Comments:

2. 

   • YoKenny on Mon 18 May 2009
   • 12:45:29 AM UTC

   Pre selected options

   First thing I noticed was the pre selected options of Yahoo search engine and Dealio Toolbar that I un-checked.

   Its quite impresive but I would not buy it as I have everything it provides in other free tools that I have.

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3. 

   • Athlonite on Mon 18 May 2009
   • 01:35:28 AM UTC

   Free tools !

   Hey YoKenny !!

   Thanks for taking the time to check it out . Yes , I unchecked them too. at least they don't install without your knowledge. I didn't read all of his review but, I will verify that Ashraf mentions it if he didn't already did.
   I wouldn't buy it either. At $60.00 bucks, it's a pretty stiff price for a utility but, since Ashraf went to the trouble of getting a license for all of his readers , I thought it fair to let you guys and gals know about this offer. It has so many features in one place that it seems only fitting to have only one app. to do what a couple of freebies might be able to do. Plus , it only uses 9MB of ram . All in all, I think I'm pretty much sold on this one.

   Athlonite.

   Your help is always needed.

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• 

  • BobJam (not verified) on Mon 18 May 2009
  • 08:29:14 AM UTC

  Review

  Athlonite: "it only uses 9MB of ram"

  From the review: "Uses more RAM then Windows Task Manager."

  Not necessarily disagreeing with your evaluation, but this does at a glance seem like a contradiction of sorts. Your take on this?

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• 

  • Athlonite on Mon 18 May 2009
  • 12:40:24 PM UTC

  Hey BobJam !

  First , it's NOT a trial version. Yes it uses more memory than MS Task Manager (3MB) but, does a whole lot more from the same place. I haven't really played with it yet as I have installed it yesterday. From what I can see it will monitor most of the relevant processes including the internet connection.

  If you give me the rest of the week to evaluate , I should be able to get down to the usefulness of this program. But, I have been searching for a free program that does what AnVir does . It is sort of a cross between WinPatrol and Task Manager. Let me take a closer look at it and I'll be able to tell you more about it.

  Athlonite.

  Your help is always needed.

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• 

  • BobJam (not verified) on Mon 18 May 2009
  • 12:56:18 PM UTC

  Confused

  Athlonite: "First , it's NOT a trial version"

  What does that have to do with my question?

  And, yes, by all means take all the time you want. Is not urgent . . . I'm just curious more than anything. Plus, you're a pretty tech savvy fellow, so I'd be interested to see your evaluation.

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4. 

   • MysteryFCM on Mon 18 May 2009
   • 08:05:24 AM UTC

   ...

   http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showt...
   http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1329...

   Regards
   Steven Burn
   Ur I.T. Mate Group / hpHosts
   it-mate.co.uk / hosts-file.net

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• 

  • YoKenny on Mon 18 May 2009
  • 09:04:17 AM UTC

  Thanks Steve

  Thanks Steve.

  After figuring out the plethora of stuff that application shows and a couple of applications it has no knowledge about I'm sure glad I did not hand over money for that application.

  I think that I will try the application for a while but right now I'm not impressed.

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• 

  • YoKenny on Mon 18 May 2009
  • 03:12:43 PM UTC

  Its history

  I see that System Explorer Version: 1.6 Beta 1 now includes Security ratings:
  Major Features:
  • Detailed informations about Tasks, Processes, Modules, Startups, IE Addons, Uninstallers, Windows, Services, Drivers, Connections and Opened Files.
  • Easy check of suspicious files via VirusTotal or Jotti service.
  • Easy search details about file/process via online databases.
  • Security Extension for automatic check of processes,modules and selected files.
  • "New Task..." dialog with integrated AutoSearch and AutoCompletion.
  • Action History for monitoring processes activities.
  • Performance graphs for monitoring usage of system resources in time.
  • System Snapshots for easy finding of system changes.
  • System Report builds rich text report containing major informations about your System.
  • Multilanguage and Plugins Support.
  • Can be used as Task Manager replacement.

  Requirements:
  OS: Windows XP or Windows Vista

  Licensing:
  SystemExplorer is FREE for personal and commercial use! http://systemexplorer.mistergroup.org

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• 

  • Athlonite on Mon 18 May 2009
  • 09:34:04 PM UTC

  It's a Beta .

  Have you tried that Beta and if so, what do you think of it's capabilities ?

  Athlonite

  Your help is always needed.

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• 

  • Athlonite on Mon 18 May 2009
  • 12:57:28 PM UTC

  Hi Steve !

  The program offered by Ashraf is not the Full version with the AV. It is the regular one which is only the monitoring program . It is NOT the trial or the Free version but, the Paid version . I saw the one you are referring to and this is not the same one. it is by the same co. but, this is their Task Manager with a more advanced startup manager.

  Lordpake has also posted to Wilderssecurity and has mentioned his liking for this program on the WOT scorecard .

  You might want to take a closer look at the program that I have posted and not the one you have mentioned in those links.

  Athlonite

  Your help is always needed.

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• 

  • MysteryFCM on Mon 18 May 2009
  • 05:16:20 PM UTC

  ...

  ... as I mentioned in the thread, I did take a look at the task manager aswell (though obviously couldn't test the "paid" version), and found it to have the same problems.

  I'll re-evaluate it when I get some free time.

  Regards
  Steven Burn
  Ur I.T. Mate Group / hpHosts
  it-mate.co.uk / hosts-file.net

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• 

  • Athlonite on Mon 18 May 2009
  • 09:26:19 PM UTC

  Hey Steve !!

  This is my point. YOU CAN evaluate the paid version through this offer. NOT the one with the AV but, the Task Manager with more startup options , It has obviously more than just a task manager with options . Yes, there might be Freebies that do more than the MS task manager but, I wasn't here to debate whether this is better than A or B.
  I was just making sure that whoever wanted to take advantage of this PAID FOR software with a License that you CAN re-use (unlike CiveAwayoftheDay). ,(Ashraf has mentioned this) , can take advantage of a good program for free.

  If you are not interested in this offer then, that's your prerogative. But , with so many threads started on various forums, this program has incited some good debates.

  PLZ try it out (with the free license) and give us (me) a true evaluation of THIS one.
  Don't forget , this is the latest version 5.6! not something from last year.

  Also, there might be some incompatibilities with other programs which I am not aware of. But, what I do know is that, it is working perfectly well with my configuration which consists of this :
  OS : Vista SP1 32bit
  Antivirus : Avira AntiVir V 8.2.0.348
  Antispyware : SUPERAntiSpyware (Lifetime. Real Time Shields)
  Software Firewall : PC Tools Firewall Plus
  Hardware Firewall : Router , SMC Networks
  Browser Protection : SpywareBlaster (Paid)
  OS Protection : WinPatrol Plus (Paid)
  On Demand : MalwareByte's Anti-Malware

  You can take it from here.

  Athlonite

  Your help is always needed.

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5. 

   • Steven Avery on Mon 18 May 2009
   • 04:27:56 PM UTC

   Anvir Task Manager - worth a spin

   Hi Folks,

   Just a few notes. Anvir is a decent and more company, you can find some good discussions at DonationCoder. Some folks consider it the best all purposed combined startup and process manager and a bit of this and that (including some security functions) with a sweet interface. Others find it a bit pricey and less fine or too diffuse..

   For straight task manager replacement (what comes up when you hit ctrl-alt-delete) I really like the very excellent DTaskManager (freeware) which is likely more stable and focused for a OpSys type task. (Where you don't want to be doing too many extra functions.) Anvir does many other functions, so that is not a knock on ATM.

   That being said, the software does use direct disk access, perhaps unnecessarily, that is something you might want to be aware of in your security mix. I am in the process of researching this myself, with a quiet thread at Wilders. And may check the Anvir threads and forum. Anvir has a mildly active tech support forum .. often a good indication of the sincerity of a company. I also saw a global hook request (noted from Online Armor) which I allowed (I allowed that and the disk access without a permanent ok). Also a firewall message about accessing DNS. Nonetheless I ended up with a BSOD about an invalid kernel something. However I believe this may be a momentary oddball incompatibility, it was the first and only BSOD on a recently reinstalled XP system, so as a one-time event possibly involving security softwares interfaces and compatibilities as well as the program itself -- it likely has only minor relevance (unless reported by a few others).

   Overall I like Anvir, whether it is the free version or the special mentioned above. They have a pretty dynamic product for freeware, even without the rental car upgrade to the higher model. When I discussed all the freeware startup manager programs on DonationCoder they were definitely one of the more interesting.

   Shalom,
   Steven Avery

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6. 

   • BobJam (not verified) on Tue 19 May 2009
   • 03:24:34 AM UTC

   Software overload

   While one of the criteria that a user can have is judging whether or not the title really ADDS to the computing experience, this is a very subjective arena. What one person thinks adds a lot (may be something like wallpaper graphics or a slick screensaver), another may think is a foolish frivolity that does nothing but consume resources and is useless eye candy. I say tomA . . . you say tomah . . . stuff.

   Another area that's often debated is the virtue of a title when it comes to reducing the number of clicks necessary to do a task. Lets say a user installs an add on because it will reduce by three clicks the number necessary to do a task. What we're actually talking about here is a few seconds shaved off the task. But what we're also talking about is more resources consumed and a longer start up time for the browser to load that add on. So you might be shaving a few seconds off one end while adding a few to the other end. At the end of the day time consumed for a task is a wash, and all you've added is another burden to resources and start up time.

   I got into this vicious circle myself when I started installing every slick add on that came down the pike. But pretty soon I realized that all I was doing was bogging down my system. Nowadays I resist the temptation to install a slick add on UNLESS I know I really need it, I'm going to use it everyday, and it's going to significantly improve my computing experience. That rules out a lot of add ons.

   Now everday use only applies to things like add ons. I don't use MBAM every day (the free version that only does on-demand scanning, not real time scanning), but I consider it necessary.

   The same thing happened to me with security apps. I downloaded every one that got a good review. But pretty soon I discovered that I was not only duplicating a lot of existing tools, but, like the add ons, I was putting a burden on my system for the sake of a few less clicks. Not a good tradeoff in my mind.

   Now if something improves things so significantly that it performs better than another app and can eliminate that app, then maybe it's worth it. But only if the addition of the app results in the subtraction of an app from the system . . . not just the fact that you no longer need to use it, but it has to come off your system..

   Though certain security apps, particularly antispyware apps, while at first glance are a duplication, on closer examination the virtue of having more than one may be the axiom that what one misses the other will find. That's why I do online virus scans now and then. Even though I have local virus protection, an online scan may detect something my local missed.

   Now whether Anvir fits any of my strict criteria, I don't know. But that's how I would evaluate it . . . would it just add a slick interface and a few less clicks, but software overload? Waddya' think, Athlonite?

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