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ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 - 3 User (PC) | 
| From: Avanquest Software
Category: Software
List Price: £49.99
Buy New: £39.32
You Save: £10.67 (21%)
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 281
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows Xp
Media: CD-ROM
Operating System: Windows XP/Windows Vista
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.5 x 1.3
EAN: 5016488118767
ASIN: B001FWXEK0
Release Date: October 17, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 Does what it says! December 29, 2008
David Podlesak (Lincolnshire, UK)
I've never reviewed a software product before so forgive me if I don't have enough techno-babble. I had a new laptop so it was an ideal opportunity to install a up-to-date package as well as being able to install on my main pc.
Installation went ahead fairly easily - the only problem was that 2-months free Norton Anti-Virus came with the laptop and, even though I had not yet started it off, the anti-virus part of ZoneAlarm would not download when it recognised that the Norton programme was there - albeit not yet activated. The rest of the package installed, but I had to delete the Norton package to continue with that part of ZoneAlarm.
Then the programme did its first complete scan - which took ages, something like two hours. I was surprised as I hadn't yet put anything on the comp - only set up the wireless internet connection and that was it.
Once done though, I have to say I've had no problems with it and have hardly been aware that it is there once I'd given permissions for various sites. I've not yet had any spam emails (unlike my work computer which is protected by the free AVG programme) so the protection offered seems to be working fine. Though as I don't tend to visit any dodgy sites, perhaps its not had a real test yet ;D
I do think that the menus could be a little more user-friendly but that's my only criticism as yet.
 Not as good as it used to be December 24, 2008
Steve Bevis [UKBritney.TV] (South East, UK)
When security was just being highlighted for PCs years ago, ZoneAlarm's firewall was my favourite; however, over time it seems they have been outperformed by their rivals.
The software was easy to install, and ran in the background as you'd expect, but I did notice a slowness - perhaps this was down to it being ultrasecure, who knows? However, it's not something I've experienced with other antivirus and firewall software, since moving from ZoneAlarm and virus protection to an all-in-one option a few years ago. The worst thing was shut down times, which were almost tripled. I'm sure there is a workaround or fix, but this was very annoying, and not something I've experienced with McAfee or Norton, or BullGuard, which is the security package I reverted to after trying this software.
Picking an internet security software package is a hard decision for a Windows user, but I personally do not feel I would recommend ZoneAlarm compared to some of its rivals, if only for the annoying slowdown it caused. However, it seems more and more it's a case of personal preference, with these packages, and a case of what works best for your exact system requirements. However, after using this for three weeks, I am back to BullGuard's software, which I found was faster and just as customisable to my preferences.
 My favourite December 19, 2008
Stalker
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Of all the firewall and anti-virus products out there this is the one I've found easiest to understand and set up. This is the third year I will have used it and I've never had any problems. When you first install it zone-alarm spends the first few days providing slightly lower security whilst it learns your system and normal operating software. This enables it to set things up without you having to enter a lot of information or grant loads of permissions. Thereafter all you really get is the odd permission request, usually after you've just installed something new. It's really that simple.
The only slight quibble is that when revised versions are downloaded you really have to re-install it as new which means it has to re-learn your system again. There is an "update existing" option but it does sometimes crash and the as new download never has any problems.
Does it's job, but a pain to live with December 17, 2008
Mr. L. N. Taylor (Essex, UK)
This product seems to do exactly what it says on the box, so I have no problem with that. I did however have considerable problems getting ZoneAlarm to load properly, and once successful it started blocking all my e-mail, and access to a number of websites. I had to get support to help me sort that problem out. I find the number and frequency of on screen warning messages rather annoying too. I really don't want to be alerted every time the software thinks its found a problem, I just want it to get on and do its job, providing a report at regular intervals. After a lot of faffing about I think I have finally got this product operating as I want it. It has identified problems that Norton failed to find, and it also uses a lot less drive space. I would recommend ZoneAlarm, but it is no where near as easy to live with as Norton.
Good, but not perfect December 16, 2008
Julikat (Surrey, UK)
I've been using the McAfee security suite which has been very stable and unobtrusive since I installed it on my Vista laptop a couple of months ago. But having used the free version of Zone Alarm for many years (after giving up with Norton!), I was keen to try the full version.
Firstly, setup was probably the easiest and fastest I've experienced to date. No crashes, no hangs, just a straightforward install, which made a nice change!
Secondly, the interface is more modern than McAfee's dingy minimalist look. Not that appearances matter if it does the job properly. And on that topic, ZA doesn't quite compare with McAfee as far as features are concerned.
There are no options to back up data or shred deleted files. As I use these features quite often, I missed them when I was using ZA 2009. And although ZA includes popup blockers, ad blockers and flash ad blockers, I already have all those options available with Firefox 3 so they're not useful extras to me. Scanning also took longer, but it didn't slow down my computer as much as McAfee, which tends to use a lot of memory.
To summarise: ZA is one of the cheaper Internet Security suites, but it's missing some basic features which stop it being the full package. Having used it for 2 weeks, I've decided to go back to McAfee. I back up regularly, and like the security of being able to permanently shred files. If you don't need features like these, then ZA is a decently-priced alternative.
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