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(More customer reviews)I have no financial incentive to defend PC-Cillin, but this program has been bashed so extensively that I feel compelled to offer a counterpoint view of someone with positive experience.
When at the end of 2006 Trend Micro introduced PC-Cillin Internet Security 2007, I was planning to upgrade (PC-Cillin 2006 worked very well for me). However, the new 2007 version drew heavy criticism from numerous users, who reported the software to be buggy and unstable. It appeared that Trend Micro had rushed an unfinished product to the market.
So I decided to wait. In the interim, I tried out Microsoft Live OneCare (see my review on that). While it was easy on computer resources and had a pleasing interface, the program lacked many features that I was used to being a former PC-Cillin user, and it was overall too unrefined in its performance to justify the $50 price tag.
Now I am back to PC-Cillin, whose updated version was released in February 2007. Feeling cautious, I first downloaded and tried out the 30-day evaluation version from Trend Micro Web Site, before finally purchasing the full package. I am pleased to report that whatever instability issues the software suffered from in its initial release seem to have been fixed. It is better than its predecessor (Internet Security 2006), with extensive customization features and phishing protection.
Beware, the program does eat your RAM (utilizing a whopping 125 Mb of memory, according to the Task Manager). A system with inadequate memory will get constipated by PC-Cillin. My computer is 1.8 GHz Pentium 4. It had 256 Mb of RAM when I installed PC-Cillin, and even though it got more sluggish, it was still by no means crawling along, -- just slower. I went ahead and upgraded to 512 Mb RAM, and since then have experienced no slowdown issues whatsoever. Trend Micro specifies a minimum requirement of 128 Mb for your computer RAM. This number is frankly unrealistic, as the program will eat every last kilobyte of your memory, leaving the rest of your computer to exist off the virtual memory on the hard drive. So, in my experience, 256 Mb RAM has been adequate, but 512 Mb is the amount you really need (on Windows XP) to efficiently run PC-Cillin in the background.
The interface has become more colorful and appealing. Menus and root submenus may take some time getting used to, but to me this was not an issue, as I previously used PC-Cillin 2006 and was familiar with the layout.
The widely reported incompatibility issues between Lavasoft Adaware and PC-Cillin 2007 must have been resolved in this version, as both programs run fine alongside each other on my computer without interference. As far as Windows stability goes, I use Windows XP Pro, and it has incorporated PC-Cillin well. No offense to other operating systems, but I wonder whether many of the users who have had or still having problems with PC-Cillin are using a less stout OS (like Windows Media).
I am not going to repeat the information listed in the overview provided by the vendor. Suffice it to say that the advertized features seem to work well. Spyware detection has been beefed up to the point that Lavasoft scans report clean system in the wake of PC-Cillin scans (last year Lavasoft would routinely find little tidbits overlooked by PC-Cillin). I don't particularly care for Trend Secure Online Services included in this subscription, but I suppose someone else might find them useful. This is also the first year that PC-Cillin offers protection against root kits (although I have no idea how effective or extensive this protection may be).
Cannot attest to the technical support, as I have had no reason to contact them. The program works and works well for me. This is a welcome change from Norton and Windows Live OneCare.
I like the fact that PC-Cillin regularly scans the system for Windows and Microsoft Office vulnerabilities and, if needed, provides references to Microsoft sites from which I can download patches. It also keeps extensive logs of everything that has transpired with the computer and Internet connection, which occasionally, I suppose, may come useful, although I have not had any need for it.
Overall, I have been pleased with PC-Cillin Internet Security 2007. If price were a bit lower (not everyone needs a 3-user license) and if it didn't slow the system down at all, I would have given it 5 stars. Even then, it is a solid and very customizable security suite. I recommend it, and I don't even get anything from Trend Micro for saying so.
Hope this review helps.
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