I hate to be the pessimist in the group, but if I understood the press release, this is an MS-sponsered "freebie". Can we trust this offer?
I've decided I don't trust it. You can't view the "offer" unless you accept their cookies. I don't know about e-Trust, but that's something MS does on a daily basis. I have a feeling my current firewall, Kerio, wouldn't like it either.
I have been using Computer Associate's products going on about 5 years now, no complaints on my side, they do a tremendous job…
Each person will have thier own opinion though…
First, great site, Coyote. Anyway. I don't know anything about CA products, and do not want anyone to think I'm speaking badly of them. I just don't trust anything that MS makes, sells, or "backs-up". Better paranoid than sorry, right?
So far most of what M$ has offered as free has ended in disaster. MSNM, Media Player etc., so I too feel a little apprehensive about it. But may the fates be with those who choose it.
Microsoft has been dogged by security breaches forever. With governemts tightening up on spam and with users getting more knowledgeable and suspicious, it makes sense for MS to do this sort of thing.
It's a long term investment. It's called keeping the customer satisfied.
Well, it can't be any worse than the McAfee Internet Security 6 that I just paid mucho bux for. <_< That thing is a real bug farm, for sure!
Computer Associates has had a good reputation (AFAIK) for a long time, and some of the best things M$ has done in the past (like putting third-party features that really WORKED WELL in their old DOS 5) have come from outside Redmond,WA. Maybe they're doing that again (I hope).
At any rate, I just sent for it. Then, I read in this thread that this is the same package that's being included in the CD they were offering (and that I ordered about a month ago). So, I guess I'll have one for my daughter.
This also looks like the same package Roadrunner is offering to all their customers. If it's a come-on, there will be a lot of people coming on, I'll bet.
Good luck to us all.
For anyone that's interested;
JUST IN CASE ANYONE SHOULD RIDE UP ON AN AARDVARK AND ASK YOU,
The version offered by Microsoft is DIFFERENT from the one that's being offered by Roadrunner to their customers. I don't know what the differences are, but the one from M$ is about 2 MB bigger! Even by today's bloatware standards, that will hold quite a bit of code… Now, I wonder how those sizes (9.2 MB and 11.2 MB, respectively) compare to what's coming out on the CD set from M$.
It's a bit curious, that's all.
Computer Associates has had a good reputation (AFAIK) for a long time, and some of the best things M$ has done in the past (like putting third-party features that really WORKED WELL in their old DOS 5) have come from outside Redmond,WA. Maybe they're doing that again (I hope).
At any rate, I just sent for it. Then, I read in this thread that this is the same package that's being included in the CD they were offering (and that I ordered about a month ago). So, I guess I'll have one for my daughter. 
This also looks like the same package Roadrunner is offering to all their customers. If it's a come-on, there will be a lot of people coming on, I'll bet. 
Good luck to us all.
Now, I wonder how those sizes (9.2 MB and 11.2 MB, respectively) compare to what's coming out on the CD set from M$.
It's a bit curious, that's all.