Microsoft's OneCare antivirus software to go live Thursday

[Chris]

Microsoft Corp. will complete its entry into the desktop security market next week with the general release of its Windows Live OneCare antivirus software.

OneCare, which also includes backup and PC tuning software, has been available for free in beta form since last November, but as of next Thursday customers will be able to purchase the final, supported product, according to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans.

OneCare will cost US$49.95 per year, which will cover licenses for as many as three Windows XP PCs. That means that "98 percent of homes in the U.S. will be able to buy one subscription and be able to cover all of their PCs," Microsoft Group Program Manager Brian Hall said in an interview earlier this year.

A spokeswoman for Microsoft's public relations agency declined to comment for this story except to confirm that the product would be available for purchase from the Web and in retail stores "in the next few weeks."

OneCare includes firewall, antivirus and backup software, as well as Microsoft's Windows Defender antispyware technology. The product also takes care of routine maintenance tasks like defragmenting the hard disk and cleaning up unused temporary files.

Microsoft portrays OneCare as part of a new category of "PC care" products that handle technically challenging tasks. But analysts say that the product clearly targets the antivirus market, dominated by companies like Symantec Corp., McAfee Inc. and Trend Micro Inc.

"This is really competing head-on with the antivirus vendors," said Andrew Jaquith, senior analyst with Yankee Group Research Inc.

More | Here

[andsome]

I wonder if they have put Windows defender right yet. :lol: I will stick with Nod 32, Zone alarm, and my free Anti Malware programs. Diskeeper does me fine for defragging. Is this an admission that their current defrag utility is second rate?

[-pops-]

OneCare will cost US$49.95 per year, which will cover licenses for as many as three Windows XP PCs

AVG and a number of other security applications cost US$0.00 per year (£0.00, €0.00, ¥0.00) and cover as many PCs (XP or previous versions) as you wish.

[catgate]

What is all this "OneCare" business from Microsoft? My ISP, Onetel, already have a "customer service" programme called Onecare which is a connection monitoring and correction thing. Has Uncle Bill been usurping things again or just plagerising the name?

[Belatucadrus]

as many PCs (XP or previous versions) as you wish.

But only if you break the license terms, technically it's one copy per person only. Though avast! does permit one for PC plus one for laptop.

Still between avast!, AVG, Antivir and Bitdefender, it's possible to cover most eventualities.

The only truly opensource unlimited copy option is Clamwin and you'd need to add ClamMail. If you decide to trust it.

[-pops-]

But only if you break the license terms, technically it's one copy per person only.

Three machines in my house. One is mine, the other belongs to the missus and the third is shared by the grand-daughters. Problem solved :)

[cozofdeath]

I guess and antivirus companies were making to much money. Is their anything microsoft isn't involved in? And is it just me or since XP came out they are trying to do everything to take over. They didn't have a burner utility so they did that, they didn't have the prettiest graffics so their redoing them, they didn't have a spyware remover so their making that, they didn't have a anti-virus so their making that, they didn't have a rootkit remover so their making that, they didn't have an image utility so their making that, they didn't have a true shell so their making that, they didn't have a firewall so they made that, and these are just off the top of my head and they are all going to take out software companies. Am I just over exaggerating? Are they planning on taking on hardware next? Anyone please help I'm getting worried now.lol

[Belatucadrus]

Are they planning on taking on hardware next?

Next ? what about the Xbox, next happened a couple of years ago.

Don't forget that anti virus and windows isn't new, it's going back to basics 3.1 used to have an integral anti virus, but it was so lousy they dropped it for 95.

[cozofdeath]

I never had 3.1, thats amazing they had AV protection built in back then. I was gonna put a word about the xbox in but I couldn't think of other hardware to go with it. Doesn't Microsoft have keyboards/mice? Do they have anything else to do with hardware?

[-pops-]

They didn't have a burner utility so they did that

No, they nicked someone else's - like they do with an awful lot of the software that is added to Windows but is not an integral part of the operating system itself. The problem is that, more often than not, they use parts of the added software but the bits they omit are those that make the original work properly so what is ended up with is a very poor imitation of a once excellent piece of software. This has happened so many times.

[andsome]

The answer is of course just to stick with the company's software that we like best, as we do already.

[korgg]

In an interview with the man himself, the MAN said that 60 % of MS profits come from hardware. So, they are in the buisness quite well i might say. ;)

[cozofdeath]

I'm just waiting for the microsoft version of linux, lol could you imagine that. Oh and I don't mean Lindows/Linspire

[Lamb Chop]

OneCare will cost US$49.95 per year, which will cover licenses for as many as three Windows XP PCs

AVG and a number of other security applications cost US$0.00 per year (£0.00, €0.00, ¥0.00) and cover as many PCs (XP or previous versions) as you wish.

:lol: and they suit my budget better

For goodness sake - I like the hippy hippy shake but I do not like the bundling that goes on - smacks of greed and profit and no thought or consideration for those on limited incomes.

$49.95US for up to 3 PC's what about the one user then - dosnt he count anymore. Guess not.