Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0

The name Kaspersky may not be widely recognized to most consumers when it comes to software, but they've certainly become champions in the antivirus arena. Founded in 1997, the company has mainly been involved in antivirus solutions for home and business users. Their antivirus scan engine can be found in over 50 software security products from different manufacturers, so they're no slouches when it comes to virus protection.

Despite its relatively high cost, overall this product is our top choice this year with plenty of great features.

$59.95

BitDefender Antivirus 2008

Overall, BitDefender is a solid antivirus program. Like our Editor's Choice, Kaspersky, BitDefender offers hourly updates and a great bang for your buck. BitDefender Antivirus 2008 installs easy, uses minimal PC resources, has an intuitive interface, and protects your computer against all malware tested with a 96% accuracy rate. And if that wasn't enough, it's inexpensive as well!

BitDefender has been a strong competitor in the antivirus field for some time, but they've really stepped up their game in this version.

$24.95

Norton AntiVirus 2008

The good thing about Norton AntiVirus 2008 is that its still a solid tool for removing and preventing viruses, spyware, and other malware from infecting your computer. Norton has been the leader for many years and rightfully so. Symantec (the makers of Norton) has and still is one of the best antivirus software programs out there.

So why is it only number three on our list this year? They've fallen short in the usability of their product. It's a big clumsy and heavy on resources.

$39.99

McAfee VirusScan® Plus

McAfee once was a top dog in the antivirus arena, and still is to some degree. While McAfee VirusScan Plus does exactly what it says it does, compared to the competition, it falls short in other categories. For one thing, it doesn't offer hourly antivirus updates like our top picks do: it only updates daily. With the speed that viruses grow, a day is simply too long. Another minus is the fact that McAfee is big on selling your upgrades with this VirusScan Plus package.

$39.99

Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2008

Trend Micro may not be a household name, but they hold their own when it comes to lean and mean antivirus protection. The program runs light on resources, has a sleek user interface, and decent virus blocking capabilities, and good antispyware.

So why is Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2008 lower on our list? There haven't been enough independent tests done on their actual antivirus capabilities, especially against its top competitors. Could this mean they're trying to hide something? Hard to say. But without independent confirmation of its abilities, we can only go on how the software runs upon install.

$39.95