Old security suite reviews

[mikkh]

Flicking through some old PC magazines, I was drawn to re-read 'Anti virus security suites exposed' from Computer Shopper dated Feb 2009. Because of the way they release them it was probably Dec 2008 when it actually appeared on the shelves, so we're talking two years ago.

What amused me most was the quick comments at the bottom of each review. While one was lauded for being 'inexpensive' at £35, another was marked down for being expensive at £40 and another was equally chastised for being expensive at £50, even though it was a three user version, so it was actually cheaper by a long way.

Several of them were marked down for having no more protection than the free version of AVG, which itself was marked a poor 3 stars out of five, but was 'recommended' because it was free!

None of them detected the full 15 malware threats thrown at them with only McAfee getting close at 14 out of 15 - the rest were 12 or less.

A typically biased test with only AVG appearing as a free alternative to all the other paid for versions - conveniently! Grisoft (the makers of AVG) couldn't have written it better themselves

And the worst of the lot with a pathetic one star? Microsoft's 'One Care 2.5'

[mikkh]

Well that was interesting old chap

Cheers, I thought so too, but this fickle lot can't be bothered to reply

Yeah, tough break kiddo, I don't think they realise the effort you put in

Ah well, you can't please all of them can you?

Well I guess not, but they are supposed to be 'computer interested types'

Hmm, good point, too busy playing jigsaws and doing art projects are they?

Lol, stop it, that's cruel, they're not a bad bunch usually

Yeah and Lynnrose, her mother and Granny are all hot stuff

Down boy, this a computer related site - remember?

Oops sorry, I got carried away there old bean

So, what you been up to today?

Not a lot, did a bit of shopping, competed briefly in the freezer wars and escaped

Freezer wars?

The local discount store sells cheap frozen stuff on a Thursday - 10p a packet

Wow, bit of a mad rush is it?

You could say that, greed makes people do strange things, I just grabbed some chips and fled before I got trampled.

You did say this was computer interested types?

Well computers have chips, don't they?

Yes, very funny, now do something useful instead of talking to yourself

OK, see you later

[elvisuk]

I like fish better Mikkh ;D

[ken]

People who had used AVG from the early days, seemed reluctant to give it up. Even when version 7,5 wouldn't install properly, they were struggling with it and just wouldn't admit that it was a piece of crap. Then I think they overcame that snag, but by the next upgrade it had become worse than useless. Users would still talk about it being free, although there are several free products and AVG being the only useless one. Or next to useless anyway. I can only suppose that AVG users cant read and looking for a replacement is beyond their capabilities. People spend good money on a decent upgrade to their aging computer and the first thing they do is cripple it using their equally aging security suite. They would do better by keeping the old computer and run it without security. At least that way you dont think your protected.

[Lynnrose]

Awwww, Mikkh is taking to himself again.
Sorry that we seemd to ignore your thread honey, but I did read it, honest guv! I just do not have the intelligence to reply in a computer interested type of narrative.
I shall try harder next time

Now...about this discount store, what's in those 10p packets coz I might be interested?

[ken]

Trouble is Lynnrose; people using AVG or the horrible N product, don't like to hear their security scores about - 5 on the Richter scale.

[mikkh]

Anything and everything - inside the 10p bargains Lynnrose

They're frozen vegetables, some from well known manufacturers, others not
They could be Peas, Carrots, Mushrooms, Chips, Hash browns, Sweetcorn - anything vegetable basically

They also do meat/fish products for a quid - Chicken portions, beefburgers, Fishfingers etc etc

It's luck of the draw what you get on the day

It's worth a visit for the other bargains they do anyway. Anything from pots and pans to toys, bedding, clothing, tools, household cleaning products ad infinitum . They have other food too and a large range of sweets, chocolates and things that are bad for you

www.touchnottingham.com/business/list/bid/2750057

Strange opening hours though. They're closed Sunday, Monday and Wednesday and it's 10-5 on the days they are open. Thursday is freezer wars day

Be careful though, you'll literally be in spitting distance of one of the local inhabitants called Ken. By all accounts he's a harmless old sea dog, but watch out for him :-p

[Lynnrose]

Sounds great, might have to pop there one day.
I was in Nottingham today, just to pick someone up on the way to a small party thing in Kettering.
Not long been back and....WE HAVE SNOW!
Left home, no snow and got back to ALOT of snow. Am I the first CIT'er to get snow this month?

[elvisuk]

No snow hear LynnRose, You are up late LynnRose, ?

[Lynnrose]

Not long been back from a long car journey, so wanted to chillax before bed, but I am really sleepy, so will be going offline soon x

[elvisuk]

Yep me too Goodnight LynnRose,

[Lynnrose]

Goodnight Elvis, sweet dreams x

[ken]

I haven't been in IC Discounts for well over a year Mikk, I didn't know they did frozen stuff now. I used to drop in there, because sometimes they would have things you cant get anywhere else now. If something has been discontinued everywhere in the world for safety reasons, they will have it. Their Christmas special is WW1 asbestos filter gas masks, 50p each or 3 for a quid. I'm going to buy a crate full and hand them out to carol singers.

I woke up to an inch or so of snow this morning. If they have got it here in the city, the rest of the country must have disappeared.

[mikkh]

It's only on a Thursday and usually between 10 and 12

Some people hang around like vultures, then fill a trolley full of 10p vegetables they can't possibly use unless they're supplying a restaurant or something.

I just happened to be in the right place at the right time this week and already had a basketful of other things like 8 tins of custard for a quid!

Bonners finest dessert topping it calls itself, but it tastes and looks like Birds tinned custard to me - just a bit paler. They're small tins, ideal for me to go with the free muffins I get every day (almost)

I've got about a dozen (muffins) in the freezer now. I just take one out, bang it in the microwave for 2 minutes, open a tin of custard - sorry Bonners finest dessert topping and I've got an almost instant pudding

[ken]

I have seen the old landladies from guest houses coming out with cartons of corn flakes, with only one day left on the sell by date. I might have a look next Thursday, I wanted to drop in there anyway sometime soon. I will have to remember the Bonners trick, I love Birds custard. I've been stocking up with the Coops Fair Trade coffee at £1.07 a packet. Its only 3 and not the 5 that I usually buy, but using an extra table sp oonfull per jug, it's still a bargain.

[merchant42]

By all accounts he's a harmless old sea dog, but watch out for him


Can this be true ? an old sea-dog ?

[elvisuk]

O yes it can but i don't know about being armless though

[ken]

No not armless, I've still got one that works perfectly and not so old either.

[merchant42]

I was at Sea for 17 years !

[ken]

I was at sea for 30 years, your only a boy yet.

[merchant42]

Aye and still a boy, which RN or MN ?

[ken]

11 years MN and 19 years funny flag.

[mikkh]

Funny flag? Is that what they call skull and crossbones in the trade then :-p

[ken]

Thats just one of them Mikk, not many pirates flew the black flag and I never did. I did use to swop my flags quite often and that used to confuse hell out of the authorities. I love dual national ships. Funny flags are anything without a Union Jack on them and I dont think I had a Union flag in my locker.

[merchant42]

I was 12 years with Denholms of Glasgow

2 years with Seastaff Resources (Bermuda)

rest of the time with Maersk

I was in Catering

[ken]

I was on most things from bathtubs to liners, except box boats. I expect you were on them as you were with Maersk. I was deck, mainly a general cargo man. I finished up as skipper the last 10 years, on Pacific fishing boats and private yachts. I used to work between Managua and the Panama Canal and lived in Golfito, Costs Rica at that time. I've got a wife, kids and grandkids who still live there. My last command was to take a couple of drunks from the Navigation pub down the canal to the Trent. I parked the boat outside another pub, left them there and got a taxi home. I never did hear if they made it to Stoke on Trent or not.

[merchant42]

Golfito, Costa Rica

Ah the memories I was on a Reefer that used to call there quite regularly, as I recall some very nice young ladies and bars !!!!

I was on everything from Box Boats, Ro-Ro's, OBO's, Gas Tankers and with Maersk I was mainly on a stand-by ship for the Danish Oil-fields

Don't know if you have heard of this site, if not you will find it of great interest !

www.shipsnostalgia.com/

[ken]

Thanks for the link, I will have a look through it later on. I dont know what company, but a mate of mine worked on the supply boats for quite a few years in the early days of drilling. He worked out of Peterhead or near there. I used to say he should have been in Peterhead, not working out of it.

After United Brands pulled out of Golfito in 1985, some of the local banana growers started a coop. Reefers used to offload their meat in the States and come down the coast and load bananas for a return cargo. Most of them were Cunard Steam Ship Company. I remember the Carmania was one of them. I can easily remember her. I did the maiden voyage on the Carmania out of Clydebank in 1963, but she was Cunard Line and the converted Saxonia. I had been on the Ivernia the year before and she became the Franconia in 1963. They both got sold to the USSR in the 70s.

There are some very pretty women in Golfito, I hope your not related to my grandkids.

[merchant42]

No I don't think so I'm Scottish !!! and 51 so it is hardly likely !!!

Aye we used to run from Golfito to the States with Bananas It was while I was with Denholms and the ship was the Loch Lomond

[ken]

I dont remember any Denholms ships coming in while I was there, that doesn't mean there wasn't. Ships came and went while I was up or down the coast somewhere. I could be away for 2 or 3 months at a time and ships were rarely there for more than 3 days. I've been over here since September 1992. My grandson is 14 and his sister is 12, what years were you there. My oldest daughter over there is 33 and her sister is 23. I've got a daughter of 38, but shes English.