
Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0
Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0 adds Norton Insight to speed up quick scans for this comprehensive Windows security package
Pros
- Norton Insight, small footprint, improved system performance in some areas
Cons
- Some users might be a bit intimidated by the number of features, can increase boot time
Bottom Line
The sheer range of features crammed into Norton 360 might seem a bit daunting for less technically-included users. But Norton 360 provides wide-ranging protection against malware and internet security threats, along with useful tools for fine-tuning your PC’s performance. It costs $30 more than the Norton Internet Security 2010 suite and provides licences for three PCs, helping your household to stay protected for $129.99 per year.
-
Price
$ 129.99 (AUD)
Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0 is a suite of tools that combines the anti-malware and anti-phishing features of Norton Internet Security 2010 (NIS), with the PC tune-up tools of Norton Utilities.
The anti-malware protection of NIS has been enhanced by ‘Quorum' - the reputation-based monitoring system introduced in the 2010 edition. Norton Insight aims to speed up the scan process by whitelisting known safe files on your PC.
Other new features in Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0 tend to focus on fine-tuning your PC's performance by monitoring the resource usage of applications and identifying potential slow-downs and other problems.
We were initially a bit concerned by how much Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0 would cause a slow-down of its own. The first thing we noticed after installation was that boot time of our Windows 7 laptop increased by around 30%. But that was the only aspect of performance that seemed to suffer.
Gamers often worry that anti-virus software running in the background can hinder games performance. Some quick tests with Far Cry 2 revealed only a minor dip in speed of just over 1%, from 41.5fps to 41fps.
Some tasks actually ran faster after we had allowed Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0 to run a quick disk tune-up and clean-out of registry files. Copying a 2GB batch of photos and video clips onto our hard disk from a USB stick improved from 124 seconds before installing Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0, to 111 seconds afterwards, which includes the time required to scan the incoming files for viruses.
Most of the time you can just leave Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0 running automatically in the background, but there are some other useful options available for people who want to dig a bit deeper.
Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0 can display graphs of processor and memory usage to indicate which programs might be causing problems, and there's a Startup Manager that allows you to turn off startup items altogether, or simply delay them so that they don't load until you specifically allow it.
Finally, Symantec throws in 2GB of online storage with Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0 from its newly launched Norton Online Backup service, which is available for the duration of the software's 12-month subscription life.
Brand Post

Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Miofive 4K Dash Cam review: This friendly road watcher is ‘here for you!’
- 2 Dell U3223QE review: A winning debut for an IPS Black monitor
- 3 Netgear Nighthawk M5 mobile router review: Probably too expensive, but nice
- 4 Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A review: This 4K monitor plays nice with consoles
- 5 Firewalla Gold review: Powerful home network security in a tiny box
Latest News Articles
- Settings in iOS 10: Every notable change you need to know
- FBI faces lawsuit because it's stayed mum on iPhone 5c hack
- Early iPhone 7 reviews: You'll miss the headphone jack, but the camera and battery life are tops
- Toshiba's new SSD line features rock-bottom pricing
- Watch out: iOS 10 install is reportedly bricking some iPhones
Resources
Business Centre
The latest business news, reviews, features and whitepapers

Videos
Watch our video news and reviews from around the world

Guides
Comprehensive buying guides, features, and step-by-step articles

PCW Evaluation Team
Pedro Peixoto
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Set up is effortless.
Cate Bacon
Aruba Instant On AP11D

The strength of the Aruba Instant On AP11D is that the design and feature set support the modern, flexible, and mobile way of working.
Dr Prabigya Shiwakoti
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Aruba backs the AP11D up with a two-year warranty and 24/7 phone support.
Tom Pope
Dynabook Portégé X30L-G

Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.
Tom Sellers
MSI P65

This smart laptop was enjoyable to use and great to work on – creating content was super simple.
Lolita Wang
MSI GT76

It really doesn’t get more “gaming laptop” than this.
Featured Content
- 100 Great PC Games You Should Play Before You Die
- Best Click Frenzy mobile and Internet plan deals
- Microsoft’s iconic browser Internet Explorer is being killed off in June
- Which flagship TV is best? Sony 4K HDR Bravia 2016 versus LG 4K HDR OLED 2016
- 10 Blu-ray movies / Best looking Blu-ray movies