AVG is one of the best free antivirus solutions available today. It is very popular and every months, millions of people across the globe download AVG.
The latest version of AVG i.e. version 8.5 features several improvements. It comes with a brand-new user interface that is very intuitive even to the normal user. This version is a complete re-write of the earlier versions and comes with AVG Antispyware and Antirootkit components as well.
Installation:
AVG 8.5 is very easy to install. The installation procedure is very straight forward. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection, it may take sometime to download and install updates.
Configuration:
After installation, AVG requires very little manual configuration. It runs “out-of-the-box”. However, power users can configure it using advanced options. However, in the usual case no tuning and tweaking is necessary.
User Interface:
AVG 8.5 comes with an interface that is clean and intuitive. All the options that are required to ensure security to your computer are easily accessible with the click of the mice button.
Resource usage:
AVG has always been known for its low resource usage. The latest version follows the same trend and is very light on system resources. If your computer has a multi-core processor, AVG will make optimum use of it and deliver faster scanning.
Updates:
AVG updates its virus signatures once in every four hours. However, depending on your requirements, it is possible to change the interval between updates. Information about updates is available on the main menu and also in the updates section.
Additional features:
AVG features a virus scanner, anti-rootkit scanner, antispyware, email scanner and realtime on-access ResidentShield. Additionally, AVG also comes with a browser plugin that provides information about the links while surfing the net. AVG 8 comes with a feature known as Web Shield. This is a stripped down firewall application that scans the ports of your computer and prevent virus, worms, etc. from attacking your system.
AVG 8.5 also detects and blocks malware that spread though instant-messenger clients like ICQ and MSN Messenger.
Customer support:
AVG provides customer support via email and phone. Additionally, the official website of AVG contains exhaustive information on various issues that the users may have to face while using AVG. The software also comes with a well-written help file.
To conclude, AVG 8.5 is a good antivirus software. This version is an improvement over the previous versions. However, it still suffers from some of the problems that the earlier versions had. The scanning engine is not so strong when compared to other market leaders such as Kaspersky. Additionally, it is also observed to slow the system down on some occasions. That said, AVG 8.5 is a superb antivirus solution.