John, Thanks for the input. MSE is being used by several on the list, myself included. I've been using it on my home network of 3 computers for the last few months with great success. Thanks again for sharing your results
Al -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]on Behalf Of JOHN JUSTICE Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 6:44 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Blind-Computing] ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAMS, A RECOMMENDATION I believe someone may have already mentioned this particular program but just in case, I have been road testing Microsoft Security Essentials and I find it quite navigable as well as quite effective in blocking undesirable programs. There are some on this list who will automatically discount any program if it was produced by Microsoft. Although opinions are like mothers: Everyone had one at one time or another, I believe it to be counterproductive to ignore or discount anything produced by the world's largest software manufacturer just because it was made by them. That's like saying all cookies made by Nabisco are terrible because you don't like their Oreos. I'll agree that Microsoft has come up with some seriously bad ideas in their day but in every case that I'm aware of, they have worked hard to resolve their mistakes and are still doing so. I have no reason for recommending Microsoft's Security Essentials other than the fact that it was based on Windows Live One Care, a truly excellent suite of protection tools. Unlike many other anti-virus programs, there is no part of Security Essentials that isn't accessible to screen readers. It's straight forward and does exactly what it says it will do without hogging RAM or making a general nuisance of itself. The program is quite capable of customization and doesn't use up an unusual amount of static memory. Now, you may need a little help in getting it downloaded for the first time since the web site has an image based link which Jaws cannot read. I haven't tried it with any alternative screen reader yet. Some of the Open Code ones might have better luck at finding that link. But once you have the program, installing it is quite easy. Like most good anti-virus programs, the first thing it does is scan your computer and update itself with the most current definitions. It's relatively new as far as protection suites go, but it is using definitions which have been developed by Live One Care and Defender. Those programs have been in existence for much longer. At this time, Microsoft is offering Security Essentials free of charge. I'm sure that it won't stay that way for long, though. So, from the standpoint of ease of operation, variety of features and ability to navigate, I can recommend Microsoft Security Essentials as a good choice for visually impaired computer users. John Justice PERSONAL E-MAIL: [email protected] For answers to frequently asked questions about this list visit: http://www.jaws-users.com/help/ For answers to frequently asked questions about this list visit: http://www.jaws-users.com/help/
