Best Antivirus?

It really has nothing to do with the power of Microsoft or Apple or as far as that goes Google. It has to do with the number of talented individuals out there that just love to hack and get a kick out creating viruses. Most of them pick Microsoft IE as their target just because of it wider customer base....that is all. Looking at it from that perspective Firefox Mozilla is probably the safest bet but I choose to use all three and there is really little difference in how they operate. I prefer Google Chrome because it just is faster for me and that is a personal preference. Like I said I have really not had any problems at all (except with other people computers). Common since not paranoia is the recipe that avoids most problems. Trying to get free material through services like Limewire is usually the culprit for most people that develop serious problems. I am sure most of us don't have to worry about that. Happy surfing and "Tenga cuidado."
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frkshnwa wrote:Free version of AVG 2012. It does not slow your computer down like many other programs. Go to http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage. Just be sure and don't select any of the optional toolbars. Winner of many computer magazine awards. Used by several IT professionals I work with on their own home systems.

I used to use AVG and really liked it - but it slowed my computer to a crawl. Has it changed in some way. I think it is better than Microsoft Security Essentials but I didn't like the slow down.

I've been running AVG on one of my computers for at least 2 - 3 years. The others are running Avast. Having used Norton, McAfee and PCilin, I have found AVG and Avast have the least overhead (don't slow the computer down) and get the job done.
Are you sure it was AVG that was slowing down your system?

I have never installed all of the options for AVG. Only the anti-virus function. As with many of the the anti-virus products they try and install anti-spyware, tool bars etc...... Also when you first install it it wants to do a complete analysis of your drives and suggest additional product functions which can make everything slow until you have completed the scans and the option setups. These are just my guesses for any slowdowns anyone might be experiencing using AVG. I usually install it on new systems and the scan and setup time are minimal. I have experienced the slowdown on Norton and McAfee. The last McAfee product I installed (2011) didn't make it easy to refuse all the functions I didn't want and even though the upgrade was free through Comcast I opted to use AVG. I install only the Anti-virus and use other tools for spyware and system cleanup. I must admit that I have not used Microsoft Security Essentials so can't really say anything about the MS product. There are many out there and I think the most important thing about your choice is does it keep "you" safe and "what do you feel comfortable with and how simple it is for you to install and maintain". Happy surfing!!

juanrey wrote:I've been running AVG on one of my computers for at least 2 - 3 years. The others are running Avast. Having used Norton, McAfee and PCilin, I have found AVG and Avast have the least overhead (don't slow the computer down) and get the job done.
Are you sure it was AVG that was slowing down your system?

It was more than 2 years ago and I'm sure because once I deletedit and used Microsoft Security Essentials it really got much faster.

I also canned AVG because it bogged my box. Now I am happy with ZoneAlarm Pro. It's a firewall and V trapper. Works great.

Rolly wrote:I also canned AVG because it bogged my box. Now I am happy with ZoneAlarm Pro. It's a firewall and V trapper. Works great.

Did you have to pay for it Rolly? I noticed the "Pro" and that usually means there is a charge.

Yes, there is an annual fee.

In my trials of various security programs, I have found that trying the free version first provides me with an idea of just how they work and then I can compare what more the pay version offers. I am currently using the pay version of Avast and am extremely happy. The way I view it, you spend a fair amount of money on a computer and maybe additional programs - why take a chance on your security programs by being on the cheap?