Symantec, True to Form, Makes the Wrong Call Again

Symantec, destroyer of all things good (Norton Utilities, Central Point Software, XTree Software, and a cast of thousands...) has once again reacted inappropriately to the release of the Microsoft Security Essentials, with a little video, (ostensibly) showing us that free software has a price.

Well, the video is not something that will engross anyone but the most uninformed, which means that, perhaps, it will be a big hit in the upper regions of Canada (Nunavut), Lappland, and the Australian outback, but a snooze everywhere else.

Instead of getting to work on a better paid version of their protection suite, and developing a passable freeware version, to entice the masses, and show the benefits of paying up front, the company chooses to use parody and derision, in a case where it only makes the company look bad.

It was given some space on the Download Squad pages today - (originally found in Digital Inspiration)

Back in July, a Symantec exec predictably talked down free antivirus apps. This week, the cheeky devils behind Norton Antivirus have turned out a real tour de force. Seriously. It’s a flippant look at the old adage “the best things in life are free.”

The spot starts by mentioning love. Yeah, that’s free, right? Sure, except for weddings says the straightman - those could cost as much as *gasp* $10,000! I’m not sure what year Symantec thinks it is, but I’m pretty sure many weddings run well in excess of three to five times that amount.

What about kids, those are great - and free! No, jackass, that’s another bad call on your part. They’re expensive too, says Unfunny Guy. Really? Thanks for pointing that out.

Actually, those are two great reasons to use free antivirus, Symantec. I mean, since we’re all saving up money for that expensive wedding and the cost of raising children, why should we blow $50 a year on your antivirus when we don’t have to?

Security Essentials has gotten rave reviews and plenty of other free antivirus apps - like Avira, Avast, AVG, Panda Cloud AV - have a solid track record despite what Norton claims.

By the way, as for making the firewall sound like a difference maker - it’s not. Windows has included a firewall since XP. And there are plenty of third party options available if that’s not good enough for you. The only real difference in your video? Tech support. And I don’t remember when the last time was that I heard a customer give glowing reviews to Symantec’s consumer tech support.

You know what else isn’t free? Acting lessons and a quality ad agency. But Symantec probably already knows that.

By the way, if you’re looking for free antivirus for Windows: Microsoft Security Essentials drops today, and there’s a big list of other options on our site as well. Or you can go pay for Norton. Your call.

As far as I can tell, Peter Norton must either be, a] dead, b] a moniker given to a fictitious person who personified an adept programmer of his day, or c] basking somewhere out of reach of the internet, and totally uncaring because of the obscene amount of money that was paid for Peter Norton Computing. I vote for [a], because I believe that Peter Norton was a real person, and no matter how much money he was paid, he wouldn’t want his name dragged through the mud, as it has been, by the hacks at Symantec.

In the mean time, I’m sure the responsible security product makers are doing something to engender your affections, and re-acquire your usage, once the newness, and possibly the incomplete nature of MSE is discovered.

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Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others. Oscar Wilde

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