The end of AVG Free?

I've noticed a post on another board from Spy1 (sorry to steal your thunder Pete )
Apparently AVG will soon be a pay only antivirus.
http://www.hazeleger.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=AVAnn;action=display;num=1052846346

Again, sorry Pete if you were going to post it here

 

That´s actually good news.
Lots of people used it without looking at alternatives, because it is the most popular freeware AV. Now they will have to offer something else in return.

 

Currently AVG 7.0 RC2 is out for testing. Maybe 7.0 version will improve this av.



Technodrome

 

At least the old 'whats the best free av' discussions will be less heated

I also am indifferent to its passing as a free av, hopefully now users will have to put more thought into choosing an av, thats should mean we all will be a bit safer

 

I do.

 

I would like to point out further as Tinribs has started, that I think the biggest concern will now be the people who are running Win 98 and Me on some of the older hardware with slower processor speed and short on RAM , coupled with how some of those older machines actually handle the RAM. For them, AVG was a godsend no matter how poor a record it had for detection. That group felt fairly safe and they got used to the GUI and its method of detection. They were delighted when it found a badboy and because of their surfing habits did not feel the need to make a change or pay for any protection.

They also fit the category that they will not be buying new hardware and/or mving up to Win 2000 or Win XP.

That too would be a big transition for them..hitting the pocketbook and the task of learning an new OS.


Now with this change many of our friends will have to make a decsion.


I think a service this Wilders forum could provide would be a thread by all you great people who have been using and testing other security product..you know for sure will be a good replacement for that specific group of people.

We all know that it is going to be first very difficult for some to even clean off all of the AVG from their PC..it was never the easiest to uninstall. Second, they surely need a replacement if they do not decide to stay with the paid version..and we do not know what that will be.

So if not in this thread..then another..it would be nice to share your experience on what transition they might want to consider for protection.

 

Hello Primrose, I have had similar thoughts as I look after some pc's for some older folk that need easy to use sotware.
I have been trying Avast free & I think it will make an easy to use alterative

http://www.avast.com/products.htm

HTH Pilli

 

AVG, is a great loss for some, Another free alternative needs to appear, AVG was a good program, The best free AV in along time. This program will be hard to replace, Some of them that can afford it, might just buy version 7.

I can't wait for 7 to come out, It should be a good program, if it's low on resource use, then people can use it, and yes then no loss would be felt by anyone.

 

A good point John, I admit I hadn't thought of AVG's possible end of free use to affect people as you mentioned.

A good alternative would need to be light on resources and fairly easy to use, as Pilli sugested Avast could fit the bill, or maybe Antivir http://www.free-av.com/

 

I do too, although I much prefer Avast! as a free alternative.

AVG was better than nothing, although that sounds like I'm damning it with faint praise.

The problem I run into is

1. Users who don't give a rip about an antivirus and/or don't want to pay for one.

and

2. Users who are too lazy or don't have enough knowledge or wherewithal to use something like F-Prot for DOS.

These kind of users need an AV with resident scan and automated updates, in my opinion.

And as prim and tr have alluded to, resource usage was/is a concern on say, a Celeron or Pentium running ME with 32 or 48 mgs of RAM.

I'm turning my "know-nothings" on to Avast! as a free solution.

 

I read somewhere that there might be a free version of AVG 7, and it was not 100 % for sure that Grisoft would totally drop a free AV.
Cant remember where, sorry
If it is a fact, i know it will please you Smackdown
Regards
Ole

 

http://www.hazeleger.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=AVAnn;action=display;num=1052846346

I found it.
Info of a possible free version of AVG in september.
You can see it some way down the page.

 

Madsen DK,

Thanks for the link, and the positive words, we all need a good AVP.

SmackDown

 

Not to make an enemy, but I don't think any AV product out there should be free...

It isn't fair to us "paying folks.."LOL...

Don't Smite me.. I'm just kidding!

 

Isnt the link posted by Madsen the same as the link in the thread opener

 

Hi Tinribs.
Ahemmm yes it is.
What a coincidence.
I read first about it on DSL, and found out about it there.
Should have read this topic more careful though
Strange, i wasnt that drunk yesterday
Sorry
Regards Ole

 

No worries Madsen, it was only meant tongue in cheek, I did mean to put a *wink* at the end!



Kev

 

Okay Tinribs.
I never did worry.
Regards
Ole

 

For what it's worth: http://www.pcqanda.com/dcforum/computer/59304.html

Regards,

Pieter