Symantec nabs PC Tools for added street cred

Security and storage giant Symantec has agreed to buy specialist Australian-based anti-spyware firm PC Tools. Terms of the deal were undisclosed in Monday's announcement. Subject to regulatory approvals, privately-held PC Tools will join Symantec's consumer security division. Symantec already has PC utilities and anti-sypware …

[Ralphe Neill]

PC Tools? Not impressed!

Can we hope that PC Tools will now improve its security and accountability?

They keep credit-card details on-line and use them to renew a subscription even when you say you don't want to! They then ignore repeated e-mails.

And, despite the fact that they have my money, without my authorisation, Registry Mechanic STILL tries to get me to renew!

Anecdotal evidence from other users suggests that this was not an isolated incident.

[Anonymous Coward]

I Like The Idea....

That Symantec anyone thinks they could ever gain street cred.....

Mind you, I don't think PC tools are that useful anyway.

[Darren Starr]

What again?

Seriously, this is the second time Symantec/Norton has bought PC Tools. The last time was when they bought the old program called PC Tools which was, in my opinion the absolute best file manager ever made for DOS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_Tools_(Central_Point_Software)

[Yorkshirepudding]

oh noes

billing issues aside i find reg mechanic and spyware doctor handy tools to have around, i worry now about the mess symantec will make, time to jump ship methinks, ill bet 500 quatloos symantec make a mess of it

[JeffyPooh]

Symantec adding new features to PC Tools

They'll be adding the world's least efficient update algorithm. It'll barge onto your Internet connection exactly when least convenient. And it'll make your $4000 PC as slow as a $300 laptop.

[Chris Salter]

PC Tools Auto Renewal

Ralphe Neill wrote:

"They keep credit-card details on-line and use them to renew a subscription even when you say you don't want to! They then ignore repeated e-mails."

I successfully cancelled a Spyware Doctor auto renewal in March 2007. It had originally been paid via Element 5 (Digital River) and AFAIR the email address originally used and order number were all that was needed to gain access to the Element 5 account. Having recently returned to Registry Mechanic (originally bought before auto renewal was implemented and allowed to lapse while trying an alternative product) I note that PC Tools now have a 'My Account' facility (see your Order Confirmation email) which offers the option of turning off automatic renewal.

In this particular instance I may well stick with Registry Mechanic as long as Symantec remain at 'arms length'. I'm not a great fan of PC Tools but I'm even lesser a fan of Symantec!

[Anonymous Coward]

@Darren Starr

Oh my word, pc tools, floods of nostalgia coming back to me.

Also.... symantec can buy every anti crapware company in the world for all I care, they still won't come anywhere near my PCs or Macs in my lifetime.

[Walter Brown]

It appears Symantec is broadening its business model a bit...

Symantec, who in the past has been widely known for it unique business model of: buying otherwise useful products and ruining them, appears to be widening out its business model some in hopes to annoy anyone remain whom they havent already annoyed now by buying up marginally useful products and ruining them.

A company spokesmen said in a statement today "The pool of companies making solid or useful products willing to sellout to us seems to have dried up, so now we've started down a course of acquiring second rate companies and their tools in an effort to sustain our reign of terror over mankind. This change in business model will have no effect on our company motto of 'We're better at making money than we are at making useful products!'". Share prices of various PC Tools competitors soared in after hours trading upon hearing news of its acquisition by Symantec...