Microsoft, as has been made clear through the endless “wow” marketing campaign intends to make Vista secure, or at least, more secure. Microsoft has taken measure to limit access to the kernel and to tighten the requirements for up-to-date software on for your version of Vista. Symantec, makers of the Norton collection of security packages naturally complains, citing a conflict of interest.

John Thompson, CEO of Symantec likened Microsoft’s not-so-renewed commitment to security to a book keeper being responsible for its own audits. My primary issue with this analogy would be that an audit is there to ensure good bookkeeping, which we know Windows does (devices I plug in work and software I install runs, for the most part). An audit will also detect fradulent input by employees who stole into the bookkeeper’s filing cabinet and falsified the records. This however, should principally be the domain of a responsible book keeper. Just as system security, or at least integrity monitoring should be the domain of a responsible operating system.

Symantec is getting pissy because they have no product’s to offer save those that plug holes in the Windows operating system. Holes Microsoft is sagely going about sealing up itself. My advice to Symantec, research some new markets and start coding

For the record, I am no Windowphile. I cut my teeth on Macintosh and campaigned to keep my household free of the Microsoft contagion as a youth - and with notable success. I wouldn’t trust Windows with anything but the most primitive PC tasks and the ability to run Direct X drivers to play my PC games of choice.

I am, however, no fan of opportunistic business models and company’s that rely on them campaigning to keep them alive to the contravention of the interests of the consumer.

I had the full Norton suite installed on my machine for 34 days, I was absolutely sick of it in two days and decided to give it a chance for a remaining thirty-two. The software hobbled the day-to-day operation of my system in a way not even the most devastating malware has done on any system I have used - and I didn’t have to pay a subscription fee for the privilege either. Moreover, on all three of my PCs I have received a grand total of 4 malware programs all of which were treated within minutes of reading some documentation on ridding my system of the problem. This same documentation was typically annotated with various mentions of how Norton could not rid any system of such problems or that I must disable norton in order to treat the problem.

Suffice it to say I’m in favour of any motion that forces Symantec to deliver a product that doesn’t capitalize on consumers who don’t understand technology and annoys the rest of us who do.

Posted by Jeremy on Tuesday, February 6th, 2007 at 11:18 pm.