What technology would you be better off without, why?

Easy: antivirus. My devices don’t really need them. Before, this software was essential. Nowadays, you can get by without them. Years ago, when I bought my M1 Air, this JB salesperson upsold the need for Norton. It did nothing but slow down my MBA, as it is not optimised for Macs. You could manage by with being judicious, using the inbuilt antivirus (XProtect), and practicing common sense.

Anyway, I don’t have a good experience with this software. It’ll scan thousands of files and always find nothing. Or give false positives. I’ve tried Trend Micro, Malwarebytes, Intego, and others. Usually, human error or carelessness is to blame. This addition could only go so far. Without being cautious and prudent, you’ll never secure your devices.

BF

This Black Friday, the sales have been underwhelming, especially in store. The most offered was thirty percent off. Some stores didn’t even have promos.

Meanwhile, online sales weren’t too bad. Some had stacked discounts. A few phones were on all-time lows. However, 2022 was so much better. I got branded nubuck sneakers and a leather kit from Myer. Star Wars pyjamas off eBay. Stuff from iherb.

I’m glad that I shopped weeks before the big sale. Had I waited, the prices would’ve been the same. I might’ve missed out on the make that I wanted.

Myer

When I made that purchase, I opted against antivirus. I’ve seen how pointless it is. Even from the onset, not all devices required antivirus. Apple has a closed ecosystem. Every app in the App Store is meticulously checked, vetted, and tested before being approved. Unless jailbroken, only apps from the official App Store could be used with your Apple device.

I saw this Italian leather wallet at Myer. It seemed to have all the features but wasn’t the right size. Well, it was thirty percent off for Black Friday and has sold out. I’m relieved to have seen it in store before taking the punt.

This linen pant was selling for $70 at Myer. No one will know that it cost that much. There’s no branding. Still, people bought it. Why not go for something at Target? They look the same anyway. I have three linen pants and another three linen shorts. Enough to get me through summer. Speaking of Target, I bought this blue cotton lounge pants. It was on clearance for five bucks. The trousers feel the same as branded ones.

I was keen on this Tommy hoodie. It had a nice flag design and was pure cotton. From $249 down to $90. When it was reduced to clear, it still had plenty of fits. However, I have many items of similar colour, including three jumpers. Indeed, two Tommy tops – a tee and an LS tee – were the exact same hue (desert sky). While nice for summer, the dark colour would make me appear thinner. In the end, I successfully resisted the urge to grab it.

Remnant

The software is anachronistic. It would’ve mattered decades ago, when tech and the net were burgeoning. Back then, it was really necessary when browsing online. Before, I could see the software’s value.

Now, we could make the case for it being bloatware. It slows down your devices and is annoying. It uses a lot of system resources, affecting your battery. Don’t forget the cost, where you buy a few licences and extras that you don’t really need. Some are notoriously hard to uninstall, like a zombie that wouldn’t die.

In spite of this, antivirus has remained relevant. They’re still on the shelves at your local. Still peddled online. As long as salespeople market them, there will always be converts. Instead of getting antivirus, why not use it on word processors? On other productivity apps? Any software that promotes progress rather than regression is worth it. Even that linen pant is more cost efficient than that hideous antivirus.

Resources

Aside from being a waste of funds, it’s also a waste of time. The stretches that you spent waiting for the scan to conclude would be better used on other things. Imagine the nights when you’re held up by those ghastly scans. Only to find out that it found nothing. It’s just as bad as The Tinder Swindler. The worst part? You can never recover that lost time. There’s no iCloud backup for that.

It reminded me of the video review in the NBA. This was ubiquitous a few years ago. The game’s commentators would groan at the intermission, as it would prolong an already lengthy match. Nowadays, each coach is given two challenges per ballgame. This is a lot more palatable. League bosses have seen their shortcomings, responding accordingly.

Believe me, antivirus is not what it’s cracked up to be. It ain’t the cure-all for your device’s security. It will create issues, rather than solving them. These days, there are other ways to secure your network and devices. I’ll leave that to you to tease out.