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Information Below: Review, Screenshots, System Requirements
Review of BitDefender AntiVirus 2010:  Video Review
  BitDefender is still a relatively unknown name for most people in the Antivirus sector. However, BitDefender has quietly become one of the better performing Antivirus programs over the last few years. See how BitDefender 2010 stacks up to the competition this year...
1) Installation: 
BitDefender AntiVirus 2010 installed in 2 minutes and 32 seconds but required one reboot before using the computer. BitDefender offers its users 3 configurations during installation: Typical, Gamer, or Custom. Also, new this year BitDefender 2010 allows users to pick the level of control they want - with Novice Mode, Intermediate Mode, or Expert Mode. This customization during the install process is a nice touch to make the program work well for the intended audience. (See Installation Time Comparison Graph)
2) Features & Ease of Use: 
BitDefender 2010 has a nice, easy to use interface. New this year BitDefender has 3 different modes - Novice, Intermediate, and Expert modes. These different modes give users access to different levels of options based on their needs and level of computer-ability.
Each of the 3 different modes (Novice/Intermediate/Expert) has its own menu or Dashboard - all of which give a concise snapshot of your computer's security and quick access to available options. Like last year, BitDefender 2010 has Game Mode, so it won't interfere while you're in a major battle on your favorite video game, and Laptop Mode to save your laptop's battery by delaying power-intensive functions until your computer is plugged in. BitDefender 2010 also has Vulnerability monitoring to make sure your computer's software is up-to-date to further optimize your security - for example making sure your Windows has the latest updates. Overall, BitDefender 2010 is extremely easy to use, and its new Novice / Intermediate / Expert Modes give you exactly the level of control you want without confusing you with unnecessary information and options.
New Features:
•  Protects your personal information on your computer.
• Novice, Intermediate, and Expert modes - better accommodates
different levels of users.
Features Checklist:
 Anti-Spyware
Anti-Rootkit
Bot Protection
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Email Scanning
IM Protection
Trojan Protection
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Worm Protection
Anti-Phishing
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3) Virus Scanner: 
BitDefender 2010 has 4 scanning options: System Scan, My Documents Scan, Deep Scan, and Custom Scan. Unlike most other Antivirus programs, BitDefender doesn't have a Quick Scan option for quickly scanning your computer's most vulnerable areas. Our testing found BitDefender 2010 scanned at a pace of 14.0 MB/s, which translates into scanning 50GB of used hard-drive space in 61 minutes. This was the one of the slowest Virus Scanners that we tested.
(See Scan Time Comparison Graph)
Updates:
BitDefender provides hourly updates against new threats (17.3 per day on average). This is the 2nd most updates that we tested this year - but it is still well behind industry leader Norton Antivirus 2010 which offers over 200 updates per day. (See Updates Per Day Comparison Graph)
4) Performance Testing:
A good Antivirus program should not only protect your computer from Viruses but also not slow down the Performance of your computer too much by using up your computer's resources. We run each Antivirus program through a set of Performance tests to see the impact it has on the computer. View the results below of our Antivirus testing for Bit Defender 2010...
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• Memory Use: BitDefender AntiVirus 2010 uses only 8.0 MB of system memory. This is the #2 rated Antivirus program that we tested this year.
• Reboot Time: BitDefender added 9.8 seconds to our test computer's reboot time. #6 rated of the 10 Antivirus programs tested.
• Installation Size: BitDefender Antivirus 2010 takes 293 MB of hard-drive space for installation. #9 rated of the 10 Antivirus programs tested, and BitDefender's worst result in our testing this year.
• Application Launch Time: BitDefender added 0.148s on average to launch a web browser. This was the #5 rated program tested.
• File Conversion Time: BitDefender added 1.06s on average to convert a MP3 file to four other file types. #7 rated of the 10 Antivirus programs tested.
• System Impact Score: The "System Impact Score" is a comparative score tallied from the above 5 Antivirus tests. BitDefender 2010 scored a total of 26 out of 50 points when compared to the
other Antivirus programs. This gave BitDefender 2010 a 6th place overall ranking in our performance testing - just behind Kaspersky AntiVirus 2010 in 5th place. Overall, a respectable set of test results for BitDefender 2010, but still a long ways to go...
• View graphs of the above Antivirus Performance Tests.
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5) Effectiveness: (Virus/Malware Detection)
The most important function of an Antivirus program is to keep your computer free from Viruses and other Malware. Below we'll take a look at some of the industry's top Virus/Malware Detection testing and certification.
  a) AV Comparatives has 2 major Virus/Malware tests each year. In the most recent test in November, the Proactive Test, BitDefender received top marks - 3 out of 3 Stars. In the 2nd test, the On Demand Detection Test, BitDefender again received a 3-Star rating. Overall, BitDefender performed great in these critical Antivirus tests.
(*AV Comparatives is an independent Antivirus testing lab in Austria
providing some of the most trusted Virus detection tests in the industry.)
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b) Not ICSA Labs Certified (although it was Certified last year). ICSA is an independent organization that sets standards for security products and certifies anti-virus software.
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c) Virus Bulletin's VB 100% Certified. BitDefender Antivirus passed the most recent VB100 test (Dec./09), but BitDefender has failed one of the four tests it was part of this year. The VB 100% award is given to antivirus software that detects all viruses "in the wild."
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d) West Coast Labs' Checkmark Anti-Virus Desktop Certification. WCL specializes in functionality testing, performance validation and Checkmark Certification of security products.
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6) Help & Support: 
BitDefender has all the basics of a good support system - free Email Support, free Chat Support, Phone Support (not Toll-Free in the USA), an Online Forum, as well as an online Knowledgebase and program Help Files. Support appeared to be good in all areas, our only concern would be the Knowledgebase and Help Files are not the most extensive or easiest systems to use when compared to other antivirus programs.
»Quick Support Links:
• Knowledge Base
• Support Forum
• Phone Support
• Email Support
• Chat Support (requires account login)
CONCLUSION:
BitDefender has come a long ways in the last few years. It can now be considered one of the top antivirus programs in the market. This last year BitDefender Antivirus 2010 received top marks in some of the industry's most critical Effectiveness tests. Our own in-house Performance tests show that BitDefender is also climbing the ladder. Add this to its great low-price and it makes us think that BitDefender's ready to play with the big boys in the industry - give it a try!
| Overall Rating: Good |
Misc Info:
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BitDefender Antivirus 2010 Screenshots
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BitDefender Antivirus 2010 System Requirements:
Supported Operating Systems:
• Windows 7, Vista, XP (Service Pack 2+)
Minimum Requirements:
• 800 MHz processor (1.66 GHz recommended)
• 512 MB RAM memory for Windows XP, 1 GB for Windows 7 & Vista (1 GB / 1.5 GB recommended)
• 450 MB available hard-drive space (600 MB recommended)
• Internet Explorer 6 (Version 7 recommended)
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AntiVirus Software Reviews: Norton AntiVirus 2010, NOD32 Antivirus Version 4.2, Kaspersky AntiVirus 2010, Avast AntiVirus Pro 5.0, BitDefender AntiVirus 2010, Avira AntiVir Premium Version 10, McAfee VirusScan Plus 2010, Trend Micro AntiVirus 2010, AVG AntiVirus Version 9.0, F-Secure AntiVirus 2010, Other AntiVirus Software
Advanced Protection: Norton 360 (Version 4.0), Norton Internet Security 2010, Norton SystemWorks 2010, ESET Smart Security 4, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010
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