Re: [tlug] AV Preferences for Android (CONCLUSION)

[Raymond Wan <rwan.kyoto@example.com>]

On Sunday, April 01, 2012 11:08 AM, CL wrote:
> As it turns out McAfee is part of a package that contained other stuff
> my wife wanted and which would have added about JPY1,100 to the monthly
> bill if contracted separately.  The Head Drone (who was at lunch during
> the first encounter) helpfully suggested that, if she didn't want the
> McAfee component, she could just not activate it and keep the stuff she
> wanted at the lower price.  He actually agreed that Avast! was superior
> to McAfee and confessed to using it himself on his own Android phone.
>
> Draw your own conclusions.


Besides the obvious reason (Softbank probably gets a cut 
from McAfee), another reason might be that Softbank's staff 
don't really want to deal with users asking them about what 
a downloaded app did to their phone.

Most customers don't know what viruses are [1].  They can 
either (1) encourage people to buy a virus scanner or (2) 
hire more staff with enough technical expertise to handle 
virus-like problems.  (1) seems more cost effective...  And 
if you didn't buy it and you had a problem, rather than help 
you, they can just say, "Oh, we told you to buy it..."


Ray


[1] Many, many years ago in the early Internet days, I 
recall someone told me he thought computer viruses 
physically jumped from disc to disc...  I think a lot of 
people still think that...