So Long, Shrink-Wrap?

Web Utilities: Tooling With the Net

Every PC needs its share of utilities to scan for viruses, optimize hard disk space, and perform other housekeeping tasks. But many of these tools handle only one or two jobs--and the more utilities you collect, the more disk space and system resources they consume. Keeping them up-to-date is another problem: An antivirus utility without the latest virus definitions isn't much use.

Web-based utilities could change all that. True, there are only a few of these programs so far, and most of them perform a limited set of tasks. But they offer easy access and continuous, automatic upgrades. And some are free.

We tested five Web-based services, ranging from basic virus-scanning applications to full-fledged utility suites, with some unique and interesting variations in between. Overall, we were impressed by their performance and ease of use. But they don't always win out over their shrink-wrapped counterparts, especially if your goal is to obtain a comprehensive, one-stop suite of tools.

How They Operate

Many Web-based utilities employ a browser-based interface, downloading ActiveX controls needed to do the job (such as scanning for viruses or checking to see how secure your system is). That means they're compatible only with Internet Explorer; users of Netscape and other browsers need not apply. On the plus side, ActiveX controls download quickly and usually leave no trace of themselves afterward.

Utilities designed to work continuously (full-time virus scanners or firewalls, for example) require you to download and install them just as you would any other application. The difference is that you install them within your browser over the Web, instead of from a CD-ROM.

McAfee.com is the only purveyor of Web utilities we tried that charges for its services, but you get a lot for your buck. The site offers four packages: Clinic, Personal Firewall, Wireless Security Center (for handhelds), and Privacy Service (for blocking offensive material such as pornographic and hate sites). Each service costs $30 per year, and the company offers free ten-day trial versions of most of them. (By the time this article appears, McAfee.com will offer a small-business edition of its services too, but that version was unavailable for review at press time.)

Clinic is the most comprehensive of the McAfee services we tested. It offers on-demand virus scanning, as well as optional full-time virus protection. Its other features include an online uninstaller for removing unwanted applications and unneeded files from your PC; a performance optimizer for getting the most from your Windows settings; a system information tool that analyzes your PC's components; and Windows Advisor, a tool that suggests changes for improving your system. Clinic competes directly with McAfee's own Office 2000 Pro utility suite, a shrink-wrapped product that sells for $60.

So which is the better deal? That's a difficult question to answer definitively, because the Web suite and its boxed counterpart aren't quite identical. McAfee Office 2000 Pro includes a few features that the $30 Clinic doesn't have, such as a firewall (which would cost you another $30 as a separate package from McAfee.com), encrypted e-mail, and more-advanced repair and recovery capabilities. By the same token, though, you'd also pay an additional yearly fee with the packaged suite to maintain your access to updates.

Whether you should opt for a packaged utility suite or the McAfee.com service depends on several factors. On one hand, if you prefer a complete utility suite and don't mind doing some manual work (running the applications and updating), the off-the-shelf version is probably a better choice. On the other hand, the almost-complete automation of McAfee.com makes it a better choice if you prefer to "set it and forget it." You just pay a bit more in return for the convenience.

Fee-Free Utilities

In the realm of free utilities, PC Pitstop offers an intriguing mix of services, including an antivirus scanner, a performance optimizer, a disk analyzer, an Internet connection monitor, and a diagnostic tool that checks for bad ActiveX controls lurking in your computer that could wreak havoc on your system.

Using its own ActiveX controls, the site creates a "Pitcrew Summary" that analyzes your PC's performance and configuration and makes specific optimization recommendations. PC Pitstop isn't as comprehensive as McAfee.com, and it doesn't offer firewall or privacy services, but it's excellent at analyzing your PC and making suggestions for improving your system's performance. And the price is right.

We also looked at two sites that offer free virus-scanning tools. Trend Micro's free online virus scanner, dubbed Housecall, is simple to use and quite effective. Symantec's no-cost Security Check similarly looks for viruses, and it also analyzes your PC to determine whether it's susceptible to hacking and whether your browser is surreptitiously feeding personal information (such as your e-mail address) to Web sites.

Both of these online services are useful, but they can't replace a good desktop virus killer such as Norton AntiVirus. Housecall can remove most viruses it identifies, but Security Check merely lets you know when it finds one. Neither provides continuous protection. These utilities are essentially marketing tools to draw in consumers so that the sites can make a pitch for their offline products.

Ongoing Diagnostics

Aveo's Attune Service is a free application that goes a step further than the free virus utilities in diagnosing PC problems. It truly leverages the Internet to bring you up-to-the-minute information--in fact, it's the only Web-based utility we looked at that does not have a boxed equivalent.

You download Attune and install it like any standard application; it then runs continuously on your system, diagnosing your PC configuration and making suggestions via pop-up Intelligram messages. Attune can tell you if you're missing an essential software component for an application, for instance. It can also alert you about a security hole in your browser or e-mail program and suggest fixes to plug the holes. In addition, it lets you know when new bug fixes or software updates become available and gives you the option of downloading and installing them automatically.

How can Aveo afford to provide this service free of charge? The company draws its revenue from corporate partners that use the service to market their products to you. For instance, if Attune determines that your printer cartridge is about to run out of ink, the application will display an Intelligram to alert you to that situation, and it will suggest an ink cartridge purchase from one of its partner companies. If you buy a cartridge from that partner via Attune, Aveo receives a percentage of the transaction price.

The Attune service is useful, but at press time Aveo had forged alliances with only a few software companies, so the utility finds bug fixes and updates for only a limited number of applications. How comprehensive this service will be remains to be seen.