bad News for PcTools AV?

From the 8 March 2010, PC Tools will begin phasing out support for all versions of PC Tools AntiVirus. PC Tools AntiVirus will no longer be available for purchase or renewal, and if you’re registered for the Automatic Renewal Service we will not renew your subscription. We will continue to support existing customers with signature updates and customer support until end of March 2011.

 

PCTools have since explained that this message relates to the paid AV and the free product will still be supported (at least for now).

http://www.pctools.com/forum/showpost.php?p=227252&postcount=3

 

Symantec?

 

Symantec bought PCTools a few years ago.
Maybe they decided to discontinue the paid version of PCTools av since they already have Norton.

 

I just wonder why did they buy PC Tools then.

Paid version will be discontinued and free version will survive, that,s plain stupid. It means free version will become real crap, just my guess.

 

In my eyes it already is

 

isn't it already as crappy as could be? i do not think that here is anything worse than that

 

for one there isnt even windows 7 support and the last version they came out with was last summer.

what about the security suite they have with the AV?

 

Now watch exactly the same dynamic reversed, with Threatfire.
Free version pulled,or left to languish,and a new paid version offered.

 

@gery
Be careful not to descend into A vs B in crappyness!

I congratulate PC Tools for acknowledging that their paid AV isn't worth anything, especially when the free version is able to be used by commercial users.

Spyware Doctor with AV is free for home use via Google Pack. (I'm not sure about Albania. You might get avast! 5 instead.)

PC Tools Free AV is limited in effectiveness but useful for enterprises who need a client PC AV "just in case".

Anyway I encourage you to think harder . There are a lot worse than PC Tools AV out there.

cheers.

 

How about Threatfire?

 

Couldn't have said it better myself, well said.

 

I really like TF. Hope they keep a free version, and continue to support it.

 

Is this the first sign of Symantec running PCTools into the ground? If PCTools would offer a really good free version of SD + AV it would help them A LOT. They need to follow the Alwil/Avira business model. Oh wait, I forgot that Symantec is Symantec.

 

Now i highly suspect that they will kill all the software by pctools. After all symantec already has all security software of their own that are better than those from pctools.

One exception can be threatfire but i don't think they wil continue just a single product esp one that is mainly free. They wil not even continue it as their advertisement as after all it's not showing symantec branding directly.

 

I'm surprised they did not do this sooner and agree with aigle's comments.

Remember when they bought and killed off Sygate? Still doesn't make much sense to me.

 

I did think about that... I'm referring to their SONAR, like if TF and SONAR had a connection in tech. by now, but I don't remember the answer to that one. SONAR can still never work like TF and be as user-friendly in its operation.

 

The PC Tools Symantec purchased was an application from Central Point Software, that was a very popular competitor to the Norton Utilities of that period. It was many years ago, not too long after they purchased the Nortons line of products.

The PC Tools you're talking about isn't related at all to the PC Tools from Central Point that was acquired by Symantec. At that time, Symantec simply bought them out and discontinued them, removing competition for their Norton products.

As far as I know, Symantec has nothing to do with the present day PC Tools organization, unless they still hold a trademark to the name, and are unhappy with the use of the name.

 

I dont use PCtools product in any event,but are you sure the Symantec buy out of PCTools does not include Threatfire? and the rest of their current product range?

 

Empath, PCTools is owned by Symantec.

http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20080818_02

 

Thanks, Watasha. It looks like Symantec may be attracted to the name "PC Tools". I wasn't aware that they had also acquired the newer PC Tools. I was aware that they had purchased their primary competitor, also PC Tools, from Central Point in 1990.

 

One can ask that question about a LOT of software and hardware companies that Symantec gobbled up and ruined.

 

PcTools products have always been very poor. ThreatFire is bloatware, SpywareDoctor is bloatware² and the AV is rubbish because it doesn't include anti-spyware and anti-rootkit

 

TF isn't that bad really

 

I agree, it's effective but bloatware