Malwarebytes commits to lifetime support for XP users

[steve2470]

http://betanews.com/2014/03/24/malwarebytes-commits-to-lifetime-support-for-xp-users/

The antivirus industry is getting steamed up about the forthcoming end of XP support. Last week we saw Avast warning of the vulnerabilities users might face.

Today anti-virus specialist Malwarebytes announces its new Anti-Malware Premium product and at the same time is pledging that it will continue to support XP users for life.

The company says that XP users currently make up 20 percent of its user base and could be at greater risk after 8 April when support for the old operating system ends.

The new Premium product has a streamlined dashboard interface that makes it easy to see the protection status of the PC along with a heuristics engine designed to detect and eliminated malicious software based on its behavior. It also has anti-rootkit technology and adds malicious URL blocking and protection from potentially unwanted programs. As before Malwarebytes will run alongside traditional security software to provide an additional layer of protection. A Chameleon mode allows Malwarebytes to open even if the system has an infection that tries to close down security software.


Good news indeed for you XP users.

[hlthe2b]

1. good for them

[madokie]

2. XP was my last microsoft

OS. Diehard Linux user now.
In other words no need for any of that

[TheBlackAdder]

4. I was looking at Linux, but the age and power consumption of my tower says 'upgrade'.

Linux is nice, especially if you have an older machine, with a single core.


===

I know one thing... I'm not going to MS.

I checked my desktop. I would have to pay around $200 for the OS, purchase a new Office because my old one is no longer supported, buy an upgraded video card (replacing my dual-DVI one I have), and who know what other software will fail.

Add that up and what Microsoft recommends seens true... it's cheaper to buy a new system. Why?

The machine I have meets my needs and it plenty powerful enough... it's WIN8 compliant besides the video card (AFAIK).

My machines are power hungry and loud. The power supply and cooling fans on my tower provide constant background noise that I really want to remove from my living area. So, I am going to a Mini Mac wich is extremely energy efficient, quite, and small. It's bundled with all the SW I need for home use, incuding an Office suite and anti-virus.

===

I might go Linux on this old machine. But, good for you to have made the break!

[dixiegrrrrl]

11. Welcome to the light side

Be aware that Ubuntu is getting deserved flack for becoming too commercialized
so we are trying out other versions of Linux on our machines.
rather, Mr. Dixie, the mad scientist is, I am still using Ubuntu.

have had zero problems since switching to Linux 3 years ago..I live that it is 'self cleaning" and does not clog itself up
like Windows does. Only maintenance I do is run the updates once a month.

[TheBlackAdder]

3. Replacing ALL Windows PCs with Macs

I've given up on Microsoft.

As a Windows loyalist for over 20 years. hoping that one day they would have their operating systems run in protected mode, similar to OS2 and Mac OS, I've given up holding my breath. There are so many security holes in Windows, that the maintenance of keeping my system going has become tiresome.

Everyone I know, who own Macs, don't have this management problem.

So, the other day, against everything I had sworn I would never do, I went into the Apple store and purchased a 15-inch Mac Book Pro for my daughter, who is in college. This replaces her Thinkpad that runs XP. After checking the various vendors: The Thinkpad/Lenovo loyalists are complaining about keyboard and build issues on some of their comparable machines, Sony appears it might sell off its VAIO line to some brand-X company (at least to me they are), Dell is Dell (I have a Dell Dimension XP tower) that will become a Mini Mac. And the other major laptop companies all have their issues. When my son's Lenovo goes, he gets a Mac Book. When my daughter's VAIO goes, she gets a Mac Book.

The Mini Mac is a 7.5 inch square that is 1.25 inches high, minimal sound, unlike the tower I have now, and the Mini Mac is extremely energy efficient. It comes with either an i5 or i7 processor. The one I'm looking at will be an i7, 8GB and a 1TB drive (see below).

The main gripe... the fragility and insecurity of Windows.

Sure Apple does NSA stuff along with MS, but their machines are built solid and come in at the same price as comparable Lenovo machines.

The bonus to Macs are the bundled software products... Their own office suite, integrated anti-virus... never having to buy those again. Folks with Macs keep them for years, because their seems to be supported software for many, many years. When you factor in the build and the bundle of software, the Mac systems are actually the same, if not better deal. Sure you can't get a $500 PC, but add Office, AV, and all the other stuff and you've exceeded a Mini Mac--and you don't have the headaches of Windows.


===


I'm done with Microsoft... until they can provide a secure OS that doesn't have inherited exposures to it.

[hobbit709]

6. Must be nice to have that kind of money.

[TheBlackAdder]

8. MY daughter's Thinkpad was 11 years old. It's an investment.

If you buy a base machine, you'll have to replace it due to its low-quality components or it won't be sized to survive the inevidible bloat and growth of software. Thirteen years ago, I purchased the top-op-the-line Dell Dimension and that thing has lasted me 13 years, with only a new HDD, a replacement powersupply, I added memory and upgraded the video card to be dual-DVI.

Other people I know purchased 3 & 4 PCs to my one.

My daughter's TP is 11 years old. At the time, it too was the top-of-the-line and it's lasted 11 freakin years, with only a replacement CPU fan and battery pack. You can't complain about that. Her new MAC and ours will be investments into the future.

As a college student, she might need graphics, data modeling, or statistical processing power that a standard machine cannot deliver--unless you want to wait a few hours to render the results. Sure it's a financial hit, which she contributed 40% out of her own work income, but it's an investment.

The Mini Macs start at $599. The one I'm looking at is $799. No heat, no noise, small footprint and it will pay for itself in energy savings in one year to two years, compared to equal PC-based offerings. So you can be down on it all you want, or the money spent... but I'm not dumping a pile of toxic metals into the ground or wasting multitudes of money with sub-standard machines with the purchases I've made.

[RC]

5. I plan on keeping my XP machines.

I have some programs that do not run on Win 7. Win 8 is not an option for anything.
I have a Linux Mint machine, set up to my liking.
The cash register computer in the store computers I maintain, will become a 'Point of Sale' iPad. The other computers will stay XP.
Oh, and I have the lifetime Malwarebytes installed in my own XP machine.

[TheBlackAdder]

10. I might convert my old ones to Linux as well.

A GNU version, not SUSE or Ubuntu (runs over Microsoft Azure).

[Jesus Malverde]

7. It's likely there are vulnerabilities that cannot be fixed through AV

Last edited Mon Mar 24, 2014, 11:28 AM - Edit history (1)

and would require an actual system software update. This sounds like good marketing.

[TheBlackAdder]

9. XP will work until sites restrict them because of security concerns.

Malwarebytes only does so much, as I have it installed on this PC right here.

I need Microsoft Security Essentials and Advanced System Care installed to fill in the gaps.

===

Again, with my point above. I'm sick of MS - to the point where I'm switching to Mac because they don't have these prevalent issues. Why should I have to performance sweep my PC once a week, run constant scans, occassionally reinstall the OS or restore it to a checkpoint because of the exposures in it?

===

Sooner or later financial sites will ban XP because its integrity might be in question.