It’s one thing for companies to sell you something you don’t need. It’s another thing for companies to sell you something you do need — but which is available for free.
Case in point: Antivirus software. The best things in life are free, and the best AV software are the free ones. The paid ones slow down your system, because they’re chock-full of features you don’t need:

Firewall: Windows 7 on, the inbuilt firewall does the job well.
Anti-phishing: Well, if you’re silly enough to open mails that say “Hi I love you can you come online I’m online now,” then maybe you do need paid AV. Perhaps three or four for good measure.

Then there’s online backup, parental controls... and on and on. The sad facts of the matter are:

1. While some retailers tack on AV for free when you buy a laptop, others are unscrupulous enough to note the facial expressions of a customer when he/she asks about “Internet security.” They’ll charge 3000 rupees for it, no less. I’ve actually seen this. The poor customer hears “phishing,” “parental control,” etc. and pays up out of fear.

2. Companies happily use phrases such as “Total Internet Security,” which make the customer feel all safe and secure.
Here’s a typical exchange between Unscrupulous Dealer and Gullible Customer:

“Ma’am, you’ll use the Internet with your laptop, right?”

“Umm, yes...”

“You need to be careful. Parental control problems, online storage issues, virus, phishing, ...”

“What are all those? <Gulp>”

“They’re all threats. The Internet is a dangerous place these days. Yes, ma’am.”

“How much will it cost?”

“Only 3000, ma’am. Keep yourself safe. Otherwise you’ll come back for repairs and we’ll have to charge... 10,000? 15,000? <tsk, tsk>”

“OK, I’ll take it.”

Then the laptop slows down, and Gullible Customer goes back for “repair.” And gets charged again — for the dealer to disable some of the AV’s features. <Snigger, snigger>

Tags : Antivirus, firewall, internet security, online backup