“Security software makers, the 800-pound gorilla has landed. Microsoft Corp. was to announce Wednesday that it is releasing software that aims to better protect people who use its Windows operating system from Internet attacks,” Allison Linn reports for The Associated Press. “The move pits the world’s largest software maker head-to-head with longtime business partners Symantec Corp., McAfee Inc. and others. Windows Live OneCare, which will protect up to three computers for $49.95 per year, marks the latest step in Microsoft’s effort over the years to make its operating system less vulnerable to crippling Internet attacks.”
“Windows, which runs on the vast majority of personal computers, has been a near-constant target of worms, viruses and other attacks, hurting countless users and forcing Microsoft to invest heavily in patching vulnerabilities and improving flaws,” Linn reports. “McAfee said Tuesday that it was preparing to release a new security service, code-named Falcon, this summer. A spokesman for Symantec, maker of the popular Norton products, said no one was available to comment on the OneCare competition. Hamlin said he expects the product to be profitable for Microsoft.”
Full article here.
“Microsoft has said that, so far, it has no plans to build OneCare into its Windows XP operating system as it has with its net browser and media player. However it is likely that PC makers will offer the service as an extra when consumers buy a new machine,” BBC News reports. “The launch comes as security firms warn of the emergence of a trojan that poses as a security update from Microsoft – the latest in a long line of viruses that try this trick.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “twelveightyone,” “Christian,” and “scott” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: The protection racket ramps up. And if it isn’t profitable for Microsoft initially, they’ll certainly be able to come up with some way or another to make sure that it’s profitable, right? This is like McDonald’s selling undercooked hamburgers, because they can’t figure out how to cook them properly, and then charging customers an annual fee for E. coli vaccine. We have to wonder what will happen if and when Microsoft’s security subscription earnings dip and need to be, ahem, “reinvigorated?” If you’re stupid enough to pay Microsoft $50 per year to “protect” the operating system that Microsoft should have made secure in the first place, then you deserve to use Windows for the rest of your life.
Here’s the best personal computer advice you’ll ever get: If you only use Windows, dump it and get a Mac. Take the $50 you would have wasted for trying to secure the Windows mess, add in all of your annual wasted time and the costs of your other Windows anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware software plus the processor cycles you waste running them, and apply it all toward your Mac purchase. Life’s too short to be taken for a ride by Microsoft.
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Related articles:
Symantec sues Microsoft to halt Windows Vista development – May 19, 2006
Symantec CEO: We think more people ought to buy Apple Macs – May 15, 2006
Mafiasoft: Microsoft to charge $50 per year for security service to protect Windows – February 07, 2006
Sleazy Microsoft sells out anti-spyware Windows users, downgrades Claria Gator to ‘ignore’ – July 07, 2005
Mafiasoft? Microsoft to roll out anti-virus subscription protection racket – May 13, 2005
Yes, this does seem like a massive conflict of interest, having the same company that makes your OS sell you protection against its flaws.
However, calling Microsoft, “Mafiasoft” makes MDN look like a bunch of idiots. Still it plays to the audience eh?
Bend over guys, Redmond drives!
pog,
I believe that in this case, MDN has every right and is totally correct to call them “Mafiasoft.”
pog, I guess you do not get it.
It IS Mafiasoft in the sense that they make you pay for troubles they are ultimately responsible for.
As Mafia, it sells protection to customers from problems that ultimately comes from … the Mafia itself. Ever heard of pizzo? It is the *insurance protection scheme* against *accidental* explosions of your business. So the picciotti sells you *protection* so that they will not put bombs into your shop.
Sounds pretty much the same scheme to me.
Watch for next news of Microsoft being sued by McAfee, Symantech et als.
I’m offended and I don’t even use Windows…
It is Microsoft’s responsability to protect it’s users, how can it charge them for it?!
BTW anyone notiece the corporate branding mess of MS? They had to put their security thing in with Windows Live.
That’s exactly why MS isn’t nimble anymore, because EVERYTHING inside of it is tied together: Formats, messenger, even their damn MSN site!
MDN wrote:
This is like McDonald’s selling undercooked hamburgers, because they can’t figure out how to cook them properly, and then charging customers an annual fee for E. coli vaccine.
Exactly.
Does this now give the consumer the right to SUE the arse of them if it doesn’t work?
Leo
After all a virus that crashes your hard drive and eats all your data has gotta be worse than a little scratch on an iPod? right!
Leo
SUE us? Nope, it will allow us to say that virus problems are only due to those idiots Windows users not willing to pay for our revolutionary OneCare program.
You do not pay for OneCare, then why Microsoft should care about you, idiot!
Isn’t that a brilliant scheme to milk even more our abused users? AND THEY’ll EVEN THANK US!
UHUHAHAHAHAHUHAUHHUHAHHAUHHUHAHUHAUHU
There is absolutely no reason for Microsoft to improve its operating system if it can get people to continually pay to protect against its flaws. They can actually profit from new security problems!!! The more security problems discovered, the more likely people will pay for protection. I don’t understand how they can get away with this…
it seems exactly the kind of solution a marketing guy a la Balmer could come up with when told from engineers “We can’t protect us, Windows is a convoluted mess. We should rewrite from scratch”
Balmer “ehhhh uhhh ahhh how could I turn a failure into another success….
F**k, seems nobody cares but me in here. Oh wait, nobody cares, I do care, one does care… YEAAAAAH: OneCare program. We sell the code we have stolen from Symantec for virus protection. BRILLIANT”
Is this your first time here, Pog?
Do you understand nothing of the EXTORTION RACKET the world calls “Microsoft”? Apparently not, for you have the temerity to call MDN and its readers “idiots”? Something about a pot and kettle comes immediately to mind, sir or madam, for IMHO you are one of the most uninformed, puerile, and arrogant people ever to grace these pages. (And I use that term advisedly.)
This really isn’t that big of an issue. It’s really not much different than the extended warranties that many companies offer.
Now if MS were to make it so that Windows works only with their software protection and not the competition’s, then you would be justified in calling them Mafiasoft, but that is clearly not the case here.
Pog is Ballmer. LOL
If Pog can’t grasp the concept of how MS is
making more money off of holes in thier own
product, then he is just hopeless. It is the
essence of the mafia, except the mafia gets more
respect.
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The major software makers rarely guarantee their software. Apple sure doesn’t.
realist,
Microsoft has absolutely no incentive to improve their code. They will leave in the OS flaws and charge their customers a subscription fee to protect their computers.
They will use their monopoly to put their AV software on every new computer sold and literally ‘Netscape’ their AV competition. It’s their AV competition that has been keeping them in business the last 3 to 4 years.
And you think it’s not that big of an issue. You have to be a Windows pundit or IT weenie. Only someone who makes a living off of Microsoft’s BS could say something like that.
Me, I work in the Oil and Gas industry and I cheer when the price at the pumps goes up as well.
Realist, I disagree. If you are Microsoft and you put out a product that is flawed, you should fix the flaw. You should not create a new product that protects you from the first flaw that you knew existed, and charge money for that flaw in the first place. If anything, you should put out an antivirus product for free, since you created the flaw in the first place. Of course, Symantec and McAfee would not be happy with you, but that’s the way it goes.
MDN yells at Apple for insulting PC users, but MDN calls them “stupid” every day?
I look forward to MDN reaching puberty and settling down. Maybe they’ll stop turning off potential Switchers left and right, and stop giving all Mac users a bad name.
Think what they could be then! Great Mac news—check. No more driving away Windows users who are interested in Macs? Check!
Best headline from MDN ever!!!
Love the headline and take, MDN. Keep it up! Too funny. This site makes my day go by much faster.
This is bloody classic! Wow, my head is still spinning at this marvellous stupidly. And this is being marketed as a good thing? People are paying for this? Wow, a sucker every M$ minute. I’m sure it’s a matter of time before whackos sue the buggers when it doesn’t work out. Should start a pool to see when this service will have its first flaws discovered, besides the obvious fee.
I seriously despise M$. How willing would people be to pay an extra fee to have their car to actually work? Shouldn’t it just work right from the start?
Honestly, how can people buy into this system they’ve created? It makes me want to scream big girly screams and pull my hair! That is, what’s left of it…
Ha ha, I’m Balmer. Like it.
For the record I currently own 4 Macs each less than 3 years old and 3 iPods, and I also have a loaned B&W G3 in my office right now, so you might say I’m a bit of a Mac zealot.
However, I’m also someone who thinks that you can report on the ridiculous actions of Microsoft without resorting to petty name calling.
I’m sure that MDN will run into troubles for calling Microsoft “Mafiasoft.
But again, MDN has no credibility when it comes to commenting news. Immaturity rules the mind of those nerds making MacDailyNews the Microsoft/Dell & Thurrot daily news.
If you sit back at look at the whole mess that is called Modern Capitalism, you’ll see it is largely based on waste and artifical scarcity. From disposible armaments, people, packaging, cars, computers, to entertainment, while energy alternatives are shelved, money is privately issued with interest, and a monolithic software thief allows for scarce security so he can profit with a ‘solution’. Create problem>provide solution>screw people.