Alternatives to Windows Live OneCare
Robert Vamosi,
Senior Editor
July 27, 2006
According to representatives of Microsoft, Windows Live OneCare represents the exact tools their customers wanted most to see in an all-in-one security product. Indeed, for many months, the expectation of what OneCare would--and would not--offer sent many traditional and nontraditional security vendors scrambling. Now that Windows Live OneCare is available for subscription, is it worth it, or should you wait? Relative-newcomer AOL and venerable security vendor McAfee have both announced betas for their own an all-in-one service packages, which will be finalized in the fall. The beta AOL package will include home wireless management, something OneCare doesn't address), while McAfee has previewed a package that includes an option for online backups and a file shredder, two more items that OneCare doesn't address. And if you're willing to wait, why not stick around for a first look at Symantec's Norton 360, also expected in beta soon, with a final release later in 2006.
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February 26, 2007
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July 25, 2006
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July 14, 2006
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| The Bottom Line |
Windows Live OneCare doesn't provide as many unique features and often repackages tools already available for free within the Windows operating system. For $30 more, it's well worth investing in the solutions from McAfee or Symantec, and we give the final nod to Norton 360 which ensures the best protection and performance tools for your money.
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AOL Total Care beta, a suite of PC protection tools, poses yet another credible threat to the Microsoft Windows Live OneCare package.
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McAfee takes on Microsoft Windows Live OneCare with McAfee Total Protection beta, a complete suite of security and system-maintenance tools that, even in beta, is superior to Microsoft's offering.
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