Simplify your laptop buying
Entered CNET Catalog: 06/03/2006
SKU: CNETZONEALARM65
Manufacturer: Zone Labs, Inc.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 06/05/2006
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
User Rating: 
1/10
Not good for "Windows Vista"
Pros: Works fine with Windows XP
Cons: Causes web browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox to stop working unexpectedly with Windows Vista.
If you are using Windows Vista and have Zone Alarm installed and have problems with your web browser, uninstall Zone Alarm and use a different Firewall instead or Windows Firewall.
User Rating: 
10/10
The standard in Internet security
Pros: Very easy to use, self explanatory, versatile, and very "paranoid" when it comes to the safety of your computer....all for free!
Cons: There are none
User Rating: 
9/10
Great free product
Pros: It works with little confusion, need to set it up just a little, to turn off chatter.
Cons: Lost the current network traffic visibility in the new version. Old ZoneAlarm control center had a flashing icon as each app communicated on the network and a mouse over showed details
User Rating: 9/10
Good protection!
Pros: Let you see and choose if you will allow access to applications to the internet;
Easy interface;
Panic button that stops all Internet connection in a emergency
Cons: Annoying popups windows
Few updates
User Rating: 10/10
PROOF it works!
Pros: It WORKS! What else matters?
Cons: Who cares, it WORKS!
User Rating: 
5/10
Wait until ZA has a ZA removal tool.
Pros: Clean install. Nice interface.
Cons: Difficult to uninstall and reinstall.
User Rating: 
8/10
Best one so far
Pros: easy of use and install
Cons: Can't work with Live messenger
IT DOES NOT WORK WITH lve messenger. big problems in signing in. Older version of messenger and Yahoo, no problems at all.
User Rating: 10/10
Free Version is a true "Plug & Play" for non-experts
Pros: Install and run it. It monitors incoming AND outgoing transmissions. I decide what happens.
Cons: None for me. Instruction manual would be great, but it IS free, so who cares?
I have been a computer user for 21 years. I still am NOT an expert and don't want to be.
Like most people, I want to turn it on and use it. Zone Alarm (free) allows that.
I used Zone Alarm Pro in the late 90s and it was a NIGHTMARE. I filed a complaint with the Calif. Attorney General to make them call me to get it OFF my business computer. It locked up all the time. Zone Alarm said it was my problem, the AG said different. It took their guy, on the phone, over an hour to get it off my hard drive.
The free version is flawless and I love it, but the Pro version still scares me.
Hard to reach them. I bought their anti-virous jan 21 of 2005. It quit working, my option seems to be calling their expensive tech support line. Next option for me is that I won't renew with them. TOO HARD TO REACH FOR WARRANTY HELP.
User Rating: 
2/10
Buggy Program
Pros: Easier Interface than Norton
Cons: Freezes computer while it does it thing
Started to have more problems than the older version of Norton (the problem with Norton went away with ZoneAlarm). Computer would freeze and using Task Manager, I noticed it was running 100% CPU in the backgroud, slowing everything down till the laptop froze. When on batteries, ZoneAlarm would run down the batteries as the CPU was running at 100% all the time.
I plan to go back to Norton, but to the most recent version (regardless of the CNET review).
User Rating: 9/10
The best, period.
Pros: Free, effective, easy to use.
Cons: No spyware protection included.
User Rating: 9/10
Excellent product
Pros: Pain-free installation and configuration
Cons: Unsure/Unproven anti-virus
User Rating: 10/10
Best Free Firewall
Pros: Best Free Firewall
Cons: Not As Many Features As Pro
