Dateline: May 15, 2008
AVG Antivirus upgrades to new version...
Still Great, Still Free

We were all set to start off this first edition of the newsletter with an article about PC security and anti-virus software, especially our favorite, AVG Free Edition Anti-virus. Even as the story was being prepared, AVG threw us a curve ball by releasing an entirely new version of their popular product, and we've been getting lots of calls from clients and others, asking if the "free ride" with AVG is over. Well, the good news is that AVG's excellent, no-cost anti-virus software is still very much free and available to everyone by way of a simple download. AVG is now offering version 8.0.1, and it includes some basic anti-spyware protection in the new edition.

Honestly, we haven't had a lot of time to test the spyware protection, but we have been big fans of AVG's virus protection for a long time. We have installed it on all our personal PC's and for many clients, too. AVG offers excellent virus protection and does it without bothering the user (that's you!) with any reminders or confusing compu-speak error messages. It still updates the built-in virus definitions on a daily basis, and scans your computer daily, too. The no-cost edition does not give you any control over the time of the scheduled virus scan, but that's generally not a major concern for most users.

The program runs quietly in the background, and doesn't slow down your 'regular' work during the scanning process. Like most other software, AVG has grown bigger with the new edition. The download is now about 45 megabytes, and even with a high-speed internet connection, it can take some time. We've also noticed that it takes a longer-than-normal time to download (even with a high-speed cable connection)… that's probably because it's so popular, it's being downloaded by a lot of people at the same time. The good news is that once it's downloaded and installed on your PC, the update process is only a few seconds each morning. So what's the catch? After all, there's no free lunch, right? Well, to their credit, AVG doesn't nag you to buy the "professional" version of the product. Yes, they have one (price – about $55 at last check) and it provides what the company says is a full "suite" of internet security protection: Anti-virus, anti-spyware, identity protection, e-mail scanning and most important (for some users) real, live technical support. The free version offers no tech support… but honestly, we have never had a need for it.

Bottom Line: AVG Free Edition Anti-Virus is still one of our all-time favorite programs. It does a great job, stays out of your way, and you can't beat the price. If your current anti-virus program is starting to nag you that it's time to "renew your subscription" … this may be a great time to make the switch to AVG. Remember, if you're going to change anti-virus software, you must completely uninstall the old program first. We would suggest downloading the AVG installer package first, so it's on your PC and ready to go. Then un-install the old AV program using the Windows Control Panel's Add / Remove Software control… then install AVG. On the original installation, AVG will take a few extra moments to update itself, and then it's only the short update routine each day.

To download AVG, we suggest www.download.com. Once at the site, type AVG Free into the search box and download the latest edition.