PC Pro Lab Test

Discussion in 'other anti-malware software' started by toploader, Sep 20, 2005.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. toploader

    toploader Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2005
    Posts:
    707
    OK in the November edition of PC Pro mag there is a test of Spyware packages.

    they are tested for accuracy, speed, ease of use, features and value for money.

    for me the accuracy test is the most important as i want to find all the nasties - note - there is no mention of testing for false positives.

    the results for detection rates are....

    94% PC Tools Spyware Doctor..... ***** (out of 6 stars) - Overall PC Pro Labs Winner
    88% Sunbelt Counter Spy........... ****
    82% Webroot Spy Sweeper 4...... ****
    76% Steganos Antispyware Gen 7 ***
    67% MS Antispyware beta (free). ***
    61% Trend Micro Anti-Spyware 3. ***
    56% Spybot S&D 1.4 (free)........ **
    48% Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Pro... **
    38% Spy Cleaner 8.4................. *
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2005
  2. Mrkvonic

    Mrkvonic Linux Systems Expert

    Joined:
    May 9, 2005
    Posts:
    10,213
    Hi,
    I don't like "independent" reviews.
    I trust experience. After having been to some 20+ friends with computer problems, namely virii, spyware and such, I know which tools to trust and which not to. After all, when it comes to saving a computer, a review will not help you, but a good tool will.
    Mrk
     
  3. Beefcarver

    Beefcarver Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2005
    Posts:
    263
    Location:
    michigan
    Very interesting thankyou for your post.
     
  4. toploader

    toploader Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2005
    Posts:
    707
    looks like you and PC Pro have a disagreement on which tools are trustworthy, Mrkvonic ;)

    i know what you are saying - i take note of the reviews - always like to see what others are saying - ultimately i make my own choice based on a mixture of reviews, personal opinions on message boards and experience.

    when it comes to anti-spyware the jury is still out - i've got spybot and lavasoft and will probably add MS when it goes to beta2. yet to be convinced about parting with cash.
     
  5. toploader

    toploader Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2005
    Posts:
    707
    cheers BC - the test archive included toolbars, rogue-diallers and keyloggers.
     
  6. toploader

    toploader Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2005
    Posts:
    707
    Spyware Doc is certainly impressing the Mags - the PC Pro Labs Winner and the Editors Choice of PC Magazine in June. Counterspy and Webroot have got some stiff competition on their hands.
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2005
  7. Mrkvonic

    Mrkvonic Linux Systems Expert

    Joined:
    May 9, 2005
    Posts:
    10,213
    Hi,
    If you want to know which rifle is the best, ask the soldier, not the factory that grafts the metal sheet stamps or the company that sell them ... :)
    The best reviews you can have are ... HERE!
    Ask people here and you will get loads more info than a shiny column of text in a posh magazine....
    Mrk
     
  8. hollywoodpc

    hollywoodpc Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2005
    Posts:
    1,325
    Ah .
    But , Toploader is correct here . Well , somewhat . The mags are pathetic as they cheat their reviews . Much of it based on money . But , HERE ? No way !!! You , Mrkvonic , are dead wrong . Sorry . You see . People in this forum are extremely bias . Ask about a firewall , the " fans " tell you what is best . That goes for most everything else in here .
    Toploader . The deal is simple my friend . Read the mags . Gather the info to make an informed decision . You are better off with the biased mags than in this forum . Read tests . Look at as many as you can . People in here only say what they BELIEVE in . Very sad but , it is the way of the world . Your mags are excellent IF you look at more than one and compare .
    Case in point . I have yet to see where Spybot scores higher than a 60 % in any mag test . People in here , for the most part , would not be caught dead without it . I suggest to you that the mags are closer to being correct than the heresay in here . Stay with the crappy mags . They are better than people making their opinion known as most do not test these .
    At least the mags DO test . Their results may be somewhat flawed but , put together , they are ALWAYS better than what you read in here .
     
  9. JRCATES

    JRCATES Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2005
    Posts:
    1,205
    Location:
    USA
    Very well said, hollywood....couldn't agree more. This place is great to gain general PC and computing knowledge, get advice and learn about several new products, etc., just as long as you take the "advice" given with a grain of salt......because as you say, there are several "fans" with their biases towards certain products ;)
     
  10. Notok

    Notok Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 28, 2004
    Posts:
    2,969
    Location:
    Portland, OR (USA)
    It can also be argued that some of those mags get paid to come up with the results that they do, and their results may not be any more reliable than the heresay of other user's experience. Personally I would rather stick with the tests of accredited experts like Eric Howes, and base my (personal) decision on what proves most useful and functional to me. Magazine reviews have their place, but I wouldn't trust the AS reviews anymore than I would trust a mazine AV review.

    You're telling people not to trust opinions in fourms... in a forum... by giving your opnion...
     
  11. JRCATES

    JRCATES Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2005
    Posts:
    1,205
    Location:
    USA
    Hi Notok,

    I don't know if anyone should go as far as to accuse companies of being "on the take"....but I do understand why some skepticism may come into play. Still though, several of these magazines are well known and respected businesses putting their reputation and future business on the line if, in fact, they ever mislead the general public with factually incorrect results (and reviews).

    I definitely agree with this.....ALL reviews need to be considered rather than any single review, and each should also be taken with a grain of salt. Eric is a great example of someone whom most people trust and respect.....he is generally well respected and has proven to be trustworthy, and I especially respect the fact that since he has developed a relationship with Sunbelt Software that he remains neutral and refuses to evaluate, rate and compare CounterSpy in his testing.

    LOL, yeah, that does seem a bit ironic. But the Spybot example used was a good one, and Spyware Doctor is often times ripped by some posters here even though the product generally reviews very well everywhere else. But those are just a couple of examples....and it's probably unfair to categorize "all" or even a majority of users as being biased....because for the most part I have found that many of the frequent posters give an honest and well thought out opinion as well as the reasoning for their opinion. But there are also more than a few instances where an opinion is given on a product and you can practically sense the bias coming through the screen with the words and expressions being written and used......
     
  12. Mrkvonic

    Mrkvonic Linux Systems Expert

    Joined:
    May 9, 2005
    Posts:
    10,213
    Hi,
    @ hollywood, jrcates
    I'm sorry that you feel this way. I believe forums are the best way to gain knowledge online. You talk to hundreds of people, listen to their advice and then create a picture for yourself. It's much better than sitting in an office and writing a review about a product you have probably never seen.
    Biased users? Everyone is biased.
    Ask me why I use the firewall that I use? Because I do not like it? No, I use it because I like it. And if someone asked me about it, I would say my good share about it and by doing it, show biased opinion...
    Unless this forum is a giant area-51 x-files conspiracy, I don't think different users here are just to advertise their favorite products. But if some considerable percentage of people here favor some program, then there is a good reason to believe they might be right.
    I have been active on a number of security forums for about a year or so. I have not yet been given any bad advice by anyone. There might have been advices that do not fully suit my needs, but not out of ill intent. It was done in good spirit.
    A question about mags:
    If someone paid let's say a million dollars for a 5-star review that would advertise, let's say, SpyMonsterRemover, and this sweetheart got 99% detection rate in a review, would you buy it?
    Like I said, ask the soldier who fights the war which gun is the best.
    Eugene Stoner will tell you it's M16, Korobov will tell you it's TKB-022, Kalashnikov will tell you his AKs....
    Cheers,
    Mrk
     
  13. JRCATES

    JRCATES Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2005
    Posts:
    1,205
    Location:
    USA
    I completely agree, Mrkvonic, and I stated as much in my first post. But again, I wouldn't go as far as to accuse companies of writing reviews about products which they "have probably never seen". If PC Magazine or PC World rates a product, I have confidence that it is based off of tests conducted and is reviewed by a paid employee who has his job and the company's reputation on the line. If "anonymous poster", or heck...even a registered poster like myself....gives an opinion on a product, there is practically no way possible of knowing without uncertainty if the person posting has truly ever used the product that is being ripped (or praised)! My concerns aren't really as much about people who "like" a product....it's more with people who blast a product....probably because they had a bad experience with it, then switched to a competing brand, and like it better (and therefore, try to "recruit" more people to their product of choice).

    Fair enough, as long as detailed explanations are given and the person viewing the post doesn't literally take it to heart and examines all the feedback and possibilities. But I certainly wasn't singling you, or any poster out for that matter. But sometimes, like I said, you can sense the bias and anger from some people when they blast or "overpraise" a particular product....

    Completely agree....

    But this is an assumption that I'm not prepared to make about any businesses without any proof. Then again, I'm not much of a "conspiracy theorist" who thinks that all businesses are evil either....
     
  14. Mrkvonic

    Mrkvonic Linux Systems Expert

    Joined:
    May 9, 2005
    Posts:
    10,213
    Hi,
    OK, things are clearer now.
    If I sounded too harsh and offensive against the magazine, then take my apology. That was not the intention. All I meant is that reviews alone mean little. Experience is what counts for, and they are the best thing anyone can use when analyzing, appraising, blasting, or commending programs (or anything).
    On a lighter note, I always test software before using it at home.
    After all, our IT guys need to earn their buck :) and someone needs to supply them with broken comps .... hihihihihi
    Just joking, I have only killed one computer so far...
    Mrk
     
  15. toploader

    toploader Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2005
    Posts:
    707
    i agree that one shouldn't base ones opinions on one test but a series of tests from different sources.

    user opinions are also very important - lab tests don't deal with such things as false positives and long term reliability.

    tests can also be very contradictory for example in June PC Mag said this and PCWorld said this

    you pays your money you takes your choice.

    There is an old latin phrase that is very relevant when it comes to buying software - any software - CAVEAT EMPTOR :D
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.