Avast! version 5 Preview, Final Release due this Fall

Avast! is still my favorite antivirus after three years of computing experience. There are other free antivirus out there, such as AVG and Avira which are the more common ones, but Avast! will always remain one of my primary recommended antivirus, not because of its very high detection rate, but of its stability, low resources consumption & interactive user experience provided. Currently, Avast! antivirus in the market is still at version 4, which has been around for nearly four years and in my opinion, definitely needed a change.

If i'm not mistaken, the Alwil team first talked about developing version 5 of Avast way back in 2007 or even earlier. Surprisingly, instead of hyping up the antivirus during the development stages like Bitdefender & Norton often did, Avast! kept a very low profile on v5, so low that it is almost impossible to get reliable information on their progress. The only known component which Avast! ever leaked about their v5 antivirus is perhaps the Avast! Antirootkit, first surfaced in 2008 which uses the GMER antirootkit technology.

The wait is almost over, though.

During late July, Avast! personnel started revealing what would be the most complete information on their latest edition of antivirus, Avast! v5. The news can be found in Avast!'s own blog, with the first official posting dated back in 20th July 2009. An Avast! personnel who goes by the username of "vlk" revealed some details on what users can expect of the new security software. To summarize everything he/she said about Avast! v5, here are some important facts released:

1. Avast! v5 will be offered in three forms:
A) a free AV (that will supersede avast! 4.8 Home Edition). This version will share the same
basic features of Avast! v4 Home Edition.
B) a paid AV (successor of avast! Professional Edition). This version will have an additional
virtualization module apart from all the features in avast! Pro v4.
C) a full Internet Security Suite. This is the first time Avast! ever release their product in a
bundle. The Internet Security will feature antispam & firewall module.

2. All three products will share the same antivirus engine (e.g. all of them will still have exactly same detection rates) that has been substantially improved and optimized. vlk claimed that the new engine can detect more viruses, while actually consuming less resources.

3. All three products feature a new user interface which has been completely redesigned for this new version. The dual (simple vs. enhanced) UI model is scrapped and replaced with a single comfortable console, designed for both novice and experienced users.

4. Avast! v5 now supports heuristics detection & potentially unwanted programs officially. Heuristics can be found in Avast! v4, but Alwil did not emphasize it nor market it outwardly.

Here are some of its screenshots. I hope you'll like it!

This is one antivirus with very heavy modifications, as proven by its many new functions & enhancements according to the screenshots. It's now make or break for Avast! v5. Bring on the beta!