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The Evolution or Revolution?

Panda has released a free anti-Virus offering that resides mostly off the host system and in the cloud. Using ‘Collective Intelligence’, along with distributed computing and a global and community-based platform, Panda has said this new offering is entirely different from what it’s created in the past.

It is the first anti-virus software which implements cloud computing: during scans of your computer the software connects to Panda’s powerful servers holding the anti-virus logic on the Internet, or cloud. Advantages include that the Panda Antivirus cloud knows which computer infections are in the wild so that the software can be helpful to indentify and fight 0-days attacks. Users of Panda Cloud Antivirus on the other hand – according to the vendor – don’t need to worry about the latest anti-virus signature file as the cloud is always up to date. It remains to be seen though how well Panda Cloud Antivirus protects your computer in real-time when accessing objects, particularly when your Internet is not available.

System Requirements

Panda Cloud Antivirus runs on 32-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows XP with SP2 or higher; Internet Explorer 6 or later also has to be present on your computer. Further minimum requirements for the installation are 100 MB of free hard disk space and 64 MB RAM.

Installation and Setup

The 18.7 MB CloudAntivirus.exe first extracts itself into temporary file locations and then prompts you for the product language (English, German and Spanish). The next screen contains a link to the EULA, and lets you choose the installation path. However, before you click Accept and Install on the same page note the ticked check-box under Automatic management of possible viruses: “I want to enable automatic management of possible viruses for my computer to automatically and anonymously send the information necessary to Panda Security”.

Should Panda Cloud Antivirus detect an incompatible program in the course of the install, it will try to remove it. Panda detected AVG 8.5 as being incompatible, but its attempt at removal failed. The Panda setup window then disappeared from my screen. After removing AVG manually through Control Panel and re-initiating the install, setup of Panda Cloud Antivirus completed quickly.

User Interface

The Panda Cloud Antivirus interface is light, straightforward and cool! Its main screen has icons for settings, scan and report along with a general status indicator displaying a tick on green background for correct system state, an exclamation mark on yellow surroundings to call for your attention, and a cross on red background if your computer is in danger. On the right bottom corner of the interface you see an arrow. Click it and the interface flips! Yet, flipping is the only way to access the Panda Cloud Antivirus Recycle bin explained in the section features.

Final Verdict?

This piece of free antivirus still has a long way to go before it can really rip off its BETA status. Panda needs to improve its installation process as it can be a daunting task for newer platforms like Vista and Windows 7.