Avast! free edition is what I've been using for the past 7 years. I've never had a virus while using avast. one possible negative i can think of is Avast used to be a smaller and faster low-profile piece of software. recent updates have given it a make-over and while more visually appealing, i think it just adds bulk and unnecessary bells and whistles. though to be fair, compared to any other antivirus software i've used, its still comparatively light on the cpu, ram, and hd use. Until something better comes along, I'll continue to use Avast, along with the other 200,000,000+ people that use it.
as for pay programs, i have no idea. maybe one of avast pro editions offer some features you desire. if you just want anti-virus and nothing else, avast free does the job. i haven't paid for antivirus protection since the 90s. both McAfee and Norton were junk then, and probably still are. i wouldn't trust any company that is new or otherwise doesn't have a large user base and good longstanding reputation. asking for security advice on a forum like this probably isn't a very reliable source of information. do some google searching and do your own research as well. just make sure you can tell the difference between real reviews and a staged sales pitch.
its important to differentiate viruses from malware. for malware protection, i'd recommend using Malwarebytes free edition and do a scan about once a month (or more often if you feel its necessary);. this will detect spyware, adware, data miners, and other nasty things possibly hidden in your registry or software.
This post was edited by NatureNames on Apr 7 2014 10:25am