Update: This program has now been replaced with AVG Antivirus 2012.
After taking a short break from testing and reviewing antivirus programs I bring you my latest addition where today I look at AVG Antivirus 2011.
AVG are, as I’m sure most of you are aware, well known for their free antivirus product which I believe is one of the most downloaded pieces of software on the net today. AVG’s free antivirus program offers exceptional value for money – well it is FREE after all – and does a pretty good job of protecting you from the most common threats. Personally, I would always argue that you get a better level of protection from the paid for antivirus protection that is out there however.
So how does the paid version of AVG Antivirus 2011 stack up?
Interface
The AVG interface is one that I would imagine would appeal to the less tech-savvy antivirus users out there. It is very simplified, clear and easy to understand and users of AVG’s free antivirus product should feel right at home here.
Scanning
After updating the antivirus program to ensure that I had the latest virus details loaded I ran a full system scan. As per usual I checked the system resources being used on my laptop whilst the scan was in progress.
Interestingly, I noted that there were 8 processes running that were associated with the product but CPU usage remained very low at the same time. Conversely, memory usage on my machine was higher than I’ve seen with any other antivirus program I’ve used. In practice I found that this was not an issue while I surfed and scanned at the same time but if I tried opening additional windows then I started to spot some slowdown.
Updates
Out of the box, AVG Antivirus 2011 updates every 4 hours. You can, however, change this default setting in order to get it to update itself every hour. This antivirus program also benefits by using cloud-based protection which means that you will receive timely updates as new threats are identified.
Support
Whilst AVG offer email support they do not have telephone support. If you have an urgent problem that requires swift and professional help then you can pay for their premium support option. They do, however, offer further free assistance through various online resources such as a FAQ, knowledgebase and forums.
Features
AVG Antivirus 2011 offers protection in two forms – antivirus and antispyware. I won’t dwell on what those mean here as I would hope you know by now!
This product does have some extra features which differentiate it a little from the competition. Having a gamer mode is not the novelty it once was but some antivirus programs I’ve looked at recently still do not have one which is a particular annoyance to me. Fortunately, AVG do include this feature and so I was able to play CIV 5 in full screen without any popups annoying me 
AVG Linkscanner is another good addition. When you search for something online, in Google for instance, linkscanner will inform you which search results are safe to click on and which ones are not. Again, this is something that other, but not all, AV programs do now in a fairly similar fashion.
There are of course other features which can easily be found through the menu at the top of the main screen, as seen in the image below -
At this point I would point out that I was given the chance to install the AVG toolbar and set AVG as my search provider at the beginning of the installation process. Some people may see these things as a positive. My views on that may differ!
Pricing
When purchasing AVG Antivirus 2011 you can elect to buy protection for either one or two years and can obtain protection for 1,2,3,5 or 10 computers.
Protecting one PC for one year costs $34.99.
Protecting a larger number of computers, or opting for two years of protection, attracts a reduction in the unit price.
Compatibility
The minimum system requirements to run this antivirus program are not too harsh at all. AVG recommend a 1.5 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM and 750 GB of hard drive space.
AVG Antivirus 2011 is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 both 32 bit and 64 bit.
Conclusion
AVG Antivirus 2011 is a good and effective program which I quite like.
It does what it is meant to do with the minimum of fuss and will keep your computer protected.
I think it’s main appeal will be to users of the company’s free product as they will be able to make a seamless transition to the paid version. For someone like me, who has seen many antivirus products, there is little else to say – its good but doesn’t really capture my imagination beyond that.
What do you think of AVG Antivirus 2011?
Article by Lee Munson
Lee's non-technical background allows him to write about internet security in a clear way that is understandable to both IT professionals and people just like you who need simple answers to your security questions.
Lee has written 2277 awesome articles for us at Security FAQs
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
avg best antivirus
What is it you like that makes it your favourite?
I tried lots of other virus cleaner/products and they do not work. I would like to try AVG to see if it really works. If it does you have a customer and word of moth advertising. I would definately reccommend it to everyone.