PC-cillin Internet Security 2004

by Trend Micro, Inc.

Product Features

• Comprehensive virus detection and removal
• Enhanced network virus protection
• Integrated PDA virus protection; anti-spam filtering
• Multiple security profiles; privacy and spyware protection
• URL filtering and parental control; auto virus-pattern updates

Product Details

Data Sheet [620kb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002D0KX2
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 3, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,327 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #8 in Software > Business & Office > Communication > E-mail > Security & Filtering
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything as promised (...), July 11, 2004

By 

max h (closter, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PC-cillin Internet Security 2004 (CD-ROM)

Changed to PC cillin from Norton because of price/value and my old software's generally a complicated and difficult renewal process. In contrast, PC cillin was clear, easy and competitively priced. It was very easy to install PC-cillin just as advertised.

Everything works nicely including email filtering, antispam, automatic updates and etc. I remember reading a review saying that automatic update was not automatic. Not true. PCcillin update is automatic but you must set your preferences to auto.

The only con so far is that I would like having the firewall more obviously working with an indicator or something; That would be nice but is unnecessary.

After using this software for several weeks I am very happy with it and would choose it again.

I am writing this review because I have benefited from user reviews so much myself. As long as I am passing kudos, Amazon has been very good to work with and I have found they usually offer comparable or better prices for very reliable service and good followup if there is a problem. This is especially true when you factor in shipping (...).

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect but still the best, August 12, 2004

By 

Big Friendly Spider - See all my reviews

This review is from: PC-cillin Internet Security 2004 (CD-ROM)

Technical support answers your e-mails about 99% of the time, and usually pretty quickly. The firewall is very customizable, and there are many useful features like the option to automatically halt all Internet traffic when your computer encounters a network virus, to block your credit card numbers and other private information from being sent over the internet, etc.

The Customer Care service is pretty nifty, too and lets you get more spcialized help. Most importantly, Trend Micro updates the program very often, and informs you which new viruses you're immune to.

So why 4 stars? Well, it's the best (as of now), but it's not perfect. The technical support is always polite and respectful, but it's clear that some of the people who work there don't understand what they are talking about. In my experience, a couple of people there are plain lazy and don't give you a very helpful answer. It might take you a few e-mails to get a good answer if you're not lucky and you strike on one of the idiots there.

Also, the firewall is a pain for less technical people. If you don't know what DNS, SSH, what TCP protocol is, etc then you're going to have a helluva time getting the firewall just the way you want it. On the flip side, of course it's not impossible for laymen to figure out how to work it, but you're going to have to spend time on google, the "Help" file, and e-mailing Trend Micro on what the terms mean. In other words, you're going to have to put in some time. (Gasp!) (Or, if you're lazy, you could just leave the Firewall on its default settings, but it's not as strong that way.)

Last but not least, I took one star off of Trend Micro's rating in part because of its cruddy anti-Spyware scans. The reason I don't deduct more is because Norton & friends are even worse at getting spyware away from my computer. IF YOU WALK AWAY FROM MY REVIEW REMEMBERING ANYTHING, MAKE IT BE THIS: PC-Cillin, Norton, etc are mainly ANTI-VIRUS programs. Not spyware. Sure they'll kill off a few of the ones hitting your computer, but the vast majority will slip by. There is simply too much spyware out there for Trend Micro to research and protect against since they're so busy concentrating on viruses. If you want to keep both spyware and viruses completely off your computer, I recommend you download Ad-aware 6 (shareware, sort of) and Spybot (free) which have more comprehensive databases on spyware. Shredder also is pretty good, but the creator has sort of retired.

Miscellaneous notes: I believe this program won some awards in PC World or some other magazines. The anti-Spam algorithm usually works but needs some help still... It labeled my e-mail from comcast as "spam."

Conclusion: If you don't mind putting some time in, and you understand that that this program does not really protect you against spyware, then this program is probably a good choice for your anti-virus/firewall package.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lean mean fighting machine!!, October 9, 2004

By 

JanSobieski (United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PC-cillin Internet Security 2004 (CD-ROM)

I've gone the Norton and McAffee route for over 10 years the most recent of which have been with Norton's bloated memory busting System Works 2005. Since the 2003 version I have noticed a significant slowing of my computing but have been unable to identify the source.

I ran four different anti-spyware programs, I "cleansed" the system using all of Norton's utilities and still my computer was painfully slow hanging up on startup and shutdown. My problems grew progressively worse until I read somewhere that Norton might well be causing my problems.

At first I discounted this possibility out of hand - I mean, after all, this was a premier program that had been around for years! Surely, IT couldn't be the source of my problems. But out of frustration I took Norton off of my computer and VOILÀ my problems went away! I couldn't believe it. No more computer crashes, no more slovenly performance, no more hanging up on shutdown and interminable startup times.

I was then confronted with finding another program to supplant Norton. I searched Cnet and came up with PC-Cillin! This program works great. I does not degrade performance one iota! No hanging up on shutdown or interminable startup times. This program works silently in the background and is literally updated daily in 3 - 5 seconds. I couldn't possibly be more pleased.

For the life of me I cannot understand how a company as distinguished as Symantec could fritter away all their goodwill and reputation by putting out a program that is quite simply awful.

Do yourself a favor. Forget Norton and McAffee. PC-Cillin is incomparably better. My computer, for the first time in 18 months, works like it was brand new.