Switching to Microsoft Security Essentials

[SimpleSi]

I'm considering switching teacher laptops to MSE from Sophos but just want to check with people that have been using it for a while to see if they have been happy with it.

I know about the licence issues but taking the view that a teacher laptop mainly used at home is a home/home business machine and I don't think MS will send the legal eagles out for me for the sake of a total of 50 machines

regards

Simon

[SYNACK]

I like it, I use it on my home machines and it is fantasticly light on hardware. It makes no noticable difference to my Atom 330 based media centre pc and takes up very little space. From the reviews that I have seen it seems good with detection but I have not had any incidents so I can't really comment directly on that

[richard_s]

Sorry but you can only use it on home computers and not in a business environment.

If you comply with these license terms, you have the rights below for each license you acquire.

1. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS.
* Use. You may install and use any number of copies of the software on your devices in your household for use by people who reside there or for use in your home-based small business.
* Separation of Components. The components of the software are licensed as a single unit. You may not separate the components and install them on different devices.
* Included Microsoft Programs. The software may contain other Microsoft programs. The license terms with those programs apply to your use of them.

For the full EULA see here

[GrumbleDook]

Yep, agree with Richard here. It is not a home or a home-business machine. You could always go and ask MS if they would allow it for staff laptops, but I wouldn't take the risk.

[SYNACK]

If you have a MS licensing agreement Forfront Client Security is not that much per client and uses the same quick and light engine and deffinitions but adds managment ability and monitering along with legality to alleviate concerns as stated above.

[synaesthesia]

Has that changed recently?

Due to various outbreaks I'd hunted around for days after a free all-in-one solutions and MSSE came up as the only one that didn't have a home-use-only licence.

dagnabbit - time to hunt further or get people to spend money - downright impossible

[SimpleSi]

ou could always go and ask MS if they would allow it for staff laptops, but I wouldn't take the risk.

Your right - I won't take the risk.

I won't ask them

regards

Simon

[sparkeh]

Your right - I won't take the risk.

I won't ask them

regards

Simon

Wonder if any employees of MS frequent this website?

[synaesthesia]

I'm 98% certain the licence has "recently" been modified (recently being within the last 3 months) - I've emailed MS to ask for clarification on that. Annoying if that's the case as I'd have expected some form of notification.
Would be annoying if it isn't the case as a) I'd have spent a good half a day pouring over licence agreements for absolutely nothing and b) as a result, I clearly need glasses

[SimpleSi]

Wonder if any employees of MS frequent this website?

I'm sure there is but I'd also hope they are really one of us

regards

Simon

[mattx]

Your right - I won't take the risk.

I won't ask them

regards

Simon

Good for you.

[AngryTechnician]

You could always go and ask MS if they would allow it for staff laptops, but I wouldn't take the risk.

I asked when it first came out. Ray Fleming got us an official answer, and it's 'No'.

Has that changed recently?

There is a 'home-based small business' allowance in the licence, but unless your school is run out of your living room, it doesn't count. It's been that way since launch.

[synaesthesia]

Cheers - time to go to Specsavers

[Gibbo]

Going on Microsoft's track record for flaws and holes in their applications, I'd be very reluctant to use any of their security products, especially after OneCare slowed down machines worse than Norton!

Maybe if they made their OS more secure in the first place they wouldn't need to move into this market.

[AngryTechnician]

MSE has actually had quite positive reviews (example). Your comment about OneCare was well-deserved, but I've been running MSE on my personal machines since launch and have not noticed any performance issues.