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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| Review date | February 26, 2007 | July 25, 2006 | July 14, 2006 |
| 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. | AOL Total Care beta, a suite of PC protection tools, poses yet another credible threat to the Microsoft Windows Live OneCare package. | 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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