Will we ever need to pay for this

[Jerry]

I know that this is in beta, however, will there ever be
a point in time where MS say now it's a product you must
purchase. I also read MS is going to enter the Antivirus
realm as well. Goodbye to Symantec, FPROT, McAfee and
others. Why these huge antivirus companies didn't build
spyware protection into their products is beyond me. For
example, we run Norton Corporate 9 at all our facilities,
this product can actually detect some spyware, but can't
remove it, yawn.

 

[Andre Da Costa]

Pricing and distribution has not been determined yet. It is possible that
some elements of AntiSpyware will probably providing for free to existing
Windows 2000 and XP users in the future.

Andre

http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta

 

[John]

You have already paid for it - in pain and suffering waiting for MS to help
the typical user protect themselves from their own computer.

 

[Snack]

Pricing and distribution has not been determined yet. It is possible that
some elements of AntiSpyware will probably providing for free to existing
Windows 2000 and XP users in the future.

Why would Microsoft expect people to pay for a tool that is in part if
not wholly covering issues generated by Microsoft?
The tool doesn't play nice with the enterprise
<http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/releasenotes.mspx>
and doesn't do much that isn't already being done by free tools and is
completely unnecessary if using a non-IE browser or a non Windows OS.

Microsoft is suffering (again) serious damage to their image (again)
with yet more exploits of issues they have created (again). Charging to
fix this latest in a line of many self induced issue would just not be a
smart PR move with regards to the general public. And as an IT staffer
who has suffered through and survived Microsoft induced Virus mania to
tell me I need to pay Microsoft to suffer through the next Microsoft
induced wave of self inflicted issues (Spyware) is asking a bit much
frankly. Resist the urge from the bean counters to generate revenue
through fixing what you broke.

Provide the tool for free, educate your userbase, harden future OS and
browser releases, provide security and Spyware protection for non-XP
OS'es. Anything less and you're charging the public to seal your own fate.

 

[Geesh]

Oh give it a break. Microsoft is doing whatever they
can. The spyware is not created by Microsoft. It is
created by people that have too much time on their
hands. It is not possible to make a program bug free.
Windows is a HUGE program which may indeed have bugs but
it does take time to fix those bugs.

Tell me, why does Spysweeper and PestPatrol charge for
their spyware scanner? They didn't create the spyware.

Why does Norton and Mcafee and other viruses charge for
their service? They didn't create the viruses.

Microsoft also has the right here to charge for this side
service if they choose to. It would be nice if they at
least provide regular manual scanning as Ad-Aware does
for free while automatic protection is for a charge. (as
Ad-Aware's Professional and Plus version)

- Microsoft did not create the spyware. They are just in
the middle of this mess created by those that are
attaching software that is used by most people in the
world. Nobody has the time to attach a small program
that not that many people use so that is why Microsoft is
the target.

 

[Ron Chamberlin]

Hi Jerry,
At this time, there has been no announcement made in either direction as to
any cost associated with the program.

Ron Chamberlin
MS-MVP

 

[Snack]

Oh give it a break. Microsoft is doing whatever they
can.

ActiveX control on Windows 2K or 9x? Moving away from ActiveX? Securing
the OS? Changing subsystem instead of passing out weak band aids like
SP2 (disabling local scripting is a solution?) Windows 2000 was the
"most secure OS ever" according to Microsoft PR, it was ripped to shreds
with some of the worst security issues in the history of operating
systems. XP... here we go again.

The spyware is not created by Microsoft.

Microsoft is the only OS that is vulnerable, and the only OS being
exploited. Not because of market share but because of the inherent
weaknesses in systems they developed not for security and not for good
computing but to advertise as an advantage over competitors, ease of
use. Note: the competitors are chuckling as Microsoft is yet again being
forced to swim in it's own mire.

It is
created by people that have too much time on their
hands. It is not possible to make a program bug free.
Windows is a HUGE program which may indeed have bugs but
it does take time to fix those bugs.

The bugs in this case are features, features which have had known
massive security issues from day one. Managers win, developers loose.

Tell me, why does Spysweeper and PestPatrol charge for
their spyware scanner? They didn't create the spyware.

Because Microsoft security is a profit center.

Why does Norton and Mcafee and other viruses charge for
their service? They didn't create the viruses.

Because Microsoft security is a profit center.

Microsoft also has the right here to charge for this side
service if they choose to. It would be nice if they at
least provide regular manual scanning as Ad-Aware does
for free while automatic protection is for a charge. (as
Ad-Aware's Professional and Plus version).

I'll put a roof on your house and when it leaks due to faulty
workmanship (hey I didn't know it would snow *that* hard!) I'll require
you to buy a new house (XP) install all new shingles (free under
warranty, SP2) and then charge you to fix it when it still leaks.

- Microsoft did not create the spyware.

They merely created the infrastructure to support it.

They are just in
the middle of this mess created by those that are
attaching software that is used by most people in the
world. Nobody has the time to attach a small program
that not that many people use so that is why Microsoft is
the target.

Nonsense. Microsoft is not a victim in any sense. Apple, Sun, Linux even
if they were the worlds most popular OS they would not have the SPyware
issue because by design it won't happen. Simple fact, yet again
Microsofts "benefits" come back to haunt them. That is their
responsibility not mine.