PC Magazine: Who Cares If Antivirus Works, As Long As It's Low-Key

Rather than blindly run the same tests year after year, the researchers at AV-Comparatives regularly survey consumers to make sure their tests hit the criteria that matter. Interestingly, low performance impact was more important to users than thorough malware cleanup.

BY NEIL J. RUBENKING
MARCH 23, 2015

Which antivirus is best? Independent testing labs work hard to answer that question, but the answer can depend on just what consumers want. In order to make sure they're looking at the right criteria, researchers at AV-Comparatives check in with interested consumers every year. The results of their most recent survey are in.

Thank goodness, the researchers didn't hire telemarketers to interrupt your dinner and quiz you about your antivirus opinions. Rather, they invited all and sundry to visit the AV-Comparatives website and take the survey. That does mean that the self-selected sample group isn't necessarily representative of consumers as a whole, but with over 6,400 responses the survey has enough samples to provide useful insights.

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