Which is best to use

[repezza]

NOD32 ! Best a.v. software

[KaySterling]

I would also say NOD32.
I used Kaspersky a very long time but changed to NOD a couple of years ago and have never went back.
Now i use Eset Smart Security so i have Firewall & antivir in the same program.

[yevgeny]

theres really no subsitute for common sense when it comes to security. im currently using symantec endpoint. it is effective to a certain extent things like trojans its absolutely useless but i didn't have to click on that trojan either? the thing i like about it it has the old sygate firewall built into it and a spyware program

[Express]

i'm using NOD 32 and its perfect... smooth running

[#Palestinian#]

NOD32 is the best anti virus for these days even if reviews say that nod take the 3rd or 4th in rank .

[lostdemon]

I agree with many who have already posted that NOD32 os the best anti virus. I've tried many others and this one by far is the best and doesn't slow my pc down.

[lynx]

The question of which is best is very subjective. What's important is which you should stay away from, and the reasons why.

For me, performance is everything, but I'll only report on those products I've got personal experience of.

AVG used to be good, but from a performance point of view it is now well below average. Despite still having almost a year to run on my licence I've decided to dump it. False positives was also a big issue, deliberate action to remove what they consider to be illegal software is unacceptable.

Symantec Endpoint is overrated bloatware. I warned the people at work against installing it, but I was ignored. Now, just about every user is complaining about the performance of their PCs. I've had to set the protection level to the minimum possible without actually disabling it, but performance is still poor.

I'm now using ESS Smart Security (the full package above Nod32 for those who don't recognise the name) and apart from a few minor niggles about the configuration of the firewall I couldn't be happier.

I'd be interested to hear reasons why other people have rejected a particular brand of AV software, I think it is far more meaningful than saying which one they use.

[Snee]

What's important is which you should stay away from, and the reasons why.

'k, I gave up AVG 'cos it had a poor detection rate and let things through, while at the same time managing a lot of false positives, and I gave up kaspersky when it too started generating a lot of false positives (otherwise it's still brilliant) and because I didn't feel like digging for a key when I did my latest two reformats, what with being in a hurry. Otherwise it's not too bad on resources, though not the lightest.

I liked symantech corp, can't really recall what made me change, 'cept maybe that the interface was getting to me, and maybe it still used a bit too much resource-wise, although it felt far better than regular norton.

I'd never ever use panda myself, it's horrible from what I've seen of it. It eats far too many resources, and can make starting up windows annoying even on a fairly new computer. On the computers I've seen it installed it's been intrusive to the point of being a bigger hindrance than some malware I've encountered.

PC-cillin was pretty good when I used it ages ago, and I still use their site and tools sometimes, the fact that the online tools are as good as they are makes them excellent for a second opinion, IMO. Having another antivirus working from a different definition installed means I can use PC-cillin as a backup whenever I need it. As for usage of resources it's not the lightest either.

Used to use NOD 32's standalone scanner as a backup sometimes as well, but never really got around to using the whole thing, so can' comment on that, but I hear it too is light.

I currently use avast. Haven't had any false positives. It's light on resources (not sure if it's the lightest ever, but it's certainly good enough for me). And it seems to catch everything. Oh, and legal copies are free. I like that.

I've also got clamwin on a usb-stick, for when I need to help people with their computers. What there is of it is light and doesn't cost anything. Not sure it's something I'd rely on as my main solution, though.

[IdolEyes787]

I use Nod32 AV lynx but not the security suite because I was never enamored with the firewall.

I think Snee covered a lot and there's not much to disagree with so I'll just mention a couple that he didn't .

BitDefender is good but way too slow to scan for my liking and heavy as heck.
McAfee ,well I never knew anyone that was happy with it - low detection rate is it's main problem but it's also very intrusive.

If you're looking free I would serious consider either AntiVir Personal Edition Classic or Avast.
The free and Pro versions of Avast have the same detection, the Pro just has added script blocking and some other minor features.

[sovaz]

Alright we all know it...NOD32 is the best AV for this era...N the best thing about it is tat it never detect false-positives...So it's definitely the most reliable.