Microsoft's free security beta fills up
A day after making a beta of its free security program available, Microsoft has said it already has the number of testers it needs and has halted new downloads.
(Credit: CNET)Well, that didn't take long.
A day after making available a free beta of its Microsoft Security Essentials software, Microsoft has stopped offering new downloads, saying it has reached the number of participants it was looking for, at least here in the U.S. The software maker had said it was only looking to initially have about 75,000 downloads of the product, formerly code-named Morro.
"Thank you for your interest in joining the Microsoft Security Essentials Beta. We are not accepting additional participants at this time," Microsoft said in a posting on its Web site. "Please check back at later a date for possible additional availability."
Microsoft Security Essentials is the free product that Microsoft promised it would create last year, at the same time the software maker said it was discontinuing its paid Windows Live OneCare product.
The program hits the antivirus basics, including built-in and customizable scan options, a scheduler, automatic definition file updates, a real-time defense shield, and rootkit protection. It's also similar to other free products on the market, such as those from AVG and Antivir.
Download.com's Seth Rosenblatt contributed to this report.
Click on the image above to see Download.com's look at Microsoft Security Essentials.
(Credit: CNET)
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
Is that a threat?
I don't see whats silly about the comment, I thought that was the *actual* reason Microsoft limited it to 75,000 users.
I blame "SpyNet", they probably worried about that not working right
Keep your ignorant attitudes i'll sit here laughing as more and more Mac malware and trojans take more unsuspecting Mac users.
Something tells me one of these days Apple will have some explaining to do.
Amen
15 years of computing with no virus protection?
Really if i'm not mistaken <OS9 was riddled with them. Nice bluff there
But I meant that I had never had a virus after 15 years computing on the Mac platform with no virus protection. I never said it wasn't possible. Just said it never happened. No firewall. Nothing.
In addition, I ran a Mac consulting company for more than 10 years. Very few of my customers used virus protection. NONE EVER got a virus. Not one.
Try that on a WinPC. I double dog dare you. That is why MS is giving away protection for free. Because you need it. I'm not bashing them for it. I would do the same if I were them. I'm bashing YOU. Because you bang your head against the same wall day after day and you make excuses and you point fingers and you belittle those of us that refuse to be MS sheeple. That's okay. We don't have to like the same things. Actually, I hope you never use a Mac. But I will never stop speaking out against MS. Because they have earned their rotten reputation for making sub-standard, over-priced, anti-competitive, buggy, insecure products that everyone uses for no other reason than that everyone else is using it.
Amen
No it's not a threat; it's to tell you how stupidly crazy you are and that this article is none of your business. If you have nothing to say constructively, go to another site where you can spew nonsense. Keep off the drugs...will you!
My industry is cyber security and my interest is national security, why wouldn't it be my business?
For someone so educated why act like a prepubescent teenager?
Anyone can claim something online this is the internet you know trying to say your in a certain career to defend a certain argument just further lowers your credibility.
Because my username probably looks prepubescent, so you judge by that instead of listening to me at face value.
I'm old enough to be your dad
Age has nothing to do with mental state. Now if you really are that old...well... what can we say..
Caution: I wouldn't name a trojan in place of a virus, unless you like showing your lack of knowledge.
i did throw a few infections at morro, like winantiviris2009 and 2 variants of coolwebsearch. all were stopped without even entering my system. unlike avast, avg, and all those other junk av apps, that let them in and make your system 100% useless while trying to get rid of what it just let in. this definitely has my attention. i uninstalled eset smart security to try this, so far i'm not disappointed.
- by Nortonpal July 15, 2009 10:43 AM PDT
- New principle of work. Very simple.This simplicity does not prevent to reveal to it any threats for the computer. During special testing it has found out all viruses (more than 1000 pieces). Without additional options it supervises all necessary parametres of the computer. Simplicity and speed of work (unlike many similar programs) is combined with unsurpassed efficiency of its work.
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(40 Comments)Well works with Windows 7 and has no conflict with NOD Smart Security Business Edition 32.4.