I'm using the Internet Security Professional 2004 version with MS/Me OS. It will use up (or degrade) about 50% of my computer resources when it's on. I now go unprotected. I can't deal with it. I think I'll go with something simple. Zone Alarm, perhaps? Download it, turn it on and forget it.
Because Symantec have decided to challenge Microsoft for the Biggest Bloatware Award... They used to do decent software but now I would not touch them with a bargepole - and the inclusion of Product Activation (as if their software were worth pirating) just adds to their annoyance factor. ZoneAlarm is simple, but no firewall that does its job properly will be a "fire and forget" solution since your system setup will constantly change as you add and update applications, and the firewall configuration needs to be kept in step. Since Norton does offer rules, you may find Kerio or Outpost easy to setup and more flexible alternatives (though many here will recommend Kerio v2 over the current v4). To get a flavour of them, you can download Kerio's manual and visit the Web-Hiker's Guide to Outpost Firewall - though it covers version 1 most of it applies to the current version 2 also.
Your right. This software uses way to much code. A quick check of the CD shows 230MB of data on it. What on earth would need 230MB of data assist the OS? I recall when computers had simple OS's that came on three floppy disks (less than 5MB), and I believe only two of those three disks were necessary to run the entire system, the other disk being used as an emergency boot disk!
Piggy Norton. Avoid like a plague. I like Zone Alarm Pro 4.5. Zone Alarm Security Suite combines ZA Pro and a virus scanner. However, this program is still buggy. You may want to try Avast Home (free).
The NIS2004 installation file (NAV + Firewall) is 34.2 mb. For comparison KAV is 11.07 & Sygate firewall is 8.8 mb = 19.07 total. I run Norton Firewall for one reason only - it has the best ad blocker bar none of any firewall or dedicated ad-blocking prog. Since I'm behind a router the other qualities of the firewall aren't so critical - otherwise I might run something like LookNStop. But Norton doesn't do such a bad job as fiirewall. I do not run NAV - I use a combination of NOD32 & KAV. Norton does not seem to slow my system any more or less than any other firewall - I've run Zone Alarm & Outpost over the last 12 months. I have 512 RAM & a P4 2.6 gh. I did feel however that NAV seemed to slow my system, though there wasn't much in it.
