Customer Reviews

Trend Smart Surfing for Mac

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Chinese strategist Sun-tzu's practice of keeping friends close and enemies closer continues to be fine practice in business and the boardroom. However, when unknown outsiders are launching spyware, viruses and Trojan horses my way, I prefer the Great Wall approach.

Certainly, as a longtime computer user who tries my best to keep up with computer news and trends, I tend to recognize phishing attempts and sketchy domains and hyperlink/URL tricks. I've run Macs for work and pleasure almost exclusively since the late `80s, and while I love many things about the Mac universe, the relative lack of choice of streamlined protective applications has left me a bit unsettled in recent times.

While I operate behind firewalls as often as I can, that's not always practical. And while I practice safe computing to the best of my ability on the road, including disposable e-mail addresses and single-use credit card numbers, I have cast an envious eye on the arsenals my PC friends have available, both freeware and retail.

Thus, I was glad to see Trend Micro enter the Mac arena in mid-April with its Smart Surfing for Mac program Trend Smart Surfing for Mac. I've been using the freeware version of iAntiVirus and was eager to compare the offerings of these two different suppliers. (I've had mixed experiences with other products.)

TARGET CUSTOMERS
This program seems well-suited to users of a range of computer experience and comfort level. Old hands will appreciate the transparency of settings, while those who are newer to computing and self-support will find Smart Surfing pretty self-explanatory. In my personal life, having had to troubleshoot problems for a college kid thousands of miles away, having had this program on that notebook would have reduced her tears and frustration and greatly streamlined the process.

THE GOOD
Smart Surfing for Mac is simple to install and use out of the box. Installation and running the updater took less than 5 minutes. Modifying the factory settings to my taste took another 5 minutes, and they're easily re-tweaked. Layout is clear and logical, and it's easy to revert to factory settings if one has second thoughts. Menus enable users to set the intensity of threat-protection (novice users may want to boost this); a website filter provides virtual oversight of children's computer use based on specific parameters and the ability to block web sites or behaviors; and users can direct the program to scan a specific location, such as an external drive.

Most interesting and important to me was the ability to enable updates of the application and to choose how frequently and thoroughly I wanted scans to be run. You're able to schedule scans to run automatically on a daily basis or less frequently, and to choose a start time, so you can avoid periods of high use on your computer(s). To test impact, I ran complete scans while actively using other applications. I didn't notice an impact on other applications' responsiveness but did encounter a bit more slowness than my usual experience in the loading of some graphics-intensive websites, which I specifically visited because they tend to load slowly most of the time.

Also useful is the ability to direct what is to be done with suspect files. Experienced users may want to customize Smart Surfing's response to perceived threats. I chose to have the program first try to clean the suspected item, and if that didn't work, to next quarantine it. Past experience with other programs has taught me to look at what a program is objecting to before letting it wipe the file.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD
Certain programs are territorial, not wanting similar programs to be running while they are. Smart Surfing takes this a step further -- its install won't proceed if you have a similar program on your hard drive, even if it's not running. While I understand why you don't want to have two such programs running at the same time, it's been shown in the online world that your best protection comes from having some overlap.

THE PUZZLING
Before uninstalling my antivirus freeware, I had it run a complete scan. It ran through more than 608,000 items, by its count. Smart Surfing identified only about 500,000 items to review. I suspected the large difference was based on how iAntiVirus and Smart Surfing "count" items but didn't want to assume. I've received confirmation from Trend Micro's product team that indeed the count varies based on how a program counts items: "Our `full scan' feature does indeed scan through every file on the system, but with regards to the differences in the total count of files, we attribute this to differences in the way in which files & objects are counted." I decided to provide this degree of detail to anticipate questions future users may have, and as an indication of the company's responsiveness.

THE VERDICT
This program is available as a 30-day trial so you can try it before picking up a year's subscription. If you've got teenagers or older relatives who aren't as savvy as they could be about Internet risks, this is a gift of kindness. And if, like me, life often takes you beyond the firewall, this program is nimbler than earlier competitors' pay-for-use offerings. The fact that Trend Micro's been in this business for two decades and has a suite of by-subscription products would indicate it invests the necessary resources to keep a weather eye out for the fire-tipped arrows that may be aimed at its users.

UPDATE, July 2009: At the risk of making this even longer, I wanted to note that this program is still going strong for me. By using the blocking element of it, I've finally successfully gotten rid of popups that several of my favorite newspaper sites insist on using ... popups that BTW have snuck past the popup blocker option provided by the two browsers I use most often.

I've read all the reviews of this Trend Smart Surfing for the Mac and can see both sides. Some people don't think the program is necessary, other think the more protection the better. I think I come down on the side of the latter. Trend Smart does a few simple things and it does them well without hogging up your ram. It warns you about suspicious websites. It scans your computer for malware. And it has simple to use parental controls. Actually my better half thinks it has good husband controls as well and you can well imagine the sites she thinks I shouldn't be looking at. Not that I ever go to those places, I don't. Well, if I'm doing research. To sum it up, if you're looking for some additional protection for you're Mac, look no further.

It's a shame that Trend Smart hasn't upgraded Smart Surfing to perform with Snow Leopard. I feel it's a good program, because no matter what anyone says about Mac's legendary immunity from viruses and other nuisances, eventually some cybercrook is going to find an "in," and all the other morons will follow suit.

It's not so much that Mac is impregnable. It's more like there haven't been enough Macs in use to make it worthwhile for the crooks.

Don't worry. That'll change.

What I wanted was Trend Smart Surfing to be in place, "just in case."

I installed it and it was an interesting experience. It pulled up a few malware annoyances, then disposed of them nicely.

But meanwhile, it slowed my system by a third. I'm no computer wiz, and I don't need the fastest processor on the market, but it's annoying to be used to a good, fast computer clip, and have it slowed to where even I, a non-geek, can notice it.

I had purchased Snow Leopard after the Trend was installed. By the time it got here, I knew from online quips that Smart Surfing and Snow Leopard were oil and water.

So the Smart Surfing had to go.

If you're not on Snow Leopard, and you have a different operating system, Smart Surfing may be a good investment. It didn't HURT my puter, but it did slow it down.

i know if it catches something that could do major puter damage, the moderate system slowness would be a small price to pay. But for me - with Snow Leopard and its putative improvements - Smart Surfing wasn't a good fit.

If you're a little behind the curve with wanting the latest Mac stuff (like the Snow Leopard O/S upgrade), I'd say try Smart Surfing. Can't hurt (much), and could help a lot.

There are dozens, if not hundreds of virus protection, spyware, antiphising,internet security program for PC's but Mac users, because viruses that infect the Mac are much rarer than those that infect PC's, pretty much have had to surf the internet fairly unprotected. This little program brings Mac users a new level of security and peace of mind. It installs very easily and has three simple settings to 1. detect web threats, 2. automatically scan your computer regularly, and 3. automatically update the program regularly. That's it, and that's really all you nead to feel more secure when you surf the net. It will prevent websites you're unsure about from installing dangerous software on your computer, block suspicious e mail and IM links, and protect your personal data from viruses and spyware. Not much else you need along these lines. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of various PC protection programs like McAffee and Norton, but the dangers for a Mac are not as great, so those accessories are not really needed. As more and more Mac's are sold, the virus threat possibility is sure to increase and this $45 investment is well worth it as a preventative solution.
Update a few weeks later: the computer runs much more slowly when this program is installed, so be aware of that. Given that fact, I would downgrade my rating to two stars if I were rating it now.

Since I have recently taken a job that involves regular travel to China, I've become particularly interested in the various types of software - on your computer, or buried deep in the network - that try to control where you go on the web and what gets delivered to your machine. Even though many net-libertarians might disagree, various parties - governments, companies, ISPs, parents, PC users, ISPs - have legitimate needs which can only be met using sophisticated software systems. Those parties who want to defeat such controls- spammers, political groups, malware distributors, porn sites - are also employing impressive software techniques, and most people don't have the expertise to engage in the resulting "arms race". Hence the need for the products that companies like Trend produce.

The sophistication and subtlety of this constant battle of wits gives rise to an unfortunate effect, however. The normal functions of a modern computer operating system and its applications are extremely complex, and many of these functions are activated during both legitimate and undesired operations. This makes it very hard for a product like Trend Smart Surfing to detect and prevent the undesired interactions without interfering with the normal operations of the system. Naturally Trend tests their products against a range of system and application configurations, but it would be impossible to test all of the combinations.

The consequences of this became apparent when I tested Trend Smart Surfing for Mac. I first installed it on a MacBook Air, which I use for little more than web surfing and word processing. It worked pretty much as advertised. Then, since I was reconfiguring the MacBook Air for some other purpose, I tried installing the product on my Mac Mini. I use this for many functions: as a media server, a print and scanner server, to manage my storage and network devices, for digital media manipulation, and for software development on my Android G1 phone. It's also running the VirtualBox hypervisor so that I can use a couple of OpenSolaris applications.

In a machine with this kind of complex configuration, the Smart Surfing product immediately started causing problems. Various functions slowed down or even stopped, and the system log was filled with various error messages. I tried reconfiguring the product, and I reported the problems in as much detail as I could, but eventually I couldn't wait; I had work to get done, and so I removed the product.

This kind of product probably works well for simple system configurations. If you have a child who uses their Mac for internet research, Facebook and Twitter, and writing term papers, Trend Smart Surfing may well give you the tools to create the right kind of internet experience for your child. But if you're a power user, with a complex system, be prepared for disappointment. Don't blame Trend: it's just a natural consequence of the complexity (and bugginess) of the systems we've created.

Product worked fine with Snow Leopard, but keeps closing since I upgraded to Lion. Customer support from this company is non-existent. They are non-responsive and have terrible hours for those of us who live on the west coast (hours only go until 5 PM M-F and I'm still at work then). I'm sorry I wasted my money on this product.

Product is ok for what it is suppose to do but unfortunately, I have wasted my money buying this product.

There are 2 issues here. First, the program noticeably slows down my internet browsing (doesn't matter the browser used). Secondly, when restarting my computer, it hangs. Tried this several times and the only way I could get past this was to go into safe mode. Problem went away after I uninstalled the product.

I tried this product on my second computer. Same problems. I am currently using snow leopard OS

I'll preface this with being an APPLE user for many years, and watched it all evolve from our old LC II through the new MacBook Pros. I like SIMPLE. Although Apples are safer than PCs, there needs to be more of a gatekeeper around, and for the price, here it is and I recommend it:

WARNING: Requires an annual subscription.
POSITIVE: It WORKS. It rocks. It is simple to install and won't screw with speed.
In truth, damned simple to set up. It becomes a click and go app that not only holds off malware, spyware and a litany of other internet scum, it makes the Mac safe for families and casual use.

Given that you'll drop about $50 a year to stay safe, TREND SMART SURFING is a very good investment. That's under five bucks a month to stay out of harm's way: SMART SURFING is worth the buck!

Easy product install, super intuitive interface, runs in the background without any noticeable strain on my MacBook Pro. The main function of this program is detecting and protecting against web threats - a feature you can turn on or off at the touch of a button. Coming from the random pop-ups detailing a specific ad server blocked here and there, I guess it's doing its job. As to how it's doing it, or what it's doing, that's a whole secret. It's either on or off, and then Low, Medium or High protection with no easy understanding of how they all differ. It also includes basic parental control filters and scan scheduling settings that you can play around with. If you need detailed customization tools like some other programs offer, this ain't the software for you. If you'd prefer to leave the worrying and the science to the program itself, this is one's probably for you.

This is not bad. You're able to schedule scans to run automatically on a daily basis or less frequently, and to choose a start time, so you can avoid periods of high use on your computer(s). To test impact, I ran complete scans while actively using other applications. I didn't notice an impact on other applications' responsiveness but did encounter a bit more slowness than my usual experience in the loading of some graphics-intensive websites, which I specifically visited because they tend to load slowly most of the time.

Also useful is the ability to direct what is to be done with suspect files. Experienced users may want to customize Smart Surfing's response to perceived threats. I chose to have the program first try to clean the suspected item, and if that didn't work, to next quarantine it. Past experience with other programs has taught me to look at what a program is objecting to before letting it wipe the file.

There are, however, several drawbacks to the UI. The first is the inclusion of a separate preference menu exclusive to auto-update and select scan settings. These could have easily been included with the rest of the controls and would have made navigation much easier. To further complicate the issue, there are several different ways to navigate to this renegade menu and neither is labeled correctly. From the drop down menu a user can click on "Open Preferences" which seems to hint falsely that all preferences can be managed there. The other method is clicking on the "change settings" button in the Scan pane of the main application window. Neither way alludes to the fact that the auto-update settings can also be managed here. The third and final UI drawback is the Dock icon which appears during preference changes, scans and updates. Not only is it annoying to have two TM icons polluting my screen, but I also have to quit the application to remedy the problem.

Despite this apparent drawback, the install process is fast and painless with minimal user interaction needed. The whole process was done in about five minutes with no errors. Another highlight of this installer package situation is the inclusion of an uninstaller. Although this would seem like a obvious pair, there are many popular Mac apps that do not include this feature and therefore require a third-party uninstaller. It doesn't have every in tact compare to various PC protection programs like McAffee and Norton, but the dangers for a Mac are not as great, so those accessories are not really needed.