Windows Live OneCare: A Promise of Comprehensive PC Protection from Microsoft Total PC Protection from Microsoft? Adam Stone
It gets to be rather a lot, doesn't it? Install and run the antivirus. Run the firewall. Back up, defragment, and clean up your hard drive. Oh, and don't forget to make sure your anti-virus utility is constantly updated with the latest definition files. Pretty soon you're spending all your time protecting and maintaining your PC, rather than using the darn thing.
Just released in beta test, Windows Live OneCare is Microsoft's answer to PC maintenance. Free to try in beta release, Microsoft says the product will come out in a paid-subscription version later this year.
Like the best Microsoft products, OneCare is aimed at those with little interest in the nuts and bolts of technology. A set-and-forget tool, it runs in the background, quietly protecting and tidying your machine with few intrusions.
A firewall and anti-virus protection work together to block incoming nasties, and the software automatically updates itself to keep up with current threats. The PC tune-up function automatically defragments the hard drive, backs up files to an external hard drive if available, and removes unnecessary files to increase available disk space.
The program interface is clear and simple, and controls are straightforward, but minimal. Tech-savvy users already have voiced complaints, saying that the user-friendly controls are too dumbed-down and that more sophisticated options and detailed controls ought to be available to those who feel comfortable working at a higher level. One recent user review sums up the sentiment: "It's software for the lame."
The development team has indicated it plans to remedy this in further iterations. Developers say they wanted to cut across as many users as possible on the first pass and that future functionality likely will include more detailed controls.
Another common complaint: No spyware detection. Here too Microsoft has said it plans to add this level of protection in the near future.
There are still more limitations that potential users will need to consider. You'll need Windows XP to run OneCare, and in classic Microsoft style, the software only works with Internet Explorer 6. Running Netscape or Mozilla? Bye bye.
For a user-friendly program in beta release, Windows OneCare sure has racked up a lot of complaints in a short period of time, but maybe that's what comes of bearing the Microsoft moniker. Give people a big enough target, and someone will take shots at you.
One more shot? OneCare is not compatible with other widely-used protection systems, including Symantec Norton Antivirus and McAfee Internet Security Suite. Microsoft recommends that users uninstall all such programs in order to avoid potential computer lock-up.
On their blog, the OneCare software developers cite "general industry consensus" that it is best to run only one anti-virus on a single machine.
In fairness, this is beta, an early release in which developers are expected to still be working out the kinks. If history is any guide, the official, pay version may well address many of these shortcomings.
