update Security features in Microsoft's upcoming Windows Vista operating system do not negate the need to use third-party antivirus software, according to Microsoft co-president Jim Allchin.
In a post on his blog late last week, Allchin tried to clarify some media reports that followed a teleconference which implied Allchin said Vista's security settings were so strong, users wouldn't need third-party antivirus software.
"[It is] clear from the [teleconference] transcript that I didn’t say that users shouldn’t run antivirus software with Windows Vista!
"I want to be clear, most users will use some form of antivirus software, and that will be appropriate for their scenarios," he wrote in the post.
Allchin noted that Windows Security Center encouraged the use of antivirus software.
The misunderstanding arose from an example Allchin related to reporters of the "defense-in-depth" measures in Vista.
He had said his seven-year-old son browsed selected Web sites using a locked-down version of Vista without antivirus software. These features dramatically improved security, according to Allchin.
"My point in bringing up this extreme example was really meant to emphasise that importance of defense-in-depth measures we put in Windows Vista -- both the number of defenses and their combined effectiveness," Allchin wrote.
"Now, the comments have unfortunately been cited out of context implying that I said Windows Vista users shouldn’t use antivirus".
Vista is due for release to business users on November 30. The launch of Vista -- to be held in conjunction with the release of Microsoft Office 2007 -- is the first full-fledged update to the operating system since Windows XP in 2001.
"640K ought to be enough for anybody." - Bill Gates, 1981
"Vista won't need antivirus." - Jim Allchin, 2006