Norton Internet Security Dual Protection 4.0 (Mac) Review

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(More customer reviews)Edited to add info on REMOVAL instructions. Symantec keeps this a secret. Amazon does not allow links, so search Google for the "RemoveSymantecMacFiles removal utility". It's on Symantec's Enterprise site.
I was finally able to remove every trace of the Symantec "bloatware." The uninstaller does not do this. Make sure you back up your entire system (I recommend SuperDuper) to a Firewire drive prior to doing this. I also recommend booting into Safe Mode to run the removal operation.
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I am a long time Mac user.
Reportedly in development for 5 years, this software does protect from viruses, including protecting your Mac from being a carrier of Windows viruses. However, there has never been an "in the wild" Mac virus.
My cable company is offering the Mac part of this suite as part of their service. I installed it, and discovered it was too intrusive, and blocked some programs from accessing the Internet. Unfortunately, there is no customizable firewall. It's either off or on. Virus scanning is too intrusive, too.
The only real reason for an AV on the Mac is to protect Windows users from files other Windows users may have sent you. That said, there is a much better, less intrusive product called Intego VirusBarrier that catches Windows viruses, in combination with the NetBarrier firewall which is extremely customizable. UPDATE: I've switched to the free Sophos AV software, and recommend it highly.
The problem: After testing Norton and deciding I didn't care for it, I uninstalled it. However, as I dug deeper into my system, I found the software did not completely uninstall. As with their Windows applications, Norton for Mac puts hidden files all over the place. After the uninstall, I found invisible Symantec files and deleted them.
On the next start-up, the Mac wouldn't start: gray screen of death. It would start up in Safe mode, and once after restarting from Safe mode, but not again. So, I reinstalled Norton, and it works again. This is shameful.
I do not recommend this software. Go with Intego or Sophos instead. Or, if Windows viruses are not an issue with you, then you're probably safe not running any AV. The Mac's built in firewall is excellent, too. If you really need to feel protected, go with the free version of iAntivirus which protects only against potential Mac threats (which really don't exist for most Internet users).
If you have a dual boot system, I suggest using Microsoft Security Essentials, Online Armor firewall and Threatfire (all free) on the Windows partition, especially if you use Windows more with VMWare Fusion or Parallels, due to their effectiveness and small footprints.

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