Topic: Favorite anti-virus?

[VANGUARD]

How I see it:

Supplier = evil, consumer = stupid
Supplier = evil, consumer says product is good and offers it to another = evil

Maybe stupid is a harsh word. There's a reason I'm on Linux. I just got sick of Windows, the viruses, the OS getting all sluggish. Too many headaches.

[Matthew]

So, how did we reach the conclusion that microsoft/windows was evil and people who use it are stupid? 

[-<WillyP>-]

Likewise I have no complaint about 7. I didn't have much to complain about XP either. Except maybe it wouldn't make a backup to DVD.

Well maybe one thing, which maybe is not Windows related at all, is that it sometimes forgets what resolution I have chosen. I set it to 1600x1200, and every so often it changes, like today when I turned it on and it booted up in 640x480. This happens once or twice a month, or sometimes a couple times in a week.

[Matthew]

Likewise I have no complaint about 7. I didn't have much to complain about XP either. Except maybe it wouldn't make a backup to DVD.

Well maybe one thing, which maybe is not Windows related at all, is that it sometimes forgets what resolution I have chosen. I set it to 1600x1200, and every so often it changes, like today when I turned it on and it booted up in 640x480. This happens once or twice a month, or sometimes a couple times in a week.

Sounds like driver problems/updates.

[TechPro]

Likewise I have no complaint about 7. I didn't have much to complain about XP either. Except maybe it wouldn't make a backup to DVD.

Well maybe one thing, which maybe is not Windows related at all, is that it sometimes forgets what resolution I have chosen. I set it to 1600x1200, and every so often it changes, like today when I turned it on and it booted up in 640x480. This happens once or twice a month, or sometimes a couple times in a week.

Sounds like driver problems/updates.

Video card, or the video card's driver.  Either it is having an issue now and then, or it (the video card) isn't always detecting the monitor's abilities.  Without proper monitor ability feedback, XP jumps to a "safe" video mode that is sure to be viewable on pretty much anything.

[VANGUARD]

So, how did we reach the conclusion that microsoft/windows was evil and people who use it are stupid? 

Can't accept a joke? No one is dumb is using Windows. Some people need it for schooling or a job. Some need Apple more, or Linux.

I for one don't need a specific OS to do what I need, so I just picked one that doesn't bog down all the time, needing anti-viruses left and right, and one that has a lot of neat software for free that does the job well.

[Matthew]

So, how did we reach the conclusion that microsoft/windows was evil and people who use it are stupid? 

Can't accept a joke? No one is dumb is using Windows. Some people need it for schooling or a job. Some need Apple more, or Linux.

I for one don't need a specific OS to do what I need, so I just picked one that doesn't bog down all the time, needing anti-viruses left and right, and one that has a lot of neat software for free that does the job well.

So, you upgraded from Windows ME to Windows 7?

[VANGUARD]

Anything from Windows ME is an upgrade 

I'm sure Vista is also better than ME. I did try almost all Windows systems, even while on Linux. I was quite impressed with the Windows XP Pro 64bit edition.
Very nice system, even though I don't care for Windows. If I were to use Windows again, and if it was still a supported system (no clue if it is or isn't), I'd buy that one.

It's just nice to turn on a computer and use it. Linux can be a little annoying in ways, sure. But I guess I'd rather accept a challenge to get something to work than dealing with (anti)viruses all the time, and having the PC slow down as if it's about to die. Well, okay, maybe just a sick kind of slow.

[Matthew]

It's just nice to turn on a computer and use it.

So... Not linux then?

Not needing an antivirus is only partially true. Linux can basically be infected the same with Windows can, if there were actually enough people using Linux to be worth it. Likewise, the same way you protect a linux machine will  protect a windows machine: Common sense. Keep software updated, don't run things you aren't sure about. I've only ever gotten 1 virus (which I had taken care of in less than 10 minutes), and only ever had 2 stopped by my antivirus. You make it sound like viruses are a daily occurrence for windows. Perhaps they are, for someone with the worst possible computer use practices. But for most competent computer users, viruses are a rarity. As for "slowing down as it's about to die", that may have been true a long time ago. It's not an issue with Windows 7. I've been using the same installation since I built this computer 2.5 years ago, and any issues have been 100% verifiably my fault. (Or steam. Steam updates slow things down like crazy)

[VANGUARD]

Maybe I was just unlucky with Windows. There have been a few moments, not too often, where I would have something installed on my Windows OS that I did not agree to.
And a friend of mine got something installed while watching an official trailer to the original Assassin's Creed.

I'm sure it wasn't daily, maybe I just make it sound like it happens daily.
My computer (Win XP) did slow down after like a day or two. All I did was install Call of Duty 2 (official DVD game I got from Best Buy, or Amazon, not something I downloaded), and sure enough, already slowed the PC down.

It's nice to turn on a computer, like Linux and use it.
Apple is nice in one way, for those who want things to run well. I was bored with it, because Apple and Linux are very different.
Linux offers a lot of (free) software, just search and download. Apple, not all are free, and you're far more limited to what you can get.

[Scyphi]

All I did was install Call of Duty 2 (official DVD game I got from Best Buy, or Amazon, not something I downloaded), and sure enough, already slowed the PC down.

That's not necessarily the OS's fault. All computers tend to slow down the more you fill their hard drives with data. The fuller they become, the slower the machine runs, most likely because it has the more information to sort through. And games can be major resource hogs (Techpro once showed me a breakdown of data space used by specific programs on a computer, and no matter how you cut it, the games always used up the most. Descent 3, even, despite it being several years old now and no longer state-of-the-art, is a little hoggy).

It's not an issue with Windows 7. I've been using the same installation since I built this computer 2.5 years ago, and any issues have been 100% verifiably my fault.

Pretty much everything about this statement is true for me (even the time frame is about right ). Like I said before, I have nothing to complain about Windows 7. Any problems encountered have either been the fault of the computer itself (and not the OS), single programs that were installed onto said computer, or just me doing something stupid. And even then that's all rare, because I know enough about computers to avoid doing most stupid things, don't usually install many new programs on a computer after awhile save a new game (in which case I check well before obtaining said game if it'll run well on the system), and the computer itself has actually preformed well, save for a pesky cooling issue that it has (it's fan gets clogged fairly easily and requires cleaning frequently. Compare this with my old laptop, which I do not recall EVER having to clean it's fan as it just kept on chugging relentlessly despite its age and nearly-full hard drive).

[VANGUARD]

All I did was install Call of Duty 2 (official DVD game I got from Best Buy, or Amazon, not something I downloaded), and sure enough, already slowed the PC down.

That's not necessarily the OS's fault. All computers tend to slow down the more you fill their hard drives with data. The fuller they become, the slower the machine runs, most likely because it has the more information to sort through. And games can be major resource hogs (Techpro once showed me a breakdown of data space used by specific programs on a computer, and no matter how you cut it, the games always used up the most. Descent 3, even, despite it being several years old now and no longer state-of-the-art, is a little hoggy).

But I installed it on Linux, along with other games, like Descent 3, American Mcgee's Alice, Doom 3, etc, and somehow, Linux remained at the same speed. and funny thing is, it ran the games smoother than Windows itself.

[Scyphi]

Well, I said it wasn't ALWAYS the OS's fault, but I didn't rule out that it might still have been.

And I'm no Linux expert, so I could totally off the trail on this, but aren't most Linux systems built to be small, compact, and to take up as little space as possible? If so, that could account for the difference in performance right there, or at least part of it. Different computer specs could also account for that, assuming this took place on two different computers, but I figure that wasn't the case here.

Beyond that, an explanation as to why this might happen would be outside my range of knowledge (I'm probably already pushing it as is).

[Matthew]

There's just no way that installing 1 game would noticeably slow down your computer unless there was an existing problem. Maybe the game installed some anti-cheat garbage that runs in the background at startup. Maybe your AV was a bit too overzealous with on-access scanning. It's impossible to say for sure here, but there's more at fault than just the OS. It's also worth noting you're talking about an OS now 4 versions old.

[VANGUARD]

And I'm no Linux expert, so I could totally off the trail on this, but aren't most Linux systems built to be small, compact, and to take up as little space as possible? If so, that could account for the difference in performance right there, or at least part of it. Different computer specs could also account for that, assuming this took place on two different computers, but I figure that wasn't the case here.

There are some Linux distros that are small, like you said. There are also some that can fill up a CD or even a DVD. So some are at least 4 GB's, maybe more.
There are so many distros out there, small, home use, office (or it's home and office), and servers, etc...
Mine I think has it in CD or DVD. I think. One can also install more stuff on it.
I think one explained that Windows is a RAM hog. And that is what slows things down.
That may have been in older versions though. My knowledge in Windows is getting weaker.