anti virus software? Bill?

[wendmatt]

I know there have been other threads but wondered if there is any new info. We just got a new computer and it has Vista. Right now it has mcAfee for 2 more weeks, I used to have this and it always slowed down the computer. Is it better now or should I just go with AVG or something?
Thanks

[BillK]

I hate McAfee - I still like AVG for a freebie.

For a pay one - I like ESET Nod32 (all my office computers have it) - and the new Norton isn't too bad either (I have it on my big-bad PC I use and it's worked well - but I'll probably go back to AVG once it expires - it slowed my wife's older machine to a crawl and we went back to AVG on hers).

[missym]

While I grumble sometimes about Norton, Norton AV 2009 is the Deal of the Day at Buy.com for $16 shipped. Just FYI.
http://www.buy.com/prod/norton-antivirus-2009-1-user/q/loc/105/208809770.html

[AngelaS]

We love Avast and my resident computer geek highly recommends it. He had to go take a virus off a friend's Norton protected computer the other night. The same one he removed from my sister's Norton protected computer. :P

avast.com is where you can get it for free. :)

[missym]

Well I'm the last one who would ever leap to Norton's defense, but I know some people like it so I thought I'd pass along the deal just in case. ;)

[BillK]

Actually - I forgot about Avast - I've used it in the past and it worked well - and the price was right! I did however find the GUI to be a bit more complex than AVG's (it's kind of like a multimedia player setup - like WinAmp or Windows Media player - I found it kind of weird). Avast does always get pretty high marks for a freebie though.

Another free AV program that I've used previously and liked is AntiVir - available at: http://free-av.com/

I'd suggest you look at all 3 and decide which one best suits your needs. In fact - now that I'm looking at Avast and AntiVir again - I may just remove AVG on my wife's computer and see how AntiVir does again.

http://free-av.com/
http://www.avast.com/
http://free.avg.com/

(kinda funny how they all start with the letter A)

[wendmatt]

Thanks so much. I am a simpleton so whichever one is easiest to do will be my best. Any ideas which one that would be? Bill, you could've been talking a foreign language! It made me think Avast would be tricky to install, what do you think?

[BillK]

they'll all be easy to install really.

from a simple to use stand point - I'd still give AVG the nod - however both Avast and AntiVir have their strong points.

I think AVG is more of a set-and-forget kind of deal - while you have more customization options with Avast - and even more with AntiVir.

[jerigirl]

We use Antivir. (I should say DH uses Antivir on my computer.) We haven't had any problems. We also just got a new computer with Vista.