Microsoft Launches Free Anti-Virus Software Today

Microsoft has been getting better at revamping public perception about it over the past year. It's now operating a couple of retail stores (more to come) in an attempt to reach their customer base more readily, and everybody's excited about the release of Windows 7 in just over three weeks. And today, they just released their very first free anti-virus software package.

Dubbed Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), the free anti-virus is currently available for download in 19 countries, although only PC's with licensed versions of Windows XP, Vista, and 7 can accept it. It's Microsoft's comprehensive solution to many of the most common threats faced by the average PC user today.

It's not "comprehensive" per se, though. It's only protects against viruses and other malware, and doesn't have the other pieces of the puzzle necessary for complete protection, such as anti-spam and firewalls. This has been the main criticism of MSE, made none other than those who profit from the status quo.

Big names in the anti-virus industry (such as Symantec) have bitterly attacked Microsoft's move into their lucrative market, obviously fearing the computing giant's marketing prowess. If you aren't aware of it yet, free anti-virus software is the exception rather than the norm in the business -- if you want complete protection, you have to shell out some good money for it.

Microsoft has assured the public that MSE will still provide enough protection, especially when used on Windows systems. The more recent Windows operating systems have built-in firewalls (which get better with every incarnation), and Internet Explorer 8 can warn users of potentially dangerous sites.

MSE is a decent anti-virus program to try -- it hogs system resources much less than most other protection suites, and has generally received warm reviews from testers in three countries. Its arrival also spells the end of Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare protection suite, which didn't do very well on the sales end.

You can download Microsoft Security Essentials, absolutely free, here.