When software works well it becomes invisible, and you can forget that you are using technology at all. An anti-virus application is a classic example, where it works without drawing attention to itself. At number seven in my list of the top ten most transparent software apps is AVG Anti Virus Free.
AVG Anti Virus Free is an anti-virus programme that is free for home use. The free application includes Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, and Safe Search facilities. Commercial licenses are also available. The business case is based upon the assumption that users will upgrade to commercial versions incorporating such facilities as spam protection, a firewall and anti-phishing technology not included in the basic free application.
There are many similar applications available from a large number of vendors, but most will charge for updating even the basic virus protection. AVG offers a reliable product that lives in the background of my computer and quietly gets on with its job so I can get on with mine. This is why it makes it into my list, through offering an easy route to protection.
AVG Anti Virus is a “fit and forget” application. One of its key features is its ability to update itself from the Internet to keep up with current threats, even in the free version. Provided that you have a reasonable broadband connection, this is not disruptive to your use of your computer. The full scan can take more of your processor and slows things down. Ideally, this should be scheduled for a time when you are not doing other tasks requiring heavy processing.
The AVG Anti Virus application integrates well with other applications, checking emails as they arrive to counter probably the most significant malware risk, rogue attachments, and web pages as they are identified by Google search.
Why no higher? The application works well and is probably as unobstrusive as any malware application can be. However, inevitably, it does slow down some tasks, and it will only ever prevent harm, it does not aid your creativity. It is insurance, necessary, but rarely glamorous.
AVG Anti Virus is the best free malware protection application I have encountered. It provides a level of protection which is more than adequate for my needs. It integrates well with other applications, and operates in the background most of the time. For this reason, it makes no7 in my list of top ten most transparent software apps.