Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2008 is a nifty, yet solid piece of antivirus security software. Today’s consumers often rely on Trend Micro's dependable virus checks of their systems. Trend Micro products have proven to be consistent winners in the battle against viruses and spyware.
Introduction
I have always relied on software to do most of the work for me, so when it took just a short while to get acquainted with Trend Micro AntiVirus plus Anti-Spyware 2008, despite its quite stunning array of features, I was relieved. In fact, it wasn’t long before I was skipping through the program as though I’d owned it for years.
Running a virus check of my computer brought up no viruses (but then neither had Norton just before I removed it thirty minutes earlier). Antivirus security has always been important to me, having experienced firsthand the damage a virus can do to a system, so using Trend Micro AntiVirus plus Anti-Spyware was a breath of fresh air for me.
Options include allowing the Trend Micro virus check to run in the background, which means no interference with work--definitely a plus there. As I discuss later in this review, the information displayed in the user interface prior to running Trend Micro's internet security features is very comprehensive. [See image 1] I felt immediately that in Trend Micro AntiVirus plus Anti-Spyware I had downloaded something I could rely on--score a major point for peace of mind.
User Interface
Rating 
The user interface of Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware is easy on the eyes. [See image 1] Usually, antivirus security is known for being either too complicated or too easy, with features that correspond to the difficulty, but this software seems to fit exactly in between, offering the new user a chance to get acquainted quickly, while being educated too.
Product Features
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Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware offers much more than your average virus check:
• Outdated security alerts [See image 2]
• Informative updates advising what it is doing throughout [See image 3]
• Option to view threats resolved [See image 7]
As virus checks goes, Trend Micro's really is pretty intensive, letting the consumer know what's happening (if they want to know) along the way. Other features of this antivirus security whiz include settings that let you specify on which areas of your PC you want the software to run a Trend virus check--a nice feature if there are areas of your PC you don't feel it is necessary to scan.
Security & Privacy
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Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware didn’t discover any viruses on my PC, but then neither did Norton when I ran a scan before removing it thirty minutes earlier. It did find a fair number of threats, but removed them, calling the PC protected thereafter. [See image 7] As antivirus security software goes, AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware is uninvasive and secure.
Performance
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Throughout installation, setup, and configuration Trend Micro Antivirus plus AntiSpyware performed excellently, given that it used a fair bit of resources to begin with. For antivirus security software, I found it did perform very satisfactorily and would recommend its use.
Price to Value
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Based on my use of the software so far, Trend Micro AntiVirus plus Anti-Spyware is worth every penny. $39.95 for a product that completely protects the PC in a background manner with little to no interference is superb. This is good antivirus security--definitely worth the purchase.
Installation & Setup
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Tested on Windows Vista 32-bit with 1 GB of RAM, this program is fairly heavy on PC usage during installation. But once you’ve removed your old antivirus security, installation is swift. Two restarts during installation and setup were a tad tedious, but it ran smoothly, and so far there have been no problems whatsoever. Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware is configured for Windows Vista, but obviously is compatible with XP.
Help & Support
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Help and support is good for this formidable piece of internet security. [See image 10] However, the price of the phone call is off-putting--but at least they offer it as an option.
Images
Suggested Features
My only suggestion would be for cheaper support phone calls.
Conclusion
Trend Micro AntiVirus plus Anti-Spyware 2008 is a formidable piece of antivirus security software, and I feel confident trusting it to manage my PC's security. I found no bugs during use, and the program was simple to use, as well as educational. Trend Micro AntiVirus plus Anti-Spyware is well worth trying.
Related Products
Anti-Spyware, Internet Security 2008, Internet Security Pro