Hands-On Report--Symantec Norton Antivirus for Mac 10.0 for Tiger
Installation was a breeze. The installer automatically removes NAV 9.x. If you have an earlier version of NAV installed on your hard drive, you have to remove it yourself. (The original installer CD may have an uninstall option.)
Initial impressions are that the graphics are better and there are more features than NAV 9.x..
New features of v.10.0 compared with prior versions are described in the accompanying Read Me and in more detail here. Here's a summary by topic:
- Compatible with Macintosh OS X 10.4 (code named Tiger)
- Global Threat Assessment Dashboard (for OS X 10.4)
- Contextual menu support
- Custom Auto-Protect Safe Zones
- Smart volume scanning
- "Learn More" virus encyclopedia links
- Automatic engine reloading
- Compressed scan feedback
- Definition (subscription) expiration date. The virus definition subscription expiration date is now displayed in the main Norton AntiVirus program window.
- Delete from Scan window
- Expanded mount scan options
- QuickMenu additions. You can now start Norton AntiVirus and LiveUpdate from the QuickMenu.
- Reset to default Preferences
- Symantec Uninstaller installed in Symantec Solutions folder
The installer asked permission to run LiveUpdate before it finished. The virus definitions were updated and a program update also occurred, described here as a fix to the Symantec Alerts Widget, a new feature of NAV 10.
The application has more links to the Symantec web site than in the past, including "Late-breaking news for Norton AntiVirus for Macintosh" (see the web page here). Also, the NAV 10.0 installer includes StuffIt Expander 9.0.2.
Count us among those who feared NAV 10.0 would be little more than a minor update to NAV 9.x issued as a "New version" because of Tiger compatibility. But it appears that the entire application has been re-worked. The Dashboard Widget, for example, is not a gimmick and provides
"... the latest threat information from the Security Response Web site (updated every 5 minutes). Current Auto-Protect status, Norton AntiVirus program version, and virus definition date are displayed on the 'flip side' of the widget"
according to Symantec. For those who work with Macs in a mixed platform environment, the inclusion of protection from all known PC as well as Mac viruses makes it highly unlikely that one's Mac can unwittingly pass along a PC virus to a networked PC.
The SRP for NAV 10.0 is $69.95 direct from Symantec (street price may be lower and a $30 rebate coupon is available) and the upgrade price is $39.95 plus shipping direct from Symantec for those who can't stand rebates.
A final tip. Keep at least the bottom of the retail box with the scan bar. My experience is that to qualify for an "upgrade" price on a future product, Symantec will want to know the code numbers in small type just above and on the right side of the scan bar, regardless of whether you have "registered" the product. [Dana Baggett]
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