The Panda Antivirus 2007 appears to be quite an anti-virus software value. The $29.95 MSRP includes a license to run the software on two computers. The program includes anti-spyware and anti-phishing tools, as well as anti-virus tools. It even checks outgoing email to keep you from unwittingly spreading viruses.

With such a low price, we figured there had to be a catch, and there is. First off, we couldn't find a way to schedule scans. You can perform a manual scan any time, but if you're like most people, you will soon forget about performing the weekly scan recommended by most anti-virus applications. This doesn't mean you're entirely unprotected, of course. Panda uses a real-time scanning technique that checks every file and folder you access.

Also lacking is a quarantine option for files and folders flagged as infected. Instead of quarantining a file for you to check later, Panda disinfects the file if it can, and gives you the option to delete or ignore a possibly infected file. Most anti-virus applications put a suspect file in a specially protected location, which prevents the file from being run, but keeps it on your system until you decide what to do with it.

The standard two-pane interface displays objects in the left pane, and the results of selecting an object in the right pane. The interface is easy to navigate, which is a good thing, because the settings require quite a bit of tweaking in order to get Panda working at top condition. Out of the box, Panda doesn't check email attachments. Heuristic scanning is not turned on by default, either; other settings will need to be enabled and tuned to suit your needs. Once configured, though, Panda does a very good job of finding known viruses and spyware. Scanning speeds are good, and the real-time scanning that occurs in the background is unobtrusive, with little impact on system performance.

The Panda Antivirus 2007 is a good anti-virus software choice for individuals who have a good understanding of security concerns, and who feel comfortable fine-tuning software settings.


Pros: Two-user license. Includes anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-phishing capabilities
Cons: No option to schedule scanning, no file quarantine capabilities, default settings don't provide maximum protection