The STORY on it here:

http://www.neowin.net/comments.php?id=26501&category=main



* Not bad looking @ all, & this is the 'reworked' GIANT software they bought out (which I never have heard of, but here they go with it)...

APK

I'd be happy with it if the app performs as good as AdAware Personal Edition

If MS charges for this, people would be nuts for buying it.

Come on MS. Fix your browser. Don't create other programs to cover for your browser's weaknesses.

From what I've heard from other users the beta is pretty much the same as the GIANT version. Just with an MS logo, missing innoculate and shredder. Probably missing since this is a beta ver.

Also from what I've heard GIANT seems to detect spyware bettern than ADAWARE/Spybot.

I can easily see MS using the tech with SMS/AD.
[Edited by dosfreak on 2005-01-04 02:21:31]

Detecting spyware is one thing, but sorting the good from the bad and eliminating the latter is altogether a different matter. The problem is massive and I've yet to find any software that doesn't require rather blind judgements by the user from time to time and which doesn't ultimately end up corrupting the Registry.

Originally posted by dosfreak:

"If MS charges for this, people would be nuts for buying it."

Oh, they'll charge for it, you can bank on that... that's what they're out there to do - make mula!

(And, people will buy it, that you can bank on as well man... take a walk thru CompUSA man or any other large software retailer & watch the money folks drop on software... & they don't have ANY IDEA WHATSOEVER THAT FREEWARES THAT ARE JUST AS GOOD FOR THEIR PURPOSES EXIST ALREADY! Not their fault really: They're just not aware of it is all & too new to this stuff imo!)

Originally posted by dosfreak:

"Come on MS. Fix your browser."

Agreed 110% - but, if they fix it? Tons of small shops making money from fixing virus/worm/trojan/malware/spyware hassles would be GONE... seriously, think about that man - I used to yell about how 'terrible' virus & such are (and, yes, they are)... but, they also keep the little guy working.

Always a "Bright-Side" to every situation... though, this is not such a great one, & yet, it is! Depends on who's looking...

Originally posted by dosfreak:

"Don't create other programs to cover for your browser's weaknesses."

They created very little here - this is another FrontPage, Visio, you-name-it Microsoft bought it or licensed parts of it (Diskeeper technology for defraggers, Symantec technology for defraggers, antivirus, diskcheckers in 3.x - 9.x, & Central Point for DOS as well as Norton for defrag, undelete, etc. )

Originally posted by dosfreak:

"From what I've heard from other users the beta is pretty much the same as the GIANT version. Just with an MS logo, missing innoculate and shredder. Probably missing since this is a beta ver."

Exactly man, exactly... & no doubt? You're right & so are the guys you talked to about it... It's the point I alluded to in the paragraph above.

Originally posted by dosfreak:

"Also from what I've heard GIANT seems to detect spyware bettern than ADAWARE/Spybot."

I saw a competition here:

http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-test-guide.htm

Where Ad-Aware pretty much won over the others out there, but I am not sure if it was ONLY "freebie" models of these tools, or if commercial offerings were included as well in the competition... still, do take a peek @ it.

Microsoft buys what they see/feel is the BEST out there though, everytime they have done such a thing imo... they can afford it, & I am SURE that the smaller firms that have that offer go for it 9/10 times... big money's pretty convincing & what-not!

Originally posted by dosfreak:

"I can easily see MS using the tech with SMS/AD."

No doubt, for a central scanning point that end-users, like-it-or-not, would have to deal with if the Admin schedules just such a scan remotely on all of their rigs on a LAN/WAN etc.



APK

P.S.=> Personally? I don't think these types of programs are very hard to create really... think about it - registry sections you'd monitor is all, bunch of reads, & to remove? Writes... very simple code - hardest part? Keeping up on the LATEST threats imo!

Could I write one? Yes... be simple & I've thought about it... & If I can do it? You can bank on it that MS guys can do it easier & probably better than I can, or they wouldn't have the job there! Again, hard part is that db of threats since they are made so much & so fast lately.

Personally? I'm surprised Microsoft spent the ca$h buying this company out because creating a program like this would be trivial imo vs. say, the Visual Studio Compiler & Office 2003 for example... apk

More on this from CNET from the front page of this website's news today:

http://news.com.com/Giant+step+for+Microsoft+spyware+killer/2100-1012_3-5513085.html?part=rss&tag=5513085&subj=news.1012.20



* They're not saying if it'll be sold as an app in stores etc., or if it will be put into service packs/hotfix updates OR not though...

(We'll have to wait & see)

APK

I tested Giant before Microsoft bought it out. It was a pretty nice program. It is proactive rather than a retroactive program in relation to catching spyware. This means it runs in memory and tries to shield your machine before a "suspicious" cookie or a registry entry can be made. Unless you get the Subscription Ad-aware package, Ad-aware can only retroactively find what has already been downloaded to your computer and then eliminate it. I presume that Microsoft bought Giant because it offers this feature. PestPatrol was the other proactive pest controller, but it was purchase by Computer Associates.

Well, couple days later? Speak-of-the-devil:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/1/5/815d2d60-49b5-44dc-ae35-fca2f2c6f0cc/MicrosoftAntiSpywareInstall.exe



* There's the download for it right there...

(Have @ it!)

APK

Well, I installed & ran it... & looks as good as ANY of its competitors out there (of which I keep SpyBot 1.3 & Ad-Aware 1.5 loaded for this type of work).

Has a resident guard too which is nice.

* From what I've seen in the others - Ad-Aware only gives you that in its "PRO" model & SpyBot 1.3 does in its "teatimer" unit (& I feel its teatimer is better than the one Ad-Aware gives you because it doesn't seem to minimize to a tooltray resident icon but instead sits on the StartBar like an ordinary minimized app... takes up TOO much space imo, that way).

All in all? Good app... shouldn't be considered "BETA" because GIANT software (from whom it was purchased from) did 99% of the legwork for Microsoft already here!

APK

P.S.=> Of course, DosFreak's probably got a hell of a point in his mentioning this program will probably grow to an "Enterprise-Class" one with integration possibilities for SMS etc. from Microsoft & they're out to see if anything pops up "funny" in it thru this test!

Hope this doesn't "time-out" & die after a certain period, because I absolutely HATE time-out/bombware... apk

It does timeout in July APK

Then it'll be pay-as-you-go...

Originally posted by Yakkob:

"It does timeout in July APK

Then it'll be pay-as-you-go..."

"ArGh!!!"

(As Charlie Brown says each fall when Lucy holds the football for him to kick!)



* Micro$oft capitalism @ its finest!

APK

P.S.=> Still, I have been running it here on Windows Server 2003 SP#1 RC#1 candidate no less... & so far & scan ran perfectly, matching Ad-Aware & SpyBot latest offerings perfectly for results found & trayicon resident feature's VERY "unobtrusive" as well... too bad they want Ca$h for it!

It's GREAT "p.r." for them if they gave it away free, & it most certainly is NOT like MS couldn't afford that... apk

For those who think we are whining about M$ charging for the software.....

To me it looks like a conflict of interest for them. They could look at their "TO-DO" lists and say....well that big spyware going around today we could fix easily but let's provide the "fix" in our latest definitions to provide an incentive to buy the spyware product. When they could just release a hotfix for the software that is affected.....


The good thing is that once the freeware spyware programs get competition from this software (yeah, it was already out there but not well known), they'll inovate and outdo this product. Well all know what happens to the software that M$ buys out now don't we?

Originally posted by dosfreak:

"For those who think we are whining about M$ charging for the software....."

Heh, I don't think that @ all... hope you didn't interpret it that way!

I'm with you in that I think they'd be FAR better off putting it out for FREE, as a gesture of good-will (which MS CAN AFFORD, to do great things in my book & be that "pillar-of-society"? You've gotta be able to be altruistic, & that? Takes MASSIVE financial stability, but... that's just my opinion!) & to supplement their "secure computing initiative" that King Billy instituted & put most ALL of their focus onto...

Including, from what I understand & have read, the programmers from the IE team being moved to checking for stacksmash/bufferoverflow exploit vulnerable code in the OS itself.

(@ least, that's been the "official party line" they've been putting out about why IE's been put off as to the mod you wanted to see... myself too! IE's a GOOD browser, but like anything in this field (or life), if it gets neglected & rides on its merits alone w/out improvement? It starts getting passed... especially in this field of "imitate & improve upon"... )

Originally posted by dosfreak:

"To me it looks like a conflict of interest for them. They could look at their "TO-DO" lists and say....well that big spyware going around today we could fix easily but let's provide the "fix" in our latest definitions to provide an incentive to buy the spyware product. When they could just release a hotfix for the software that is affected....."

True... & Microsoft, bottom-line, can AFFORD to be altruistic. Many think that being 'nice' once-in-awhile @ least is STUPID... not in my book @ least - to me? It means you give a damn & have a heart by being willing to give out freebies every now & then.

(That kind of P.R. for MS, especially in this era of "Let's spread F.U.D around to discredit them"? Well, they need it!)

Originally posted by dosfreak:

"The good thing is that once the freeware spyware programs get competition from this software (yeah, it was already out there but not well known), they'll inovate and outdo this product."

110% agreed - again, that's what this field is ALL about, & their webbrowser as I stated above? Shows this... IE was king what? 2-3 years ago??

Now though... well, not a question in my mind that FireFox &/or Opera beat it to death... the only thing holding IE together is the fact it's part of the Operating System & what new folks use @ home on the desktop from the 'get-go' & get used to!

Commercially/in the workplace though? Alot of in-house development's around the IE browser & its API's because of some of the "kinks" other webbrowsers have with doing say, ActiveDocuments for Intranets, OR webservices afaik.

Originally posted by dosfreak:

"Well all know what happens to the software that M$ buys out now don't we? "

Yea.... it gets SOLD for profit (they have to recoup what got laid-out for it though)

So from a business standpoint I can see that on 1 hand, but the other hand says "they can afford to let out a freebie, especially since everyone calls them the 'evil-empire' & what-not + it'd go a long ways to showing they ARE concerned about their so-called secure computing initiative"

The bean-counters run things, & no matter what technologist &/or purists like ourselves say to 'em? It's their BOTTOM-LINE, & one with alot more clout than us nerds have!

Yup, that secure computing initiative - the only thing & MAIN THING they ought to be concerned with is what YOU mentioned above:

TO FIX IE & its vulnerabilities... I mean, the version of IE they have in the OS version I'm running here? Rocks... you can't (by default) install BHO's for toolbar add-ons & such!

(You get that & a far more secure setup as far as running ActiveX/activescripts + Java/java script ... I've been doing it for years here & it works to help keep ya safe!)

APK

P.S.=> But, dosfreak, I tell ya what & this IS verbatim from my stopping @ the local "Mom & Pop" computer shop around here about 2-3 days back:

ME: "Hey Dan (owner), how's business? I am curious... most of the time, I see you knee-deep in people wanting to get their computers fixed for being 'slow' & 'not running right' etc., & I bet it's virus/worms/trojans/malware/bad bho's etc."

DAN: "That's a GOOD 95% of my business right now. If virus & such went away? I'd be going away. I.E.-> outta business!"

That's the ONLY reason I'd say "Virus & other forms of bogusware, are good for small business' in this field"... apk

http://www.flexbeta.net/main/articles.php?action=show&id=84

=========================================================================================
"Though still in beta, Microsoft AntiSpyware was able to detect more infected files than the current leading anti-spyware applications in the market today, Ad-Aware and SpyBot S&D. AntiSpyware’s user interface is better looking than both SpyBot and Ad-Aware, not to mention much easier to use than SpyBot. Though Microsoft AntiSpyware was able to use better detection than both Ad-Aware and SpyBot, there is still the difference of cost between the three. Ad-Aware and SpyBot offer great performance for free, yet when Microsoft debuts its AntiSpyware application, it will require a subscription fee. Is Microsoft AntiSpyware really worth the subscription fee when there are currently good spyware removal applications out there that will do it for free? My answer to that question would be, if you can afford the fee, it is absolutely worth it; however, if you chose to use Microsoft AntiSpyware as your spyware removal tool, you will still need to run other tools such as Ad-Aware and SpyBot."
=========================================================================================

Ah, first "competition" comparison of Ad-Aware, SpyBot, & MS/Giant AntiSpyware I caught on "SLASHDOT" news today!



* Have @ it, ought to be a GOOD read & supplements the one I put up above as well here:

http://spywarewarrior.com/asw-test-guide.htm

(Looks like in THIS competition? Microsoft did what I feel they always do - bought out the BEST, & will add to it for "Enterprise Class client-server model" scanning for SMS, AD etc. as DosFreak speculated on above... )

NOW, I really DO wish it was a freebie! Ms could use that as GREAT P.R. for their 'secure computing initiative' but, it's all about the benjamin$ & the "holy dollar" like many things!

APK

P.S.=> Anyways - Nothing like 2 separate reviews by diff. sites for a good "compare-n-contrast" scenario/test for forging opinions on what is best overall & where/how so, in what conditions, etc. ... apk