Should Anti Viruses be free?

I think they should . Why should you pay for something that kills viruses. Its sorta like a doctor you know or medicine. Why should you pay?

Iam curently using BitDefender and Quick Heal. Although i love quick heal cuase it takes up NO resources . It can npot find trojans that Bitdefender can find.

Here is a poll about this very topic on this very forum

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=210963&highlight=Anti+Virus+AND+Free

uh if you don't know the doctor, you have to pay in order for him/her to give you something to kill virus. And you have to pay for the medication, usually whether or not you know the doc.

I'm okay with paying for the software, but I think that virus definitions updates should be free and not subscription-based.

Oh well, I'll post here anyway...

AV software doesn't HAVE to be free. It can cost money, I'm ok with that...but the definitions should be free.

Although, I do think that if someone were to go out and spend god knows on however much XP costs now...you should be getting some kind of decent AV with it.

I live in Canada and dont have to pay for doctors...

oso_fast said:

I live in Canada and dont have to pay for doctors...

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That's funny, or sad, I'm not sure now. Anyway, anti-virus software is free and web based with always up-to-date engines. Never pay for this stuff people, here you go:

Bit Defender: http://www.bitdefender.com

Trend Micro Housecall: http://housecall.antivirus.com

I like the Trend Micro one better, though for no good reason, they are both very accurate. Both use activex controls.

Well, since you're using a program written by somebody, and using definitions compiled by somebody, shouldn't that person get paid for their work??

Why SHOULD Anti-Virus be free? Is there some inherent right a computer owner has to exploit (...well, not that severe... I need a synonym somebody ) the work of others for their protection? Not even PEOPLE have that right to exploit the work of others for their own protection. You want to be safe? Buy a gun (don't say manufactures should freely supply them to everybody on birth). Want your computer to be safe? Buy anti-virus. Want to stay safe? Buy bullets for the gun when you run out (don't expect them free from the manufacturer). Want your computer to stay safe? Buy updates when they expire.


Don't get me wrong, I LOVE free anti-virus (I use AVG's free version /w free updates myself!! ). But there is no reason anti-virus, or ANY program for that matter, should be free unless the creator wishes to give it away.


My 1.5 coppers
JigPu

JigPu said:

Well, since you're using a program written by somebody, and using definitions compiled by somebody, shouldn't that person get paid for their work??

Why SHOULD Anti-Virus be free? Is there some inherent right a computer owner has to exploit (...well, not that severe... I need a synonym somebody ) the work of others for their protection? Not even PEOPLE have that right to exploit the work of others for their own protection. You want to be safe? Buy a gun (don't say manufactures should freely supply them to everybody on birth). Want your computer to be safe? Buy anti-virus. Want to stay safe? Buy bullets for the gun when you run out (don't expect them free from the manufacturer). Want your computer to stay safe? Buy updates when they expire.


Don't get me wrong, I LOVE free anti-virus (I use AVG's free version /w free updates myself!! ). But there is no reason anti-virus, or ANY program for that matter, should be free unless the creator wishes to give it away.


My 1.5 coppers
JigPu

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1) If you run out of bullets trying to be safe that you need to go to the store to buy more then maybe you should come up to my side of the border, at least until things simmer down a bit, you can sleep on the couch. At least when you get shot here you don't have to pay the doctor.

2) Doctors here really aren't free, we just don't see the bill directly, the gov't grabs 250% off your paycheck to make those doctor visits "free".

3) I don't think they (AV programs) should be free, but I think the fact that some are, some aren't and others come in different versions with different options for different prices is a good thing. Choice is good.

just get some freeware

oso_fast said:

I live in Canada and dont have to pay for doctors...

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Nothing is free...somehow, someway, Somewhere someone is paying for it. In your case, you are paying for it through your higher taxes... Nobody likes to work for free, not you, not me, nobody. And if you do work for free, it still cost you your time. My time is very valuable, I don't have enough of it to get all the things done that I need to do. Other than doing a friend a favor, I don't have enough time or money to spend even part of my day working for free. As far as anti-virus...Yes, I think that It would be a great thing if someone spent their time and money giving me a lifetime supply of anti-virus...Well at least it would be great for me.

JigPu said:

Well, since you're using a program written by somebody, and using definitions compiled by somebody, shouldn't that person get paid for their work??

Why SHOULD Anti-Virus be free? Is there some inherent right a computer owner has to exploit (...well, not that severe... I need a synonym somebody ) the work of others for their protection? Not even PEOPLE have that right to exploit the work of others for their own protection. You want to be safe? Buy a gun (don't say manufactures should freely supply them to everybody on birth). Want your computer to be safe? Buy anti-virus. Want to stay safe? Buy bullets for the gun when you run out (don't expect them free from the manufacturer). Want your computer to stay safe? Buy updates when they expire.


Don't get me wrong, I LOVE free anti-virus (I use AVG's free version /w free updates myself!! ). But there is no reason anti-virus, or ANY program for that matter, should be free unless the creator wishes to give it away.


My 1.5 coppers
JigPu

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Thank you...I couldn't have said it better myself...