Entered CNET Catalog: 12/07/2002
SKU: PCZZWWEAXSBUPNNA
Manufacturer: Trend Micro
Manufacturer description
Protect your computer and PDA from viruses at home or on the go with PC-cillin 2003. PC-cillin combines advanced virus detection and cleaning with an integrated firewall to safeguard your system from hackers and malicious code threats in email and instant messaging, and while surfing the Internet. New features like Wi-Fi protection help secure your computer when connecting to a wireless LAN network, and Outbreak Alert gives you early warning about new viruses.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 01/03/2003
During installation, PC-cillin 2003 scans your system for viruses and other rogue code.
Antivirus amateurs will appreciate PC-cillin's thoughtful design and top-notch interface. Thanks to self-explanatory tabs and icons, the program is clutter-free and as easy to configure as the competition's apps. Also, like industry leaders Norton and McAfee, PC-cillin lets you run manual scans to examine individual folders--important on today's mammoth hard drives--and makes it a breeze to schedule weekly or monthly scans.
PC-cillin 2003 not only matches McAfee and Norton feature for feature, it offers a few neat tricks of its own. Like Norton AntiVirus and McAfee VirusScan, PC-cillin downloads virus pattern updates from its own servers. While automatic configuration is available, the default setting wisely lets you decide which option makes sense. PC-cillin then takes the update process a step further with its Outbreak Alert, which sends Red or Yellow alert pop-ups, depending on the importance of the update. Norton, by comparison, simply informs you that it's time to update your pattern files.
Like any good antivirus crusader, PC-cillin runs in the background and scans all file downloads from your e-mail, instant messenger, Web browser, or any other application. Like Norton and Panda, PC-cillin automatically cleans infected files, and if it can't clean a file, the software quarantines it, rendering it ineffective. You can, however, reconfigure PC-cillin to seek your input before it acts. PC-cillin also scans compressed files, as does Norton, but only after they're on your PC and you try to extract them. McAfee, on the other hand, scans a compressed file while you download it.
PC-cillin alerts you when it detects a virus. It seeks your input if it can't eradicate the troublemaker.
Like McAfee and Panda, PC-cillin includes an easy-to-configure firewall that's integrated nicely into the program's interface. Of lesser value is SiteTrap, a feature that lets you block users from accessing specific Web sites. While SiteTrap works with Internet Explorer, it doesn't work with the popular MSN Explorer, something that Trend Micro says it's working to fix.
PC-cillin follows antivirus protocol by offering one year of complimentary antivirus pattern files. After that, however, you'll have to pay $24.95 per year, which includes an upgrade to the latest version of the program. By comparison, both Norton and McAfee charge slightly less than $10 per year for pattern files but don't bundle a program upgrade with the deal. Frankly, we prefer the latter, less pricey approach and question Trend Micro's need to lock its customers into an annual program update, particularly if their current version is working fine.
In CNET Labs' tests, PC-cillin caused less of a drag on system performance than did McAfee, Norton, or Panda. However, McAfee remains the speed champ, scanning faster than any antivirus software product we've tested.
PC-cillin downloads and installs pattern file updates from the Internet.
To measure PC-cillin's impact on system performance, CNET Labs used BAPCo's SysMark2002, an industry-standard benchmark. The Internet Content Creation portion of SysMark measures a desktop's performance running off-the-shelf applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Windows Media Encoder, and Macromedia Dreamweaver. (We did not run the Office Productivity portion of the benchmark because it incorporates McAfee VirusScan 5.13.)
Our test system was a Compaq Evo W4000 running Windows XP Professional, with an Intel P4 2.4GHz processor and 512MB DDR RAM. With PC-cillin running, our test system scored a remarkable 98--a mere 2 percent reduction in overall system speed. By comparison, McAfee scored a 97, or a 3 percent decrease; Norton AntiVirus 2003 scored a 95, a 5 percent reduction; and Panda scored a dismal 81, a whopping 19 percent slowdown. (An Internet Content Creation score of 100 represents the performance of our test system without any extraneous software running.) In a test of scanning speed, PC-cillin took an average of 2.1 minutes to scan a 1GB directory, which wasn't as fast as speed demon McAfee VirusScan 7.0, which averaged 1.7 minutes.
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To determine whether PC-cillin effectively blocks viruses, we gauged its performance in tests conducted by independent antivirus laboratories. In Virus Bulletin's tests with live viruses, PC-cillin earned the coveted VB 100 percent rating in three of its most recent Windows tests--a good showing certainly, but not on a par with Norton AntiVirus, which earned the title on six of its last six tests. In the back of the antivirus pack, McAfee passed only three of its last eight Windows tests, and Panda passed only once in its two Windows tests.
Previous versions of PC-cillin have been certified by the independent antivirus testing laboratories at West Coast Checkmark, ICSA Labs, and AV-test.org.
For more details on how we test antivirus apps, see CNET Labs' site.
Trend Micro gets a gold star for being the only antivirus vendor to offer free phone support for one year. By comparison, both Symantec and McAfee charge hefty fees for phone support, and Panda doesn't offer the service at all. Even better, Trend Micro provides a toll-free number, so any hold time is on the company's dime. In our tests, wait times were typically less than 10 minutes and the company's support staff answered our queries accurately and politely.
Like its competitors, Trend Micro provides e-mail support. Its Web site has the usual collection of FAQs, virus definitions, and patch files but doesn't provide anything as slick as Symantec's wizardlike troubleshooter or McAfee's live support chat. But with a year of free phone support, we're not complaining.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
6/10
Good basic product
Pros: Easy to install and maintain
Cons: AntiSpam feature is pretty useless and email support gives really stupid answers
User Rating: 
8/10
Excellent product that plays well with other apps
Pros: Product does everything that it should, in the background. Firewall works well. Runs well with W2k and XP Pro. No problems
Cons: A little more configuration info for casual or VPN users to assist in setting up. Not a show stopper though since the Corp IT should be able to address any VPN issues
User Rating: 
9/10
Good product, just ignore anti spam
Pros: Have used Trend for several years. It has always caught and cleaned/deleted incoming viruses, while other friends using other "big brand" virus protection were infected.
Cons: Anti Spam for email. It's not good. You create a whitelist of emails that you receive that are NOT spam. Doesn't matter, it will still mark them as spam over half of the time. You can change the setting to low security and it still does it. I have turned
User Rating: 
7/10
Too resource hungry & freezes PC
Pros: User friendly interface and front end.
Cons: <ol> <li>Adds an extra 30 to 60 seconds to PC reboot time due to all the background files it has to start (4 background files, 1 foreground user interface file)</li> <li>Intermittantly (90% of the time) freezes my PC when I try to
User Rating: 9/10
The only product with maximum internet protection
Pros: This thing simply protected my computer from anything in the internet, including pop-ups! I wish it could be better at the next version, overlapping mcafee's virus scan pro 8.0
Cons: Spam deleted only 75% of my spam
User Rating: 9/10
Best one available
Pros: Catches everything! PC will still run fast..doesnt hog resources
Cons: None! -I cant understand why people have problems with this..runs fine..
User Rating: 9/10
PC-cillin 2003 is like a superantivirus
Pros: That is why I like to call it a superantivirus, because it is all in one! Virus scanning, personal firewall, web trap, site filter, Mail Scan all-in-one system! I'll tell you a story of my best friend who is a hacker. He said he can easily hack into any c
Cons: One nasty problem is trying to beat eset's NOD32 antivirus. I hope Trend Micro would find a way to beat that company I am waiting and counting on you! P.S. Red is my favoite color
User Rating: 
10/10
Simply the best!!!
Pros: 1. Besides excellent anti-virus and sufficient firewall package, program updates don't stop after 12 months like Symantec. 2. The price is also excellent. Firewall and Antivirus package at $50. 3. Not a bloatware like Symantec. 4. I've had this installed
Cons: none
User Rating: 
2/10
didnt detect anything
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Cons: thought everything was great until i installed another a/v program and found I had venereal diseases out the wazoo
User Rating: 8/10
Nice A/V & Firewall package
Pros: Using their products since PC-cillin 95. 2003 is very good package. Can't wait for their 2004 release.
Cons: you still need to know what you're doing when customizing firewall (ports,..)
User Rating: 
5/10
Junk program
Pros: Nice interface, easy to use, does not slow down PC as much as McAfee or Norton.
Cons: After a few months, the program "self destructs" with error "Unable to Initialize Scan Engine" (preceeded by various "ActiveUpdate errors, none of which are in their knowledge base). Support says the only solution is to uninstall and reinstall (very labor
User Rating: 8/10
Better than McAfee
Pros: Easy to use and doesnt block or lsow down email or surfing like McAfee. At least these people respond to your emails. McAfee doesnt
Cons: have not found one yet. I was a MacAfee user for three years-no more
User Rating: 10/10
PC-Cillin has been very dependable
Pros: I have used and love the enhancements of PC-Cillin... I think it is the best antivirus on the market at this time....
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User Rating: 
1/10
Is this a "Virus" or what???
Pros: Oh please!
Cons: I wouldn't say this is authentic Anti-Virus software. Every program file it sees on-screen is said to be a "virus", and the program "cleans" it, actually corrupting it beyond usability. It seems this program is either fatally buggy, or is just another v
User Rating: 8/10
Powerful and light
Pros: Very low system resources (both mcafee pro and norton hog resources), very good detection,easy to use,
Cons: firewall useless, I use kazaa which uses many ports, so it asks for all the 100 ports whether to allow kazaa or not
User Rating: 1/10
wheres my refund
Pros: nothing i can find
Cons: slowed my computor down and viruses slipped right by it and where the hells the number to get hold of someone for a refund?
User Rating: 9/10
Pc-cillin 2003 is much better then norton 2003
Pros: uses less system resources doesn't slow me down at all.price isn't that bad either.easy to use nice interface.i try norton 2003 nothing but trouble had to reformat twice because of norton also norton 2003 didn't catch the viruses i knew one time my system
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User Rating: 5/10
Conflicts With Other Software
Pros: Way better than NAV. (But it's no Panda)
Cons: Try it if you like, but mysterious problems may arise on your system. All AV's catch viruses; some do it using less resources.
User Rating: 
3/10
Service and quality poor!
Pros: Starts scanning when coming on line and updates frequently.
Cons: Service call a joke, fails to allow upgrading before your canceled. Scans coming on line, but allows too much junk to come through.
User Rating: 10/10
Removed My Inlaws
Pros: This product is great. My in laws visited on vacation and tried to use my computer on dialup, but when it kept crashing from using Pc-Cillin they moved to the hotel up the street with DSL, that used Norton.I love Trend Micro it rocks. It removes all kinds
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User Rating: 7/10
Good virus protection
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User Rating: 10/10
Wouldn't Be Without This - NO CONNECTION PROBLEMS
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User Rating: 5/10
Six months of POP3 problems is enough!
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User Rating: 7/10
Very good for W9x users but other applications are better for NT based computers
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User Rating: 
4/10
it doesnt work
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User Rating: 9/10
overall it's a very good antivirus program
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User Rating: 10/10
My Personal Choice
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User Rating: 9/10
Doesn't slow me down and does its job.
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User Rating: 9/10
Best Virus/Personal Firewall Protection going
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User Rating: 5/10
see detailed comments
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User Rating: 10/10
this software rocks
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User Rating: 3/10
Avoid this.
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User Rating: 6/10
Consumes too much memory!
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User Rating: 10/10
The BEST ANTI-VIRUS there is.
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User Rating: 9/10
The best AV currently available
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User Rating: 8/10
Product works better than Norton!
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User Rating: 4/10
The Support Team Ignores you.
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User Rating: 5/10
Prevents internet access on ADSL connection
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User Rating: 8/10
Excellent prog and does not hog
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User Rating: 8/10
Best in show
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User Rating: 3/10
Creates havoc with other programs
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User Rating: 8/10
A good AV package.
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User Rating: 7/10
Still can't clean
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User Rating: 1/10
Upgrade Does Not Work, Service is bad
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User Rating: 7/10
Good Product---Don't Use Webtrap
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User Rating: 7/10
Causes webpages to not load
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User Rating: 3/10
It freezes my machine
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User Rating: 8/10
Nonintrusive, good features, updated daily
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User Rating: 10/10
Does what it says it will.
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User Rating: 8/10
its great if all you need is antivirus
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, dont get confused now lol. i have used all the antiviruses in existence and if i would have to make a perfect security program it would be: macafee security and privacy settings, pc-cillin antivirus, norton's windoctor, zonealarm pro and ofcourse regcleaner. well i know i am asking for too much cause i understand its imposible for a company to be best in all fields, well maybe is but then who will bye the others, lol. but yes if all you want is antivurus, trend micros pc-cillin is the right for you. but if you need more then that get macafee internet security and that is if you are ready for some hardcore security.
User Rating: 5/10
AV Performance Good, Stability Horrible
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User Rating: 10/10
Best antivirus i've seen so far
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User Rating: 5/10
Mail Scan Doesn't support SSL Pop
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User Rating: 10/10
This product is much more stable that Norton.
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User Rating: 9/10
No Worries
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User Rating: 2/10
Does not work with Windows XP Pro
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User Rating: 10/10
applies updates like a dream
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User Rating: 7/10
Well this Rocks!
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User Rating: 9/10
Does the Job and easy to use
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User Rating: 7/10
valued for money
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User Rating: 10/10
This Program Rock
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User Rating: 5/10
Overkill
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