Vista - Need help on AV software

Greetings,


I am an old novice so please be kind! My son recently gifted me a laptop which came installed with windows vista. It also had Norton antivirus trial version which is about to expire. Now I am looking forward to buy one.
While doing my bit of research I came across two software one is Norton antivirus and the other is Norton internet security.
http://www.checkoutsoftware.com/syma...rus-2009_p5000
http://www.checkoutsoftware.com/syma...ity-2009_p4996
I just want to know the disparity between the two. Which one should I buy?

Norton was good at one time, but isn't any longer.

Avast or AVG free is far better. I have used AVG free for years now, no virus problems.

Uhhh...that's a matter of opinion, and a little research goes a long way. I could add that I use Kaspersky Anti-Virus and have had no virus problems either; nor did I have them with Norton Anti-Virus, which I used for years (1998-2008, Win98-Vista 32). Kaspersky on Vista x64

Search the internet and read some reviews.

And to be honest, opinions vary wildly on this "touchy" subject

Just to answer your question - Internet Security comes with a spyware program which looks for files and program designed to steal or read your personal information and/or spy on your internet habbits, to include your banking on other on-line personal information. Anti-Virus programs just look for viruses or such that could infect your system and that of others.

Internet Security suites incorporate both spyware and malware (virus) programs, thus the added costs.

That's it in a nutshell. Hope that helps.

ill keep it simple Firewall, Antivirus, Antispam: ESET Smart Security Has It All


and the best thing about it apart from its fantastic AV protection and low memory usage , if a new version comes out and your a subscriber , you get it for free.

New NOD32 4 & Smart Security 4 Released!!!

And, of course, Internet Security includes a firewall, easier to configure than the Vista one.

if i was to buy any sceruity for my pc i would buy ..
kaspersky as i find its the best ...
i had virus come through avg/norton all them this best one i found yet ..
thats what i think anyways ..
nod 32 is good as well

oops...How did I miss that one. LOL

Thanks.

Hi paulburt99,

Norton's 2009 range has vastly improved over previous years versions and as you state that you are a novice, I would stick with what you know and has worked for you. If you look at Norton's site HERE, you can see a comparison of their products. You will also notice that the pricing is a lot less than the prices shown in the links in your post (just in case you were thinking of buying from that site ).

• PC World: Top Internet security suites
  
• PCMag.com: The best security suites for 2009
  
• Maximum PC: Antivirus software roundup — protect your PC from guys like this!

I have Norton Internet Security 2009 installed on a family members computer and it works well for them. I have no personal experience with Eset's or Kaspersky's products and they may indeed be better choices than Norton, but I have had feedback that Kaspersky's alerts may be a little hard for a new or inexperienced user to interpret.

The best place to find a good Antivirus/antimalware program is to check the Comparision testing labs where the various products are tested for performance and detection abilities under rigorous real world situations- the most important features of any product is the ability to detect and prevent infection of new and arising threats (Heuristic detection), and to do it without falsly labeling Legitimate Windows/program features as threats (which can result in Windows/Program instability and crashes due to corruption- Norton failed this aspect badly with many false detections of malware).

The two best, and most authoritive Labs are: AV-Comparatives and Virus Bulletin.

Websites like "PC Mag/PC World" recommend Products- This should be taken with a grain of salt. It is what's refered to as "Editor's choice", and usually is a result of an Antivirus vendor paying them to promote their product for them. There is no Lab Comparision, or testing of the products involved.

Under recent Antivirus testing two programs came out on top, and these are the best on the market:
Avira Professsional and Eset's NOD32