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<DIV><FONT size=2>Jim</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I don't know the answer to Your questiuon.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>However I did find this review from ZDNET. The </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>firewall is part </FONT><FONT size=2>of their AntiVirus
Program</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Dave</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>================================</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>from: </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.zdnet.com/supercenter/stories/review/0,12070,563560,00.html">http://www.zdnet.com/supercenter/stories/review/0,12070,563560,00.html</A></FONT></P>
<P><STRONG>Panda Software Antivirus Platinum 7.0</STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=1>December 4, 2002</FONT></STRONG>
</P>
<P><!-- rating -->
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<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=8></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=120></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=26></TD>
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<TD class=m1 colSpan=2><B>Editors' Rating</B></TD>
<TD class=m1 align=right><B>7.0</B></TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=center bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=10
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD colSpan=3><IMG height=5
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/products/i/dots156.gif"
width=156></TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=top bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=10
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD class=m1 colSpan=2>Service and support</TD>
<TD class=m1 align=right>6</TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=center bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=10
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD colSpan=3><IMG height=5
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/products/i/dots156.gif"
width=156></TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=top bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=10
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD class=m1 colSpan=2>Performance</TD>
<TD class=m1 align=right>7</TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=center bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=10
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD colSpan=3><IMG height=5
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/products/i/dots156.gif"
width=156></TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=top bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=10
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD class=m1 colSpan=2>Interface and ease of use</TD>
<TD class=m1 align=right>8</TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=center bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=10
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD colSpan=3><IMG height=5
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/products/i/dots156.gif"
width=156></TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=top bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=10
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD class=m1 colSpan=2>Installation and interface</TD>
<TD class=m1 align=right>7</TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=center bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=10
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<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD colSpan=3><IMG height=5
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/products/i/dots156.gif"
width=156></TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=top bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=10
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD align=left><IMG height=10
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/techupdate/i/arrow_blue.gif"
width=8></TD>
<TD class=m1 colSpan=2><A class=nd
href="http://www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0,4161,2829047,00.html"
target=_blank>How we score</A></TD>
<TD><IMG height=10 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=top bgColor=#efefef>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=5
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD colSpan=3><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD>
<TD><IMG height=1 src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=6></TD>
<TD bgColor=#828a92><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif" width=1></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD bgColor=#828a92 colSpan=7><IMG height=1
src="mhtml:mid://00000297/!http://www.zdnet.com/b.gif"
width=1></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- /rating --><SPAN class=m2>
<P><!-- p1 -->With familiar drop-down menus, helpful wizards, and a Web-like
Home screen, Panda Antivirus Platinum 7.0 is sure to please antivirus beginners.
Like its competitors, Panda scans incoming and outgoing mail for viruses,
prevents malicious Visual Basic and JavaScript files from running amok, and
updates its virus definitions via the Internet. Version 7.0 also features a
personal firewall to prevent Internet interlopers from accessing your computer,
a tool found in <A
href="http://www.zdnet.com/supercenter/stories/overview/0,12069,562189,00.html">McAfee
VirusScan 7.0</A> but not <A
href="http://www.zdnet.com/supercenter/stories/overview/0,12069,562154,00.html">Norton
AntiVirus 2003</A>. Yet, Panda falls short on its virus-detection skills and
telephone technical support, and it's more expensive than its competitors.
Nevertheless, current Platinum 6.0 users will want to upgrade for the improved
interface and new firewall, but everyone else should opt for either McAfee or
Norton.<!-- /p1 --></P>
<P><B>Installation and interface</B><BR>Panda Antivirus is easy to install,
whether you use the installation CD-ROM or download the program. We chose the
latter route and transferred the 29MB setup file to our test PC in minutes.
Setup involves little effort from you; when it's up and running, Panda loads a
mini icon in the Windows System Tray.</P>
<P>Oddly, during setup, Panda scans only your system memory for viruses--not
your hard drive. By comparison, both Norton and McAfee automatically scan both
the memory and hard drives. Like its competitors, though, Panda does conduct a
full system scan immediately following setup. In our test, the scan took 26
minutes, performance that's on a par with initial scans by Norton and
McAfee.</P>
<P>Panda automatically installs and configures its built-in firewall but also
allows you to disable the firewall if you choose. Like McAfee's firewall (Norton
doesn't include one), Panda creates a list of installed programs that require
Internet access and doesn't attempt to block them thereafter. Surprisingly, in
our test, Panda failed to include America Online in this list of programs.
However, it's easy to correct such an oversight, using a pop-up menu that
appears whenever Panda first denies a program access to the Net.</P>
<P>Panda's redesigned interface makes it a breeze to change default settings. To
change the mail-protection settings, for instance, simply click the Panda icon
and check the appropriate boxes on the subsequent screens. It's also just as
easy to schedule scans by following the Scan Wizard's step-by-step instructions.
</P>
<P><B>Feature set</B><BR>Once Panda detects a virus, it eradicates the viral
intruder without pestering you. Norton works the same way, whereas McAfee seeks
your consent before taking action. We prefer the automated method, so Panda gets
high marks in this category. As with Norton and McAfee, Panda allows you to
reconfigure its detection settings to block, delete, clean, or quarantine
infected files. </P>
<P>Panda's e-mail scanner works with SMTP and POP3 clients--but not AOL--which
means that it scans incoming and outgoing mail for rogue code in most popular
e-mail programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, and Eudora. Panda's
on-demand scanning feature also examines e-mail folders, like McAfee and Norton.
</P>
<P>Panda loads with Windows and runs in the background, monitoring downloads and
files as they're opened. It automatically downloads viral signatures without
your input but always posts a screen detailing its activities. Like McAfee,
Panda scans ZIP files as they're downloading to your PC, but you have to change
the default settings to activate this feature. </P>
<P><B>Performance</B><BR>In ZDNet Labs' performance tests, Panda Antivirus
Platinum 7.0 is comparable to Norton in <I>scanning speed</I> , the amount
of time it takes to search your PC for viruses, yet it takes a significant toll
on overall PC performance, more so than either McAfee or Norton. To measure
Panda Antivirus Platinum 7.0's impact on system performance, ZDNet Labs used
BAPCo's SysMark2002, an industry-standard benchmark. The Internet Content
Creation portion of SysMark measures a desktop's performance running
off-the-shelf applications, such as Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Windows Media
Encoder, and Macromedia Dreamweaver. (We did not run the Office Productivity
portion of the benchmark because it incorporates McAfee VirusScan 5.13.) </P>
<P>Our test system was a Compaq Evo W4000 running Windows XP Professional with
an Intel P4 2.4GHz processor and 512MB of DDR RAM. With Panda Antivirus Platinum
7.0 running, our test system scored a dismal 81--a 19 percent reduction in
overall system speed. In comparison, McAfee VirusScan 7.0 scored a 97, only a 3
percent reduction in system speed, and Norton AntiVirus 2003 scored a 95, or a 5
percent reduction. (An Internet Content Creation score of 100 represents the
performance of our test system without any extraneous software running.) In a
test of scanning speed, Panda's 3.1 minutes tied with NAV 2003's time, while
VirusScan 7.0 remains our speed champ at 1.7 minutes. </P>
<P>Unfortunately, Panda's virus-blocking performance is a mixed bag. To
determine whether the program effectively blocks viruses, we examined its past
performance in tests conducted by independent antivirus-testing laboratories. In
the latest Virus Bulletin tests, Panda earned the coveted VB 100 percent rating
only once in its four most recent attempts, having failed three of the Windows
tests. By comparison, Norton AntiVirus won all of its tests, and McAfee
VirusScan won its only test during that same period. </P>
<P>However, Panda performed as well as Norton and better than McAfee in live
virus tests conducted by German <A href="http://www.av-test.org/"
target=_blank>AV-Test.org</A>. Previous versions of Panda have also been
certified by the independent antivirus-testing laboratories at West Coast
Checkmark (<A href="http://www.check-mark.com/checkmark/products.html"
target=_blank>Web site</A>) and ICSA Labs (<A
href="http://www.icsalabs.com/html/communities/antivirus/certification/certprod.shtml"
target=_blank>Web site</A>). </P>
<P><B>Technical support</B><BR>Hopefully, your method of choice for product help
will be either via Web or e-mail because Panda doesn't offer phone support--not
even for a fee. Norton and McAfee offer phone support, though it's expensive in
both cases. Panda tech support answered our e-mail queries within 24 hours, on a
par with the response time from the competition. We particularly liked Panda's
support wizard, which steps you through the process of creating a tech query.
The program's help section includes a handy FAQ, as well as direct links to
Panda's support site.</P>
<P>Panda Antivirus Platinum 7.0 is a fine virus killer with a clean,
uncomplicated interface. It's a good choice for users upgrading from version
6.0, although the $59.95 upgrade price is steep, and upgrades from earlier
versions cost $69.95--the same price paid by new customers. However, if you want
to keep the antivirus signature files up-to-date, they'll cost anywhere from $7
per month to $108 dollars for 36 months of coverage. Ouch! If you're new to
antivirus software, you're better off buying Norton AntiVirus 2003 or McAfee
VirusScan 7.0, both of which offer slightly superior scanning tools and better
support options. </P>
<P></SPAN><SPAN class=m2>- by Jeff Bertolucci</SPAN><BR></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </P></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=accessd@shaw.ca href="mailto:accessd@shaw.ca">Jim Lawrence
(AccessD)</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=accessd@databaseadvisors.com
href="mailto:accessd@databaseadvisors.com">accessd@databaseadvisors.com</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, June 09, 2003 4:21 AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: [AccessD] OT Free Firewall
for those in USA</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Hi Martin:<BR><BR>Is this software any good? Is it better than
ZoneAlarm? <BR><BR>Just a couple of questions.<BR>Jim<BR><BR>-----Original
Message-----<BR>From: <A
href="mailto:accessd-bounces@databaseadvisors.com">accessd-bounces@databaseadvisors.com</A><BR>[mailto:accessd-bounces@databaseadvisors.com]On
Behalf Of Martin Reid<BR>Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 11:43 AM<BR>To: <A
href="mailto:accessd@databaseadvisors.com">accessd@databaseadvisors.com</A><BR>Subject:
[AccessD] OT Free Firewall for those in USA<BR><BR><BR><A
href="http://www.w2knews.com/panda/download.cfm?ref=W2K0609">http://www.w2knews.com/panda/download.cfm?ref=W2K0609</A><BR><BR><BR>Martin<BR>_______________________________________________<BR>AccessD
mailing list<BR><A
href="mailto:AccessD@databaseadvisors.com">AccessD@databaseadvisors.com</A><BR><A
href="http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd">http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd</A><BR>Website:
<A
href="http://www.databaseadvisors.com">http://www.databaseadvisors.com</A><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>AccessD
mailing list<BR><A
href="mailto:AccessD@databaseadvisors.com">AccessD@databaseadvisors.com</A><BR><A
href="http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd">http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd</A><BR>Website:
<A
href="http://www.databaseadvisors.com">http://www.databaseadvisors.com</A><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>