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"Makes chunky Norton AV obsolete" on by Avallon
Pros: All-in-one on line security
Cons: Perplexing pop-ups with unclear advise for novices
Summary: After I'd downloaded the Zonealarm Suite 6.0, I was prompted to uninstall my Norton anti virus companion since 1995. This piece of software ate at my CPU resources for years now. I did the uninstall and my PC gained remarkable speed in starting up the system... Goodbye NAV!
With ZoneAlarm installed I had a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware program - all in one. I freed a lot of CPU getting rid of intrusive Norton and gained security.
Not all the pop-ups with "advise" ZoneAlarm showed above the taskbar were to the point; MS Internet Explorer was treated like a piece of dangerous software e.g. But, perhaps it is... You can alway manually give permissions that ZoneAlarm denies in automatic mode.
The best news: the virus scan detected 2 viruses Norton AV never did find and 22 malware items Spybot and Ad-Aware didn't detect!Updated
I've used ZoneAlarm Suite 6 for months now (and have updated it several times) and I have to report some bugs.
The most important bug is that the database doesn't remember permissions I've given to trusted software. Very annoying. ZoneAlarm keeps on asking me for permissions with those pop-ups or flatly denies permission to use software, even when I've marked that software as "trusted".
Also the schedule for scans is not working properly: it plans extra scans I've never configured.
I like software I can control: this version has a life of its own.
My rating is down to 5. -
"Not Ready For Prime Time" on by LPE
Pros: Improved Junk mail, Spam, and Spyware detection.
Cons: Multi-level firewall strategy gets cumbersome and annoying very quickly; Not enough new features to warrant a new version number; Still has some considerable issues to work out.
Summary: To it's credit, Zone Alarm Internet Security 6.0 does offer improved detection methods for Spam, Spyware, and Junk mail over version 5.5. However, that's where the accolades end.
At first glance, you'd think with a redesign of the retail packaging that the UI would get a freshening up as well. Not in this case, but then again the old UI wasn't all that bad anyway.
Besides the updated Spyware methods, there isn't really anything new about version 6.0 that I think merits an upgrade. Even with the new Spyware features, users may want to stick with using Spybot or Ad-Aware. The multi-layer firewall can protect down the the OS-level, but this can get to be more bothersome than beneficial after a while - and it can make distinguishing real security threats from false alarms trickier.
The worst part is how buggy 6.0 seemed. The New Network detection wizard pops up on every restart, and some program folders were deleted. Was it because of 6.0? Let me put it this way: there wasn't a problem with disappearing folders when 5.5 was installed.
Overall, I was disappointed with version 6.0. The new Spyware detection seems to be the only thing it has going for it, but that's not enough to make up for the shortcomings and other problems that crop up. -
"Slow System After Installing? Here's Your Answer..." on by tmurray
Pros: kernal monitor, app control, virus scanner
Cons: spyware defs limited, slow virus scanning
Summary: I have to laugh when I read these negative reviews because ZAIS 6 "slowed my computer to a crawl!" Guess what self proclaimed computer wizards, it is the antivirus running in the background. After you install or if you do not change the scheduled scanning option, ZAIS will automatically start scanning and your machine will slow waaay down. This even happens if you had a scan scheduled for the middle of the night but your machine was off, it will start scanning the very next time you boot it up (which they need to change). But, if you schedule it when you are not using your machine for other things or simply turn it off, guess what, computer will run just as fast as it always did.
I was a long time Norton's user, then tried all the others, finally settling on this version of ZA. ZA benchmarks much better than Norton and holds it's own against most of the others. The kicker for me is the operating system kernal protection ZA offers. I can't tell you have nice it has been to monitor operating system attempted changes and deny those I choose. I do wish the spyware was a bit more comprehensive, but get AdAware free from download.com and your fine. -
"Buggy and slow" on by JohnUSA
Pros: Ok in protection
Cons: Slows down PC and buggy
Summary: I have used ZoneAlarm thru many versions, but I don't like and don't recommend this version (6.0.631.002). It slowed down my fast PC a lot, and it is buggy. Every time I booted ZA, it kept forgetting previous settings, and it always found a new network (192.168.0.0) which is my network. Checking remember this setting did not help. I uninstalled it and went back to the previous version (5.5.094.000). Zone labs should NOT have released this buggy software. It should have stayed in beta until all the bugs have been removed. Shame on you Zone Labs.
Updated
Yesterday, I rated tha ZA Security Edition as very poor because it was buggy and turned my super fast PC into a slow PC.
I was right, because just today (July 27) Zone Labs released an updated version (6.0.631.003) to replace the buggy 6.0.631.002 that was just released few days ago. The bugs are fixed, BUT it still slows down my PC a lot. My system runs super fast with the previous version 5.5.094.000. My PC is clean, has no spyware or viruses, but once I install the new version 6, everything runs slower.
Let me tell you who I am. I am a PC consultant by profession. I am a Windows and PC expert. I know what I am talking about. Be aware that I am only giving an opinion on ZA Security Edition, and not the other new version. I don't recommend the Security Edition because it does slow down a PC needlessly. Zone Labs should and must remove this buggy version, and fix it properly and then relase it only when they make sure that their software does not slow down PCs. My PC is an Intel 3.6 GHz, 2 GB ram, and 2 WD 74 GB Raptors 10,000 rpm in RAID 0 configuration. This PC screams. It is the fastest I have seen. But it slows down poorly with ZA Security Edition version 6.0.631.003. Once I uninstalled version 6 and went back to version 5.5.094.000 my PC was back to super fast again. You try it yourself and see.
Zone Labs, please fix it.Updated
Today is August 21, 2005, and ZoneLabs has still not fixed their very buggy ZoneAlarm Security Suite 6.0. I highly recommend that you not install this poorly written software until ZoneLabs fixes it. As of today, the current version is the buggy 6.0.631.003. Let me say it again that my comments is only for the Security Suite, and not the other versions that ZoneLabs has released, like the Free and the Pro versions of ZoneAlarm. For further proof of the many bugs in this software, please go to the following URL and read the many unhappy and frustrated users at the Fred Langa site:
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=169400298
I rest my case.
Thank you. -
"Inexcusably Poor!! Save your Time and Money!!" on by MusicLaw
Pros: Not a thing
Cons: Just about everything
Summary: As Co-Founder and Former Chairman (for over 10 years) of the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Lawyers Using Computers Committee, I've been a PC power user since 1982. In all that time, I'd never encountered anywhere near as poor an implementation nor deployment of a supposedly evolved (i.e. 6th version) product as was encounter with the Trial Download version of Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm Security Suite 6.0.
The installation was into a Brand New Hewlett-Packard Pentium D 830 (Dual Core) 3Gig system: XP Pro Build 2600 (including SP2), 1 GB Memory, etc. Essentially a near the top-of-the-food-chain system just purchased from Costco. The bundled Norton Security Suite was removed from the PC. SpySubtract Pro 2.6, Aluria Spyware Eliminator 4.0, and EarthLink's Total Access protection products were installed but only the EarthLink programs were enabled at the time ZASS 6 was installed.
The system had been running fine, until ZASS 6.0 was installed!
The installation invoked an innumerable series of system reboots consuming nearly an hour. The result was a horribly lethargic and unusable system. To get from the Start button to the Start Menu took an astounding eight seconds (00:00:08), as did getting from the Start Menu to a blank All Programs panel!!! The Zone Alarm Suite itself was never seen. Only the repetitive sequence of installation messages advising a wait while configuration proceeded.
The only way to purge this trash from the system was via Safe Mode -> Control Panel -> Add Remove Programs. A task not well suited for many non-power users.
Zone Labs has absolutely no excuse for releasing such a horribly problematic and premature version of their product to the market.
Moreover, notwithstanding the assertion which appears atop the Zone Labs User Forum that Zone Labs is aware of a 6.0 problem occurring with upgrades, this problem presented with a new installation -- not an upgrade. Zone Labs may ask for user understanding, but they deserve none!
There has been much discussion about the problems associated with version 6.0, and, for reference the version causing this problem is: 6.0 Build 631_003.
For those willing to venture into these realms, it's part of our learning curve. However, regardless if you are a power user, be forewarned!
Save your time, save your money. Avoid the headaches!
Wait until Zone Labs corrects the matter, and even then, wait until the correction is affirmed and embraced by the marketplace and the user community.
I dissent from the Editors' Choice. At this time, this product cannot be recommended.
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