The latest test from a UK computer magazine:
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/labs/133/anti-spyware/introduction.html
Well, it´s a surprise for me see Spybot almost the last. It´s a surprise too not to find Ad-Aware in this comparative test.
Of course, i´m not so expert as the test realizers, but i have to say there´s some points i should have had in count for the test, as:
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The price. Obviously a big company has no problem in paying a program, but a single home user maybe has not many money to spend in protection, especially if he, as almost everybody, has nothing really “interesting for a hacker” in his computer. So a free program for me deserves more points than a pay one.
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The language. Not everybody can speak english. There are lots of people that only speak their own language, so a multilingual program should have again more points than a only english one.
So, for me, Spybot it´s a bit up in the clasification…
I see Ad-Aware in the list:
These comparison tests are not very accurate considering they do not go into depth or explain there testing. Notice how the testing posts percentages and not real numbers say 16 out of 25 ect… You can really skew results like this.
Here Spybot is the best!
CNET Test
Here Ad-aware is the best!
Download.com Test
The fact is you don’t need to pay for antispyware tools. Adaware, Spybot and Microsoft AntiSpyware will find more then any pay program.
Some new tests:
Pay products come out best:
Accuracy in detection (out of 10)1. Symantec (full scan) 9 2. Computer Associates 6 3. PC Tools (quick and full scans) 6 each</blockquote>The biggest disappointment of the testing was Lavasoft, which only managed to pick up one out of the nine items.Of Spybot:
Performance is average and the accuracy is dismal.Nobody tell you-know-who!
Hello FwF,
I have to agree with Mastertech here, it is just like with all tests. What were the criteria set, and what was tested at the moment. I say: “Oh is that so, maybe Spybot S & D had a bad day, or Ad Aware a slip of the database, better luck next testing time around”.
polonus
And another thing… I really don’t know why I even keep this Spybot on my machine since it can’t find a single thing since I installed SpywareBlaster on my machine. Besides that, I also run Ad-aware and after ad-aware is done with searching, all it finds are those cookies, nothing else… Really I don’t even remember when I saw those nasties last time on my machine…
Hi Sasza,
You do not see these nasties because you cannot contact them. You have them all nicely blocked. Why, because you use these blocking programs. I have the extra special protection of Adblock with the G-list in Flock, and what kind of pop-ups I see: ZERO. Be happy, and keep them where they are, backup their settings and forget about it,
polonus
I suspect the writer of this article is on Symantec’s payrole.
EDIT:Sasha this is the only reason i still keep SpyBot S&D:
What were the criteria set, and what was tested at the moment.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/software/security/0,39023452,39225147-12,00.htm
I suppose they chose the “wrong” spyware to test against? As did the people at PCPro?
Spybot had a bad day? Poor thing!
To coin a phrase:
To do poorly in one test is regarded as a misfortune, to do poorly in two is carelessness!
Too bad it does not hold up to real world testing.
hmm the thing is you don’t know what was tested, what was missed etc
from reading the zdnet and pcpro articles i assume they used AS programs to determine what’s spyware by e.g. (if x of y products thinks it’s spyware then it’s spyware or so) and if something not reporting it then it’s failing …
in short until these tests shows what it exactly missed and where and under what conditions (e.g. was Spybot S&D using beta signatures or not , oops such important detail is missing ) …
i keep finding these tests more and more useless …
The latest UK review:
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/labs/224/anti-spyware-software/products.html
(May require registration- users are asked to register after a certain number of page views.)
Ad-Aware and Spybot come out well in on-demand scanning.
In on-access scanning, the commercial scanners performed well except for Pest Patrol.
Microsoft Windows Defender (the only free scanner with on-access/real time protection) performed poorly.
It’s not the only free scanner with on-access/real time protection anymore…
http://www.spywareterminator.com/
The only one in the test, I meant. 
How does Spyware Terminator perform? Has it appeared in any comparative tests?
Hi FwF,
Spywarw terminator is just trying to get a green bill, there are still some anti-malware sites that advise against it. So that can be why?.
polonus
hey polonus…i had spyware terminator on my computer for a while-but i took it off after it was reporting “TOO” may false positives :
Why would anyone recommend an antispyware program that once distributed adware? ???
http://www.websearch.com/pr/pr_release.aspx
Although WebSearch Toolbar is not spyware, adware or malware it did facilitate a program that displays popup/popunder ads.They must be kidding.
Everyone has three very good programs to choose from for free: Adaware, Spybot Search and Destroy and Windows Defender.
hey mastertech…and don’t forget about spyware blaster
Amazing, the above websearch link posted by this fella isn’t available.Tried I.E. 6, Firefox, Latest version. Flock, latest version, Sea Monkey, latest version, Opera, latest version, no go. Wonder why a link is posted when it’s not accessible? I tried this at 23:19 CDT.