Symantec Norton 360 v3.0

Best Price:
With Norton Internet Security’s 2009 version getting a few steps ahead of the security suite competition last year, we were looking forward to seeing how, if it all, its magic was integrated into Norton 360 – the security, back-up and tune-up version of the software.

Features:
Most disappointing is that Internet Security 2009’s slick black interface hasn’t been incorporated – Norton 360 still sports the grey and yellow circles that users of previous versions will recognise. On the security side, some elements of Internet Security’s best features have made it across, including the constant flow of small definition updates and automated idle-time scanning. The software also includes identity protection, which installs a toolbar into your browser; back-up that can be scheduled and also offers a (measly) 2GB of online back-up space; and a tune-up option that automates things like the deletion of temporary files and defragmentation.

Performance:
Norton 360 doesn’t stand up too badly against most of its rivals, especially in terms of features. Symantec’s record of stopping malware is also excellent, but the integration of all the elements isn’t as honed as Internet Security 2009, which is a bit of a shame. The back-up function, while very useful, would be better served bundled with more online storage space, and the tune-up software is little more than a time-saver, bringing readily available tools like a defragmenter into the Norton interface.

Ease of use:
The software is simple to use, at least on the surface. The front screen, split into four sections, provides a decent at-a-glance guide to your PC’s status. But delve down into the menus below and you’ll encounter bland sub-windows which, while staying easy to operate, aren’t attractive enough to encourage you to browse through them.

Value for money:
The £10 leap from Internet Security’s annual subscription of £49.99 to 360’s £59.99 isn’t too steep, considering the extra features you’re getting. However, if you wanted 2GB of online storage and some tune-up software, you could do just as well hunting down freebies. As usual, it’s the integration of all these things into a suite that adds the value.