Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I have mixed feelings about Norton SystemWorks 2003. On one hand, I'm a longtime user of the SystemWorks family of products, and I feel no Windows computer is complete without vital Norton tools like SpeedDisk and WinDoctor. On the other hand, I've been terribly disappointed with this release of NSW. Here's why:
Primarily, NSW 2003 doesn't include any obvious updates to existing software. I upgraded from NSW 2001, and I really don't see any changes in the functionality of any existing tools. The color scheme and interface has been revised to match Windows XP's friendly pastels and rounded curves, but I really don't see any difference in the way the components actually work. So why upgrade?
Second, NSW 2003 does not play nice with older versions of Windows. In particular, it loads an executable into memory, whether you want to use any "active" tools (such as AntiVirus or Registry Tracker) or not. Under Windows 2000 and XP, this application runs as a service and doesn't cause any problems; but on my Windows 98SE platform, it causes noticeably slower startups and shutdowns, and occasionally causes the system to hang when shutting down. I realize that Windows 98 is now a bit long in the tooth, but Symantec really should have put more effort into making NSW 2003 compatible with Win98 if it is to be advertised as such on the box.
In summary: On one hand, Norton SystemWorks is a solid heir to a useful dynasty of tools for Windows. On the other hand, there is little if any advantage over recent editions of the software, and backwards compatibility is deficient. I suggest that if you have Win2k or XP and do not yet have Norton SystemWorks, pick it up. If you are running an older version of Windows or already have SystemWorks 2001 or later, pass this one by.
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Symantec's Norton SystemWorks 2003 is a smart way to solve computer problems, with full versions of award-winning Symantec products and valuable additional utilities. Norton AntiVirus removes viruses automatically, scans both incoming and outgoing e-mail, and keeps itself updated to defend against new threats without interrupting your work. Now it also detects viruses in instant-message attachments. Norton Utilities optimizes your PC's performance and solves computer problems easily. And Norton CleanSweep removes unwanted programs and files that waste disk space.
The One Button Checkup tool in Norton SystemWorks makes it easy to assess the health of your PC and is now more powerful and flexible than ever. You can customize it to run only the scans you want, schedule scans to run automatically, and undo any changes it makes. Web Tools helps prevent dropped dialup connections when you're online and safely cleans up the clutter left over after Internet sessions. And Roxio's GoBack 3 Personal Edition restores your PC to a healthy state after a serious problem.
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