Free antivirus Avast gets new look, features Video

Free antivirus Avast gets new look, features Video Transcript

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>> [Seth Rosenblatt:] Avast has a hundred million users and has partnered with nothing less than corporate bad-boy browser Google Chrome for distribution. Avast is a security suite primarily popular with those in the know, but thanks to a serious overhaul, it appears poised for major consumer attention. Hi, I'm Seth Rosenblatt for download.com, and in this first-look video, I'm going to show you what's new and improved in Avast 5. High-profile new features include the exposure of the real-time shields that their program offers, the silent and gaming mode, and the leveraged user feedback on threats. But the biggest change in Avast 5 won't be apparent to new users. The interface is brand spanking new. If you've never seen Avast before, the only thing that will stand out is that it's easy to use. A series of sensibly labeled tabs on the left lets you access the program's major functions while settings and tables are available on the top right. The summary tab has quick links to your current status and a graph of security statistics. The scan computer tab is where you'll find buttons for initiating scans and adjusting scan settings, including quick and full scans, removable media such as USB keys, individual folder scan settings and the Windows Explorer contacts menu scans. The scan settings are quite in-depth, and clicking on the settings for each one will reveal multiple options. The boot scan option doesn't need to run at every boot-up, but Avast makes it easy to configure one through a scan sub-option. Scan logs are also easy to access here. Under the real-time shields tab you can configure the multiple guards that protect your computer on the fly. Expert settings open in a new window, and tasks are labeled without pretentions. There's no special names for basic functions here, except for "packers," which really should just be called "archives." A series of sensibly labeled tabs on the left lets you access the program's major functions, while settings and help are available on the top right. But it's hard to claim that the new interface is anything but exceedingly professional compared to the amateurish Juke Box default UI from version 4. These interface foibles are nothing more than that, though. Avast 5 is accessible to newbies, but more than configurable for advanced users. Look at all these settings. The raw data exposure is kind of nuts too, with the program offering an OCD lover's level of security graphs for math types to obsess on for a few days. All of this is well and good but utterly useless without independent efficacy scores. Thankfully, Avast scores highly in that department as well with a strong showing by the last version in many tests and high expectations for this new version based on beta performance. A lack of pop-ups keeps security noise to a minimum, and overall we feel that Avast 5 is currently the best, free antivirus on the market. For CNET download.com, I'm Seth Rosenblatt with a first look at Avast 5. ^M00:02:53 [ MUSIC ]