Intego VirusBarrier X9 for Mac

Intego VirusBarrier X8 for Mac builds a line of defense against viruses, Trojans, and other forms of malware online and offline, having the capability to do both on-demand and scheduled scanning. Overall, it's a potent antivirus, but not the most accessible.

Pros

Minimalistic and intuitive interface: Intego VirusBarrier X8 takes out the difficulty of configuring and using a malware protection software -- you can just drag and drop folders you want to scan to the left side panel of the application's main interface. All the essential settings for real-time scanning and scheduled scanning are available at the bottom of the UI.

Can detect Windows malware: This ability of Intego VirusBarrier X8 for Mac is great for those who regularly use both Windows and Mac computers. It can prevent your Mac from serving as a malware carrier or the source of infection in a network.

Malware detection notification: If you set Intego VirusBarrier X8 to automatically run scans even when you're away from your Mac or while somebody else is using your Mac, you will be informed if there have been viruses or malware detected via email.

Profiles: You can create profiles for different network connections to customize the kind of protection you need for your computer. You can set it to automatically switch profiles as your Mac connects to different networks, or you can switch profiles manually.

Cons

Not available on the App Store: A malware protection software that does not meet Apple's official App Store standards seems less trusty.

Requires a lot of space: This antivirus requires a whopping 1.5GB of HD space.

Bottom Line

With its good scanning features and notifications, Intego VirusBarrier X8 looks like a capable malware protection option but is held back by its price and huge install size. There are cheaper, smaller, more viable solutions on the App Store.

Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of Intego VirusBarrier X8 for Mac 10.8.1.