The jury is in: Norton 360 sucks!
I just can’t believe some of the trash the software houses are putting out nowadays. My specific target of this diatribe is Symantec/Norton. More specifically Norton 360. Oh, and don’t worry Microsoft and others. You will have your turn.
Coming from a network admin background, I am anal about security. So I am always looking for whatever will protect my systems the best. Any machine I use at all will get tweaked eight ways from Sunday. Any machine on my network whether it be home or business will be protected from viruses, spam, malware. Firewalled, bent, spindled, and mutilated…lol
Thank goodness I downloaded the trial, and didn’t spend my money on this piece of trash. I love the good old days, but damn, I didn’t want to turn my fiance’s machine into a 486. The install went OK, but things just went to hell after that. I cannot believe how slow this thing is. Rebooting after the install took at least 4x-5x longer than normal. She has a lot of stuff loading at start-up, so you can just imagine what the wait was like. For those that remember the good ole days, do you remember the old PCjr? Well I had one. That thing booted faster than this, and she has a 2GHz processor, and 1.5GB of RAM.
I initially had Norton’s Corporate AV offering on her machine, but it lacked the interoperability with other applications such as WinRAR. I tried the Charter High-Speed Security Suite®with F-Prot, but the GUI sucks, and is not as configurable as I would like. If I had any sense, I would have left things well enough alone, but I’m a tweaker, I can’t help myself. Take a look at the comments from Computer World’s review. Seems like I am not the only one that had these problems. Here is how I see things:
Pros:
It’s a Norton/Symantec product.
Up to 3 systems can be protected with this single purchase/download.
Cons:
It’s a Norton/Symantec product.
The interface is typical Symantec. Pretty, but doesn’t really need to be that flashy. Note to Symantec, spend less time making it look pretty, and make it run better.
Wants to tell you your system is not secure, even though you have it set the way you want it. For instance. I have a hardware firewall on my router. Why do I need to waste resources, add yet another layer for the programs to traverse, and slow my system down further by running a software firewall as well? How about a setting that allows users to tell the program that there is another solution in place, and have the program tell us our system is secure?
If you proclaim you are a total solution in your name, do not make necessary things like anti-spam, ad blocking, pop-up blocking an add-on pack download. These things should already be included.
With all the toolbars installed in IE, don’t take up even more real estate on our browser. Pretty soon, all we are going to have is 3 inches to view the content of a website.
There are more programs than the ones offered from Microsoft. Need better client integration. Even with the Microsoft items, allow more things to be imported than just the address book.
Annual subscriptions. We already paid for the damn program. We shouldn’t have to keep paying for updated definitions, rules, and so forth every year.
If I have set up a rule and it’s been marked as spam, give me the option to delete it before it gets to my inbox or junk e-mail folders. If I go to the effort of setting up a specific rule, don’t make me have to keep dealing with it.
Suffice it to say folks, this is one product you should definitely avoid. Bottom line is this. If you have a solution in place and it works well, remember the old saying.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
If you feel the need to try it out anyway, there is also a saying for that.
“Caveat emptor” - Let the buyer beware.
As always, all opinions are mine alone.
10 Comments
Alexander
February 17th, 2008
at 8:12am
Norton Internet Security 2008 is much bettter. This product is lame and i doubt that it is doing anything. The options are confusing aswell and the Norton 360 toolbar is complete crap. The backup/restore feature is complete crap aswell. If I am paying for 360 protection, I want 360 protection and that means being about to create backup images not just files and folders, If I wanted to do that then I could just use the Backup and Restore utility in Windows Vista Home Premium. The online backup doesnt even work! This product is not ready for use.
Sdoog
March 25th, 2008
at 12:38am
Totally biased, absolute junk. I googled this expecting a review, instead I get to a rant due to low system performance on what sounds like a badly maintained system and then put the blame on a new product. If 360 actually caused a system to boot 5 times slower are you honestly naive enough to believe the product would have been signed off?
I deserted Norton many years ago due to it’s huge resource load, however unlike the author here I can put the past behind me and view a new product without the biased baggage of an earlier hangup and am very glad I did.
Norton 360 resource usage is excellent (even more so in the new v2 of the product), the optional Norton add-on pack I did find still uses more resource than I would like on my lower end systems, but has no impact on the faster system on my network.
Lets examine your cons
1) It’s a Norton product – No logic in this alleged con really is there? Purely just an anti Norton/Symantec bias.
2) Pretty Interface – No try user friendly for the simple options with the complex configuration options hidden from a Joe public type user, broken down into a familiar menu driven system through the large easily readable access buttons. In computing it is known as HCI, read a book on the subject then review the interface again, you will learn something
3) I have a hardware firewall why do I need a software firewall con – Good god man if you don’t know this answer, give up the review business. Or again read up on security prior to posting.
Final point if you want to be taken seriously use really language and avoid generalisations like “It sucks”, the impression it gives is of a script kiddie and not an articulate considered reviewer.
To anybody wishing to try Norton 360 give it a try and see if it suites your needs and don’t just jump on the anti Norton bandwagon. I personally think this is an excellent product well worth consideration for the very good anti virus and protection elements, a solid if basic set of maintenance tools and a simple effective backup solution.
DarkSentinel
May 22nd, 2008
at 12:35pm
And my comments are junk just because YOU say so? Badly maintained system??? How long have you actually been working with computers son?
During my work in the ACTUAL world I used Norton Corporate exclusively, so you “biased” comment is absolute BS. And I personally run Norton Internet Security on my Vista system, so again, your comments are BS.
Norton is a business just like Microsoft, IBM, ad infinitum. Some products when released are very good, some are not. I happen to like Vista, and think it is a great operating system. Many do not. Googling it shows a great variation of comments. So yes, in this instance, Norton released a substandard product.
I think here, YOU need to use your brains, and actually find out the difference between a PERSONAL blog, and those used by people whose JOB it is to make reviews. I do THIS in my spare time. If you do not like my reviews, that is fine. But do NOT try and presume to tell me NOT to give my PERSONAL opinion of something that obviously DOES suck. If you bothered to read the link I provided in this post, you would see that I am NOT the only one that feels this either. I have been in the industry since 1981, and bloody well damn sure DO know when a product is bad, and when it is not.
John
July 10th, 2008
at 9:11am
I don’t know what planet Sdoog is from, maybe he/she works for Symantec. Norton 360 is complete and utter garbage, and doesn’t even detect a lot of malware that even free products do. I have had to clean it off many systems for friends whose PCs were turned into 8 MHz 8086s. Avoid it like the plague.
tim
July 22nd, 2008
at 7:44am
norton 360 sucks. I had to go out and buy Kaspersky just to clear a trojan that’s apparently been out since 2005.
(multiple ie in task manager). Norton’s staff wanted to charge me to fix it by remote.
Costa
August 7th, 2008
at 7:28pm
Thank God – I thought it was just me!
Yes,360 will make your system crawl,the interface is horrific, and the options? No maytter how many timesyou search toswitchof warnings,automations, popups – there they are! System wide backup? No,thank you. Automated updates? No,for the fifth time, I take care of that myself. Just do what you’re supposed to do – protect against virii and intrusions, for pete’s sake.
Poorly maintained? No,I won’t bore anyone with tales of two decades in IT. I know how to look after my laptop.
The most damning point against it: my sons seven year old 700Mhz laptop boots up faster running Avira A/V and Windows XP firewall than my 1.6Ghz xp machine running 360. It is honestly the worst piece of software in all respects that I have ever had the misfortune or poor foresight of wasting hard drive space on- resource hog, dubious functionality, ridiculous interface (designed by a thousand colour-blind monkeys?) – horrific waste of money which won’t be updated when its subscription runs out.
I can’t believe all the glowing awards and reviews on the so-called tech-web sites.
Joe
September 20th, 2008
at 4:49pm
What is really pathetic is that Symantec is now offering a downgrade (upgrade?) to their regular Antivirus program for users of Norton 360 who are experiencing issues. Of course you ahve to call and ask for it but its at least a way to get something if you bought it without reading up on it first.
I dont get the fanboys for Symantech but it makes since why they get alot of customers becuse of the name. All of their products, even corporate ones, have gone downhill. Its really a shame.
Normal User
December 20th, 2008
at 1:43am
My new laptop came with Norton 360.
I thought, well, its a norton’s product, it must be sucked! So after a week I downloaded Outpost security Suite and Installed it on my new laptop.
Now I have been running Outpost for 30 minutes now. I am going to restore my PC back to Norton 360.
I can’t take outpost any more. If Norton 360 is crawling, I don’t know how to describe Outpost’s performance.
BTW, my first computer was an Apple IIE.
MuteHaitian
February 2nd, 2009
at 1:59am
Normal User, you should “invest” in some of the FREE anti-virus software out there. I bought Norton 360… no, actually I got it for free on Black Friday because of the rebates (goes to show just how horrible it is) and all I can say is that it is absolute garbage. I mean wow, you can’t even uninstall it from the add/remove programs! Bottom line is, DO NOT GET THIS PIECE OF SH*T. Go for much better freeware like Avast, AVG, or Antivira.
user7777
February 10th, 2009
at 12:54am
Just for the record, I am a REAL person who BOUGHT the software and could NOT get it working AT ALL.
Ever since I purchased Norton 360 nearly 2 weeks ago, it has been nothing short of a COMPLETE NIGHTMARE!!!
This software NEVER, EVER completes an update because either the “Server Is Busy” or you have to go through a multitude of steps to “try” to get the updates downloaded and installed. I was FINALLY able to get ALL updates installed ONCE today, HOWEVER it was short-lived because when I tried to run their “comprehensive” (FULL) scan, it FAILED to complete the task, leaving you to REPEAT ALL THE SAME BS to download and install the updates again.
In case you think I am BS’ing you, here’s the procedure:
Click Start, then Run, then enter “luall” (short for: Live Update All) then click enter. Then click Next to download all updates.
Then click Next again to install them. Now, it does install all updates EXCEPT the MOST IMPORTANT ONES: The Virus Definitions. It fails on that EVERY TIME. Then it’s back to Step 1 and REPEAT the SAME procedure OVER & OVER AGAIN with the SAME RESULT.
There was ONE other procedure I was instructed to do involving Control Panel, Administrative Services, then selecting about 5 or 6 options and setting them to “Automatic” and then actually “starting” those services, which by the way, STILL had NO EFFECT on the operation of the software as it STILL did not work.
I have tried on at least 5 occasions to do a LIVE CHAT but you can NEVER get to the chat screen even after over an hour.
I bought this UTTER CRAP @ Best Buy based on an employee’s recommedation (well actually he recommended and was using Internet Security 2008) but I “thought” 360 would be better because it offered a few more options than IS 2008 offered.
The employee told me Norton has made significant improvements regarding system resource usage and based on that I decided to give it a try. BIG MISTAKE!!!
UNLESS you want to go through all the SAME AGGRAVATION
I did, AVOID Norton 360 like the PLAGUE!!! Now I just hope I can remove it COMPLETELY from my PC…
So that’s it, I’m thoroughly disgusted. I will be returning it tomm as it CANNOT keep my computer PROTECTED!!! This has been an $80 MAJOR BALL-BREAKING ORDEAL!!!
IF the store doesn’t take it back (because it’s software and what f’ing good is it to me IF it CANNOT UPDATE the VIRUS DEFINITIONS and ACTUALLY SCAN my PC!!!), I’ll be coming back home and wrapping duct tape around it with a red brick and tossing it through the window at 3:00 in the morning…
Peace…