*NEW* VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware

It's difficult for a relative newcomer like VIPRE to introduce a brand-new version of antivirus software into this very competitive field.

But VIPRE is no ordinary antivirus.

And Sunbelt Software, makers of VIPRE, is no ordinary company.

With this release of VIPRE, Sunbelt has managed to pack a mighty blow against viruses, spyware, and all forms of malware in one powerful punch.

Not only has VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware come out of the corner swinging, but they've done it with the grace and expertise consumers demand from antivirus software.

It's easy to install, easy to use, and is the lightest running antivirus application we've ever seen.

Really, this should come as no surprise since Sunbelt, founded in 1994, has a track record of producing award-winning programs for Windows.

With their latest release of VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware, Sunbelt Software is getting rave reviews just about everywhere you look.

Among other things, we wanted to know:

Does it hold up against the powerful malware foes out there today? Can it really run that light and still be that potent?

In a word: yes.

After reviewing VIPRE, it easily captured the lead as the best antivirus software of 2009. Read our full comparison and review to find out why.

*NEW* BitDefender Antivirus 2010

BitDefender Antivirus 2010 proves to be very impressive again this year. It scored very well in every antivirus test we threw against it, with only a few minor deficiencies.

Real-time antivirus protection was excellent (one of the best we've seen), Resource usage was very low, and overall PC protection against viruses and other malware was top-notch.

In addition to improvements in antivirus detection, BitDefender Antivirus 2010 also brings improvements in the user interface, making the software quite a bit easier to use.

They've split the interface into three separate sections: Novice, Intermediate, and Expert.

This is becoming a trend in antivirus software interfaces, and BitDefender really does a great job with it in presentation and ease of use.

*NEW* Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010

Kaspersky has been a serious antivirus contender for many years now, and this year is no different.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 packs a solid punch against viruses, spyware, adware, and other malware.

It's a lean but potent antivirus application that does what it says: protects your PC against virus and malware attacks.

And Kaspersky does it well.

For more comprehensive protection (from a standalone antivirus program to an Internet Security Suite / antivirus firewall software), Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 is an excellent choice for more robust PC security protection.

Kaspersky's new all-in-one antivirus firewall software solution, while more expensive than some competitors, is a great product worth considering.

It's fast, lightweight, and offers the type of PC protection against viruses, spyware, worms, trojans, and other malware you'd expect from one of the best antivirus programs.

$39.95

*NEW* Panda Antivirus Pro 2010

Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 makes solid improvements this year to its core antivirus software.

As one of the few antivirus applications that includes a firewall by default, Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 performs well in most areas.

Where it counts, Panda maintains a decent record of good real-time protection and an average firewall. Their spyware and adware removal rate wasn't as clean as we'd like to see, but it was still effective.

Panda's overall system usage was impressive and very low compared to most other antivirus software we've tested, and we're glad to see a nice, simple user interface.

Where Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 really lacks this year is in the anti-phishing and customer service departments.

All in all, Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 is good antivirus firewall software. If you don't think you'll ever need phone or chat-based technical support, Panda is a good choice.

$49.95

*NEW* Norton AntiVirus 2010

Norton AntiVirus 2010 is somewhat of an improvement over last year's version, but there's still some room to grow.

We're glad to see a few solid improvements in real-time protection, faster definition updates, and good Instant Messaging protection.

The user interface is usable but might be too complicated for the average user.

Their resource usage is better, but still an issue this year. And the spyware/adware protection was far less than impressive.

Norton's email antivirus protection was average and not as directly active as it should be. But overall, Norton AntiVirus 2010 holds a solid place in the "average" range.

$39.99

*NEW* McAfee VirusScan Plus 2010

One of the best-known names in antivirus software, McAfee has built a reputation in both consumer and corporate antivirus softare.

The latest release we reviewed was their McAfee VirusScan Plus 2010, which showed a few improvements from last year.

The user interface is simple and straightforward, a big plus in our book in these days of needlessly heavy UI.

The real-time protection has been improved significantly and is now among the best, but we found mixed results generally and felt that the overall effectiveness of McAfee antivirus is still lacking.

The inclusion of a firewall software is a very nice addition to McAfee. Most antivirus software doesn't include a firewall by default, so we're glad to see McAfee delivering true antivirus firewall software.

$39.99

*NEW* Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2010

Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware 2010 hasn't made any significant changes since last year's version that we could see.

The user interface is nice and easy to use, but the actual antivirus and antispyware functions is still lacking.

To begin with, the antivirus real-time protection only identified and captured around 50% of the incoming virus and malware attacks we sent at our test machines.

The antispyware results were just as poor. While the software detected all spyware, it was only able to remove about 66%, leaving around a third of the spyware still on the machine.

$39.95

*NEW* CA Anti-Virus 2009

CA is a well-known antivirus software company with a long reputation; however, their antivirus software offers neither a low price nor outstanding support options necessary to compete with today's best antivirus software.

That said, CA Antivirus has made fairly significant improvements in manual virus scanning, email protection, and IM protection, and it even supports both POP and IMAP email clients, which is actually somewhat unique for antivirus software.

Overall, its feature and performance are adequate for most users.

The areas where CA antivirus falls short are in the user interface, resource usage, customer support, and to some degree real-time antivirus protection.

The user interface was clunky: our testers found it hard to navigate and find what they needed quickly.

Resource usage was at times quite heavy and fluctuated radically; CA seemingly hasn't put as much effort into reducing their overall footprint as the compeition.

Read on for our full review of CA Antivirus Plus Anti-Spyware 2010.