AVG no longer our friend?

[Dave A]

I own my software

Most often we just own a licence to use the software

I hear where you're coming from though.

[AndyD]

But AVG I am truly disappointed with. It restarts after every update almost... it is heavy on bandwidth and it cries wolf every chance it gets.

It's a problem with any anti-virus or firewall solution where if you do anything other than very average pc usage you need to train the programs by creating rules, exceptions and setting up a trusted list. It isn't just an AVG problem.

Anti-virus shouldn't require a restart for signatures updates, it just adds these to its database. Unfortunately though it probably would require restarts if changes or updates were made to the core application. All anti viruses work at very low system level so this is unavoidable to avoid operating system instabilities.

As for being bandwidth hungry...look on the bright side, the application is freeware so you're saving a couple of hundred bucks off the bat to sweeten the cost.

[tec0]

Most often we just own a licence to use the software

I hear where you're coming from though.

Ah... I was hoping that someone would highlight the licence. Yes I am fully aware on how licences work what the costs are and on a personal note, customers and users get ripped off. I say this because not a single computer can operate without an OS of some kind right.

So basically the deal is I give you the car but I keep the engine thus you have a nice box but it can’t do anything. Really it is blackmail to a degree because you don’t even get a premium product no... You get a starter addition that is worthless and the list goes on and on.

See this is what happens if you allow a single entity to run the show. They start to make the rules and every rule they make is designed to enrich them and enslave you.

So game designers thought lets go one better and only sell half a product and then force the user to download the other half and force them to become a part of our social network and force them to keep the game designer informed so that the game designer can design patches and if gamer don’t want it then the game doesn’t work anymore. In a word blackmail.

Well there are a lot of gifted people in this world and they are designing their own OS systems Freeware and crack ware to combat this blackmail but these people are branded as criminals by a system that is effectively controlled by blackmailers.

As for AVG being free? It is not really free anymore, sure you don’t pay for your product but if you noticed that when you install AVG it ask it if it would be ok to send out information to a server thus you are providing them when a active real world test subject not to mention a lot of companies like M-web is picking up the bill not to mention Yahoo and a few others

So in a way AVG is paid for by allowing your computer to be test subject and it is sponsored by other companies. But eventually a free bit of software will cost you in bandwidth especially if are on a 3G parasite network.

[garthu]

So it certainly seems from this thread.... AVG 0 - Avast.... score!!!

[AndyD]

You could just set up a virtual machine and just start with a clean slate every few days. That way you can run without anti-virus. End of problem.

[popayetwo]

I use Avast! anti-virus (free edition) and have had absolutely no issues. The file size is around 45mb. Updates are small, quick and efficient.

I'm really happy with it and changed from AVG to Avast! because I found AVG was slowing down my system tremendously and not even picking up everything.

I have been using Avast free edition for 5 years and it really good. Updates are free and fast and usually there are two updates a day, ensuring you have the very latest protection installed. Updates are fully automatic too. I could never understand why anyone would want to use AVG which requires HUGE MANUAL updates which are already out of date when you download them. Change to avast home edition (free) and forget about viruses.

[tec0]

Actually I am running a few Virtual computers for my needs, the reason for posting all of this as a form of protest. Steam is actually selling software that cannot function independently anymore. Now for the rest of the world this is not a problem but for us it matters because our internet is really expensive.

“And yes I am aware of a few “tricks� to bypass Steam’s massif updates�

Microsoft, actively scan there software, with every update you do. It checks that your software are authentic in nature and every Service Pack you use comes at your own Internet expense. Yet they are fully aware of our horribly expensive internet.

The feeling one get is that these developers want us to use their products but at the same time they don’t care if we can actually afford them.

AVG 2011 is now a supper heavy weight with a very heavy bandwidth footprint. It is now sucking the life out of your 3G cap. Again AVG never used to be this heavy in nature.

It is for this reason that one must ask? Why is every software company forcing there rules down on us and we are forced to accept them but they never take our needs into consideration?

It is a really a one-sided relationship and we must just accept it?

They are literally costing us thousand more then what we were willing to spend in the first place. Also how many uncapped ISP's are there?

And do we have access to them?

Before you answer that question have good look at our infrastructure, do ALL South Africans have access to these providers? No probably not and that is why 3G mobile networks are so popular but you don’t see them coming down in cost now do you?

Now software is just adding to the demand for internet and honestly people cannot afford it.

[irneb]

Microsoft, actively scan there software, with every update you do. It checks that your software are authentic in nature and every Service Pack you use comes at your own Internet expense. Yet they are fully aware of our horribly expensive internet.

The feeling one get is that these developers want us to use their products but at the same time they don’t care if we can actually afford them.

AVG 2011 is now a supper heavy weight with a very heavy bandwidth footprint. It is now sucking the life out of your 3G cap. Again AVG never used to be this heavy in nature.

This is as per discussed between Dave A and myself (see posts #12 & #13). Basically 90% of the download size is due to the bloat caused by the "improved" user interface. The actual working part of the entire AVG shouldn't be more than (at max.) 10MB - that's even being conservative. The rest of that enormous download is literally just unnecessary junk to make it "look good".

It is for this reason that one must ask? Why is every software company forcing there rules down on us and we are forced to accept them but they never take our needs into consideration?

They simply don't give a dam: "Who're these guys complaining in SA? So what? They're a miniscule portion of our overall client-base, and nearly everyone in our client base has cheap broadband. So why care about this fraction of a percent?"

Also how many uncapped ISP's are there?

And do we have access to them?

Before you answer that question have good look at our infrastructure, do ALL South Africans have access to these providers? No probably not and that is why 3G mobile networks are so popular but you don’t see them coming down in cost now do you?

Now software is just adding to the demand for internet and honestly people cannot afford it.

Now that's a whole different discussion on its own!

[irneb]

You should see our major programs from AutoDesk. They now stopped posting DVDs - you have to download the upgrades / updates ... all 2 to 8 GB worth.

[irneb]

Just look at what those Brits can get: http://threestore.three.co.uk/broadband/ A whole 15GB for £15/month (including the dongle). That's a "whopping" R170/month. Compare that to (let's say) Vodacom's Standard MyGig 2.3 - with a 2.3GB cap at R450/month.