I have vista installed and need to install a good antivirus program before I connect to the internet. I was looking at NOD 32. I was using norton corporate on my xp machine and it worked fine. Is there really that big of a difference beetween antivirus programs, and even moreso in vista?

Kaspersky Internet security 7.0 is good. You can download a free 30 day trial. You can get the oem from purplus.com for $20. Its $75 at newegg for the full version.

what's the difference. one just comes with the manual and the other doesn't.

Kaspersky is probably the best you could install on a Home computer.

Don't waste your cash on anything else

Should I get the anti-virus or internet security. I never like the norton internet securities. it was a pain to setup. the anti-virus version is sufficient right?

I gather you are referring to Kaspersky

Kaspersky Internet Security includes a very good firewall, but I don't think it's worth the extra cost when Free Firewalls like Comodo 3.0 are avaliable. Comodo firewall works just fine with Kaspersky Anti-virus and very efficient, although it does like to display many alerts.

You can download Comodo firewall here:

www.Comodo.com

For only $20, Id get the internet security 7.0 over the anti-virus for a couple bucks less. It includes phishing/spam filters and a firewall that anti-virus doesnt have.
I have no idea what comes in the retail box, Ive always bought oem.

What do you guys use for anti-spyware/malware. On the webiste i usually download this stuff from all the programs like Adware 2007, spybot, spywareblaster, windows defender are not compatible with Vista64.

I use AVG myself, Free, free updates, do a google on it you will find it, but I think it's free.grisoft.com is the link for it. I think. Also I use spybot, adaware, those work fine on vista for me. But I'm using the 32 bit OS. Also, I use my own software firewall.

The one I'm using is "PC Tools Firewall Plus" Also free. And I have my own home network between my pc and my wife's laptop, both of which are hidden behind a wireless router, with firewall features. So yeah. But personally if I were you, and I've done this, I'd just run the free AVG antivirus, and then test for spyware every few weeks, and get one of the free firewall programs, zonealarm is also free and is decent. That's my 2 cents, why should I pay for what I can get free and legal. Then I'll deal with any headaches IF my pc is infected by some chance, b/c I'm not forking out 50 bucks and then more for the program each year.

AVG is a good AV for free, but paid for programs like Kaspersky have better detection rates. Good deals can sometimes be found by shopping around.

i BOUGHT KASPERSKY FOR 20 AT PURPLUS...I THINK THAT'S A GOOD DEAL

Cool, are ya using the free trial meanwhile?