Not Close Enough: Prevx EDGE 3.0 Review
Overview
Prevx Edge 3.0 is “cutting edge realtime protection and behaviour monitoring which shields you from all forms of malicious threat.” While not only scanning files for threats with common methods, Prevx Edge can also scan a file and verify the results with a call to Prevx’s servers. This happens in real-time, avoiding user interaction for manual overrides by checking and building a centralized database of files and their threat status. This “cutting edge” stance towards threat detection is somewhat ruined by shortcomings in the overall package.
The Good
Prevx Edge 3.0 fires up after a very clean, easy installation process with an interface that most users will find easy to navigate. Novice users will be able to easily scan their machine, browse directly to support’s contact page and see how much time is left on their license. You can check for updates without the annoying diagnostic windows that some products launch. Editing the scanning schedule is a breeze. The simplicity of getting the product installed and giving end users the information they care about in a fast, efficient manner makes the software package very appealing.
The Bad
The Prevx Status Screen, which can be launched by double-clicking the Prevx icon in the toolbar, has multiple “settings” options for advanced settings that can be confusing. There are two settings icons named “Tools and Settings” and “Edge Settings,” and some of the same configuration options appear in both menus. It appeared that I was managing two separate pieces of the software while this was not the case. One area has an option to disable the Prevx tray icon, the other the option to disable the splash page. Prevx needs to do us advanced users a favor and combine the two options into a combined, easier to manage menu.
I installed Prevx on my laptop computer. I’m connect to the Internet wirelessly in almost all situations these days, and Prevx barks anytime I boot my machine without a network connection. I am told that updates were not available and I’m forced to click to cancel, stalling the rest of my boot process until I manually intervene. The only way I found to circumvent this dialog box was to disable automatic updates. If there is a way to stop searching for updates during boot, it’s not obvious.
The Ugly
Particularly troubling was the fact that the “Enable Self Protection” option is disabled by default. “Self protection” is a variety of methods that most security software packages run to ensure that they’re not disabled by threats. Disabling this feature by default is a huge minus considering some malware contain means to disable security products, often viciously. One person commented in a forum that self protection is disabled by default to avoid conflicts with other security products that may already be installed, but the risks involved in doing so outweigh the fact that two legimitate software packages will fight with each other. This is also very important because some users don’t purchase or download a solution like Prevx Edge 3.0 until after they’ve been infected. Without self protection, a threat can disable the new installation long before any scanning can be performed.
Interface (4 out of 5)
Clean, impressive interface when compared to similar products. Combining the advanced settings into an easier to use menu would easily place this at the five star mark.
Performance (5 out of 5)
Scanning is quick and efficient. I noticed zero impact on my laptop during scanning with Outlook, Photoshop, Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox open simultaneously. Effectiveness of the product will only be determined over time and will be gauged by feedback from a variety of users.
Value (2 out of 5)
With key security features disabled by default, hiccups in the end user experience and a reputation that has yet to be determined, this product is not an ideal choice. With a wide variety of similar products at competitive prices, it’s safe to say that a better solution can be found for Prevx Edge 3.0’s $29.95 retail price.
More Reviews!
Would you like to read more reviews? Look around Bright Hub and you’ll find reviews of numerous other anti-virus and security solutions including ioSafe Solo, Norton Internet Security, Kaspersky Internet Security, ESET Smart Security, McAfee Total Protection, Blink Professional and ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite.
