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This is undoubtedly more readable and instructive for the novice, and we can salute the effort made by Bitdefender to make its software accessible. Now, these actions are systematically hidden behind a single "Open" or "Settings" link, and the space is now taken up by the description of the features. A bubble allowed novice users to see what the functionality consisted of. Previously, in the Protection section, for example, one could directly access actions of the different modules such as antivirus, firewall or Advanced Threat Defense. On the other hand, one small change bugs us. In short, this adds clicks to perform the same actions, and what is a step forward for one type of user is a bit of a step back for the other target audience. The problem is that this approach is somewhat to the detriment of "expert" users, who had direct shortcuts to specific features in the pre-2021 editions, and these are now hidden behind "Open" or "Settings" buttons. And it does indeed make the software less complex and even mysterious to the general public. This is also what Avast antivirus does brilliantly. A very good point to reinforce the pedagogical side of the application and the guidance of the beginner user. In order to be more approachable for the general public, the editor has reviewed the organisation of the different sections (Protection, Privacy, Utilities.), putting a bit of colour in the visuals, and especially using the space to embellish them with explanations of the role of the different modules. The latest visual update of Bitdefender has introduced a small change on which we remain divided, as it breaks precisely with the balance mentioned above. You still can't disable it and for experts, that's unfortunate, especially as it limits the customisation possibilities of this home screen, which by default offers access to quick or full scan, VPN or even the SafePay secure browser for banking in an isolated environment. And while Bitdefender Total Security's interface hasn't changed since our last comparison after a slight visual overhaul, it still manages to pull off this big upset relatively well, still taking advantage of its Autopilot mode that provides recommendations to the user on the home screen. This is no mean feat, and many software programs fall into one excess or the other, when they don't change their approach, alienating the regulars in order to seduce a wider audience, a reproach that could be made to the recent editions of Avira for example.
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For an antivirus, the ideal interface must be able to suit two very different user audiences: seasoned technophiles who know exactly what they are doing with their device, and complete beginners for whom an antivirus must above all be a safety net, and this therefore implies having both a certain complexity in the functionalities and settings it offers, while at the same time being simple to access, didactic and not too intimidating for the general public.
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