BitDefender Plus -- OK, but...
Trying out the BitDefender Plus v10 computer security suite. About two weeks into the 30 day trial and about to pull the plug. Like some features, particularly in the antivirus component, so will probably try the antivirus-only version after this just to see if the shortcomings are different or removed in that version and if the positive features -- are those "longcomings"? -- are still present.
What's to like or not like about BitDefender Plus? On the positive side, it isn't ugly. At least not totally.
On the positive side also, it has a really nice coordinated Windows management console with one of the easiest to understand and use "startup" listings to be found. That startup console by itself is almost enough reason to keep the program. Except:...
On the negative side:
Here's a sample: one scan through my computer found to "magnet" items in the registry. "Magne2t" and "magne3t".
The log report for the scan says where in the registry the listing was found, that the registry entry was deleted and that the system was "updated". OK. What is it and why did you remove it. No clue. The initial log entry links to the BitDefender online "Virus Encyclopedia", but doesn't go to the listing for "Magnet". Clicking "M" in the encyclopedia goes to a list of things with "M", but they don't seem to be in alphabetical order. And, finally, going through 3 pages of "m's" finds no entry for "magnet", "magne2t" or any variations. Further; searching the entire BitDefender site comes up with "no entries found to match...".
The next step of course is to search the web for some info. In this case what you come up with is page after page of some guy spamming the world trying to find out what "magne2t" is and why BitDefender keeps reporting it to him. Uh oh.
Antivirus guys: Just do your job and leave me alone. It seems to have become fashionable among antivirus programs to blow their own horns -- constantly. Pop up windows when they detect a "threat", maybe a little robot noise too. Ack! The worst of them even require you to acknowledge the window before they'll release your screen space back to you.
Wake up antivirus guys. That is a malware behavior. When you take my time or my screen space or take over my keyboard until I respond then you are being malware. If you give me no way to turn these behaviors off then you have actually crossed over to the darkside. Wake up antivirus guys! Malware behavior will get you set aside -- and soon.
Performance: ranges from OK to not good. There are times when the machine noticeably is bogging down. Notice the bog and look down by the clock and sure enough, BitDefender is waving a flag about doing something for you. Probably could get a little more performance if it would stop with the notices already.
Turning off the extras that make the "Plus" version "plus" -- like firewall and antispam -- makes a big difference. Turning off the antivirus during big downloads or during Windows security updates will noticeably help the system get going. (By the way, this is a P4 2.4Ghz with a gig of DDR, running a pared-down XP pro. No slouch.)
I should mention the antispam feature that comes with BitDefender Plus v10. It says it has a bayesian filter system, but the thing is clueless when it comes out of the box. That's a drag. You can go ahead and take a wild guess that I'm not interested in things that will "ekstend pen1s siz3" (Not bragging; I just figure that if they can't spell then their technology's probably not to swell either.) The options for antispam filtering are, in this case, too limited. When it works it works with about any mail client -- which is cool -- but it's enough of a pain to figure out and get going that I just turned it off after a couple of days and went back to happily using "SpamAid".
OK. I've talked myself into yanking BitDefender Plus v10. Will switch to just plain old "BitDefender" sans plus and see if it gets easier to use and less of a drain on my PC. Watch here for the results of that test.
