AnVir Task Manager 5.0.4 at GOTD

[jiffener]

Dudes!! Yesterday it was 50% off at Bits du jour, which just matches the discount code here anyway, but today it's FREE at Giveawayoftheday.com!   

Here's some discussion linklets:

[edit:  deleted link to the discount post in case that is not supposed to be linked]

https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=12036.0

https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=12356.0

[Curt]

I am not aware that we have a rebate offer on any AnVir product, so I guess the removed link was to somewhere else? (a PM is welcome!) Anyway, more important today may be that this giveaway comes with a 25% dicount code (GAOTD25) to any other AnVir product. However, IIRC they do not specify if the code is for today only, but most likely it is.

[mwb1100]

I'd assume it's OK to link to the DC 50% discount for AnVir Task Manager Pro, as you must be logged in as a member to actually get to it - I think it's OK to post a link to the discount, but not OK to post the actual discount/coupon code elsewhere (if this is not true, a moderator can please remove this whole post):

https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=12488.0

With 50% off, Task Manger Pro becomes slightly less cost than the non-Pro version with 25% off. 

There are a few things in the AnVir product that might justify it over something like the free SysInternals Process Explorer, depending on how 'hands-on' you are with a task manager:

• a description & 'risk rating' of processes - you can set the ratings yourself (it would be nice to know where the default ratings come from)
• dumping network traffic of processes to a file
• save process priorities - kind of a simple Process Tamer (Pro only)
• some basic auto-start management

It also has an "Optimize Memory" setting that is supposed to "Periodically free memory of processes that use more than 50 MB".  I haven't tried this because it sounds quite dangerous - but if I find it works safely, it could well be useful.

[Curt]

Can the DC structure maybe be even better organized?  Hmm... 
- I've never before found that childboard! 

But Thanks! 

- allthough I am not too sure I will take any advantage of the offer. Do you know this feeling: The program is clearly very capable, but somehow something is not right - maybe it is the GUI layout?? Hmm... somehow I just don't fancy AnVir Task Manager. Or maybe it has to do with the company offering you a free program if you post their press material on a popular site! 

[mwb1100]

- allthough I am not too sure I will take any advantage of the offer. Do you know this feeling: The program is clearly very capable, but somehow something is not right - maybe it is the GUI layout?? Hmm... somehow I just don't fancy AnVir Task Manager. Or maybe it has to do with the company offering you a free program if you post their press material on a popular site! 

-Curt (March 09, 2008, 06:16 PM)

Well, I did register it, but I tend to agree that the interface does not really grab me at first.  I think it's hard to have something be able to present so much information and have it still look clean and simple.  I think that SysInternals does a good job in this area, and I think that for most people there's no reason to pay for more than what you get with Process Explorer.  Heck, I think that even if I missed out on the BitsDuJour deal I would not give it a second thought, but at the same time I'm not regretting the purchase.  Not exactly a rave review, but there you have it.

The AnVir product seems to be getting good comment feedback on the GOTD site, which is notorious for "what's the point?" comments.  It seems that AnVir has made some significant improvements since the product was last offered on GOTD.  AnVir mentions that registered users get "free subscription to updates of the software", but that seems rather ambiguous as to how long updates are valid.

[Darwin]

Yeah... I bought it, too (Bits du Jour's deal amounted to a 58% discount or so) after playing with it for a few hours. It's the only TM replacement/extender that I've ever tried that consumes 0-1% CPU when minimized to tray and 10MB RAM. I also like the fact that it seems to be under constant development. I have current licences for both WinTasks Pro (glacial) and TaskPatrol Pro (also glacial) and they're good apps, but consume 30% or more CPU and 30MB or more RAM - all the time. No regrets about the purchase, thus far. $15 is less than a night at the movies, and I never get out to the movies, so I can swallow this!

[cthorpe]

I also purchased it with the 58% off Bits du Jour offer.  I found that it was taking less than half of the memory and virtual memory as Process Explorer, and like Darwin I also saw that it was using less than 1% of CPU time when minimized.

As for updates, the dev site says on http://www.anvir.com/order.htm

The registration code will turn off all nag screens and shareware limitations, and work with future updates.

I don't see anything to imply that there is a time limit or version limit on future updates, so it would seem that it's lifetime.

Carl

[Darwin]

Hmm... interesting. Carl, I was under the impression that you needed to pay a yearly subscription key to keep receiving upgrades and virus database updates beyond one year. However, the blurb on the order page certainly does seem to indicate that it comes with lifetime upgrades. Very nice 

[tinjaw]

[GUESS]
The software (engine) gets free updates, but the data files, are updated only by subscription.
[/GUESS]
That would follow other licensing models of that nature.

[lanux128]

GAOTD are on a roll and at the rate this app is being repeated, one wouldn't have to worry about upgrades.

• http://www.giveawayo...ir-task-manager-520/

[lanux128]

once again AnVir Task Manager is featured on Giveaway of the Day.

• http://www.giveawayo...ir-task-manager-6-2/

[cyberdiva]

There's much to like about AnVir Task Manager, but to be honest I don't trust the company.  They try to get you to include something called Registry Cleaner Pro when you're installing AnVir TM.  It turns out that Registry Cleaner Pro isn't even their program--it's from another company!  It will apparently scan your registry for free, but several people at GAOTD have reported that if you want it to fix the registry "problems" it finds, you have to buy the program (and I bet AnVir gets a cut).  This seems like a really unsavory thing to be including in the installation process.  

[Darwin]

The subscription fee for AnVir Task Manager Pro is also steep, in my humble opinion - I haven't bothered since the year that I got courtesy of a DC discount ran out. For that matter, I no longer have it installed, either.

[Bamse]

I don't know about the GAOTD package but Anvir has stepped over the line with Dealio toolbar including affiliate links and weird landing pages in browser. Provided by a running searchsettings.exe Lots of sex links it seems! And don't forget direct links to UniBlue Registry/driver/boosting crap inside of program. If you use some blocking service like DynDns Internet Guide you might not even be able to reach their site since it is blocked. Will not say that is hysteric or a false positive. Such not overly transparent methods must be avoided. Good program so annoying...

[sajman99]

Thanks for the notice, folks. Why do these companies risk ruining their reputation with this kind of crap? How can the short-term $$ possibly be worth the long-term damage to their reputation? I just don't get it.

[Curt]

I don't *know* but it may be the other way around? As an example there is no www.anvir.com site any more, or at least not at the moment. Maybe the company got sold, and someone didn't care to tell?

However, I must point out that the task manager itself is nothing short of excellence. I have a license for the Pro version version and I certainly intend to prolong it when necessary.

[Bamse]

Site up again. Strange there is no talk of UniBlue, Dealio on their forum. Or anywhere on their site it seems. Comforting - but you can see there is a hefty 60% of a sale if signing up as an affiliate. Important to inform about.

I checked a download and Dealio is gone. Now double registry, driver nonsense. Uniblue in program and iXi/Plimus outside I think progress but there need to be a new term like Free with strings, Free with affiliate deals, Free with toolbar and search hooking or something indicating why X is free. Anvir might not even be that interested in paid version! Free version could be more valuable to them. Perhaps also why it is not that limited.