My five year old home computer came with Norton Antivirus. I’ve never updated Norton because the updates require a credit card. Subsequently, I’ve never felt comfortable about downloading programs from the internet (also because of the long time it takes). Do you know of any good antivirus software?

It is quite important to scan for viruses on your computer. However, more and more viruses these days are being transmitted through emails and alike rather than through infected programs on the internet. Despite this, it is still a good idea to scan for viruses to gain peace of mind. As you mentioned, your computer came with Norton Antivirus. Since you have not updated it in five years, I think that it is time for you to obtain a new virus scanner. Most virus scanners are much of a muchness these days. I suggest that you have a look around the internet at the major virus scanners and make your own decision. Norton Antivirus is still a very good virus scanner and comes with one year of free virus definition file updates. For a full list of features have a look at www.symantec.com/region/au_nz/product/nav/nav_9xnt/features.html. Another virus scanner you might want to browse is McAfee (www.mcafee.com). The choice is ultimately yours. Most of the major virus scanners (eg. Norton) are available in computer shops.