Listen, if you're not protected by today's best anti-virus software you might as well be flailing about in a small pool full of hungry sharks. Just visiting the wrong website can infect you with a nasty virus if you don't have a good anti-virus product running on your computer. The problem is, half of today's anti-virus products aren't worth a dime and some software has even gone rogue, infecting you with the viruses they're supposed to be protecting you from. How do you know who to trust? Star Reviews comes to the rescue with comprehensive anti-virus software reviews. When BitDefender released the 2008 version of their anti-virus product we knew we had to add the review to our arsenal. Here's what we found out...
What's New?
- Free trial available.
- Discount pricing available for multi-year licenses.
- New live chat support option.
About BitDefender Antivirus 2008:
BitDefender is one of the top names in the world of anti-virus technology. They've been protecting computers since 1996 and their experience shows in the quality of their applications.
Features:
- Real-time protection from spyware, malware and viruses.
- Automatic hourly updates.
- Minimal use of system resources.
- Anti-phishing tools.
- New “gamer mode” makes temporary modifications to system settings so your game instances aren't interrupted.
The BitDefender Antivirus 2008 Experience:
We have to say, the 2008 version of BitDefender Antivirus was a breath of fresh air. No frustrating download and install process here! Just click, follow the prompts, reboot your PC and you're on your way. Total install and setup time? Less than half an hour. Try doing that with some of the other cumbersome products on the market!
Once BitDefender Antivirus 2008 is up and running on your system you'll notice how easy the user interface is to navigate. At least that's what we noticed when we first launched the product. Green check marks or red x's tell you if all is well (or not well) offering at-a-glance status overviews.
One-click updates and scanning are also available via the user interface. Although BitDefender can update itself automatically as frequently as every hour, you can launch an update whenever you want using the link in the system interface and the same thing goes for full or partial system scans.
As far as scan times go, we didn't notice a bit difference between BitDefender and the other products on the market. However, there is one area in which BitDefender exceeded all expectations.
Many of the anti-virus products on the market really put a drain on your system resources. BitDefender is not one of them. It runs in the background and we noticed very little slowdown. But that's not all.
See, we have some gaming fans here at Star Reviews(World of Warcraft Druids and Hunters abound) and they were quite enamored with BitDefender's gaming mode. It appears that anti-virus products can really disrupt the gaming experience. BitDefender Antivirus 2008 is one of the only products on the market that take gamers' needs into consideration and have a special setting to use when you enter the gaming realm. If your a gamer, BitDefender may be your only real anti-virus option. (At least that's what a level 65 night elf druid whispered to me).
Pricing:
- 1-year, 1-user license is $24.95
- 1-year, 3-user license is $29.95
- 1-year, 5-user license is $49.95
- 2-year, 1-user license is $39.95
- 2-year, 3-user license is $49.95
- 2-year, 5-user license is $69.95
- 3-year, 1-user license is $59.95
- 3-year, 3-user license is $69.95
- 3-year, 5-user license is $109.95
Bit Defender Antivirus 2008 Customer Service:
Let's give BitDefender a big pat on the back for introducing live chat support to their customer service options. Sure, we were always impressed with BitDefender's phone and email support (phone more so than email) and we gave them credit when credit was due for their extensive online resources, but to add live chat support to their support options really kicked them up a notch in our eyes. Now instead of holding the phone to your ear during a five-minute hold time or waiting with baited breath for an email response, you can simply chat with a rep online. When we selected the live support option, our que time was almost nonexistent and we were connected with a knowledgeable rep who was able to answer our questions in detail. What more could you ask for?
Upside:
Fast support access via chat, competitive pricing, special gamers mode for online gamers.
Downside:
Email support still not as prompt as it could be.