't noticably slow down your computer. Highly recommended.3 stars (NOT PERFECT; BUT, FAVORABLY COMPETES WITH THE BESTS!) - I will kick-off by advising all those who currently use either the 2005 or 2006 version of this software to save their time and money. There is no compelling feature or improvement here, which warrants an upgrade. The overall interface remains unchanged; although minor tweaks can be seen here and there.
However, if you are a first-time buyer; or you are the type of person who derives psychological satisfaction from having the 'latest software' at his or her disposal, then I will say: go ahead and please yourself. Afterall, the asking price for this software is only a fraction of what comparable suites retail for. It is a very capable utility suite. And despite its few shortcomings, it still worths every dime you invest on it.
Note that the functional layout of this "PC-Cillin Internet Security 2006" bears more similarity to 'Norton' than 'McAfee'. It is dependable and remains efficient in the course of discharging its duties. Yet, that will not make me to shy away from the few problems, which you may likely encounter in the course of using the software.
The first drawback is that the individual components of this application suite, will noticeably reduce the performance of your computer. Even with a machine which harbours a top-of-the-line processor as well as a generous amount of RAM, this operational redundancy will be apparent. Another problem is that booting-up your operating system will not only take eternity to complete, but the machine can just freeze in the process; thus, forcing you to manually switch it off in order to start everything afresh. This could be both annoying and frustrating: especially, if you are experiencing crunch-time and needed to do something quickly. But, the good news is that the problem becomes alleviated if you can only make-out the necessary time and defragment your hard-disk. In my own case, doing just this has reduced the problem by more than ninety percent. It has not disappeared completely; but it rarely occurs.
In summary, I will testify that "PC-Cillin Internet Security 2006" provides impressive antiviral and firewall capabilities; though, it lacks the finesse of wizard-driven suites like 'Norton' and 'McAfee'. Still, almost all experienced users of Internet Security suites do not need the assistance of wizards to achieve excellent configurations. Wizard's greatest impact is on the very beginners and the inexperienced. Experienced users hardly make use of it. Again, do remember that the price of this item is a very big PLUS, when compared to either 'McAfee' or 'Norton'. And, bear in mind that it favorably competes with both suites in terms of both performance and compatibility. There is literally no functional attribute that either 'Norton' or 'McAfee' possess, which you cannot find in this "PC-Cillin Internet Security" suite. This software package is by every means, a hard-to-resist choice in terms of both price and quality. And if the current productive standard is maintained, I look forward to seeing it improve as future editions emerge. |
