Tech

How Much Can You Really Trust a Review When It Comes to Antivirus Programs?

posted by Chris Valentine

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People now live nearly their entire lives online. One of the consequences of this is that consumers have started to find products and services in different ways, mainly through online reviews. In fact, it is now known that people trust an online review as much as what they do a recommendation from a close friend. As a result of this, product and service developers look for those who want to review their offerings. This is why it is so easy to find antivirus reviews, for instance. Unfortunately, the problem then becomes that you have to question how much you can trust a review that you read.

The Problem with Reviews

Products and services, including antivirus scanners, can be reviewed in different ways and for different reasons. For instance, some people may only review an element of the entire program, such as the free version or its ability to continue to run your system smoothly. There are those who leave a genuine review because they are so happy or unhappy with something that they want to tell the world, and there are those who sign up for affiliate accounts and don’t use the program at all, simply positively reviewing it in an effort to get more people to purchase the program.

Any computer that does not have antivirus software installed is likely to be infected. It is vital, therefore, that you do read reviews and install something on your computer. Unfortunately, this is also where you are likely to find yourself disappointed with what you have installed, finding that your experience is very different from the one that the review said you would have.

It is very difficult, therefore, to find a review that you know you can trust. Even with genuine reviews, different people have different needs, which means you are likely to come across polar opposite opinions on the same product. So how do you know whether or not you should choose an application?

How to Read Antivirus Reviews

Unfortunately, it is not going to be as easy as asking a question of whether or not a virus scanner is good, and receiving a simple yes or no answer. You will need to read a lot of the information that is out there and come to a conclusion yourself. The best way to achieve this is to find a full and positive review, and then investigate the comments added to it. There being conflict in those comments is not so much a problem. Rather, if you find that someone disagrees with the recommendation in the review itself, you need to learn whether they have the same needs as you. If they do, then it is likely that their opinion is applicable to you as well.

Unfortunately, finding a virus scanner is a significant piece of work, and one that will take you some time. It is also something that you absolutely must do, if you don’t want your device to break and your information to be stolen. On the positive side, you should only have to do this once.

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