Microsoft Releasing Free Anti-malware Tool

Microsoft in the second half of 2009 will be releasing a free anti-malware (rootkits, spyware, trojans and viruses) tool code named “Morro”. They are releasing this suite of software due to the increasing demand of PC security.

The current consumer security offering, Microsoft Live OneCare will be discontinued at the latest on June 30, 2009. The new Morro suite will use many of the same technologies found in Live OneCare. It will lack several features currently found in the Live OneCare suite (printer sharing and automated PC tune-up) in order to minimize the use of system resources.

The package will be able available for the Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems via download.

The only problem with this suite is many independent reviews have found Microsoft’s current offerings for Anti-Malware, the OneCare Anti-Virus and Windows Defender, lacking in capability and often missing infections. Let’s hope that Microsoft has improved their overall product for this release.

Source: Microsoft discontinuing OneCare, will deliver free security offering instead

Hate Vista? Next Windows may be sooner than you think.

It has been rumored since early in the year that Microsoft wanted to get it's next operating system, Windows 7, finished by mid-2009. It now looks that Microsoft has made it official they'd like to have Windows 7 on the market for the 2009 holiday season. I would assume this is in response to Apple's Snow Leopard and the luke-warm consumer response to Vista. Here's hoping Windows 7 works better than Vista and isn't nearly as delayed.