Panda Antivirus Platinum 7.0

With familiar drop-down menus, helpful wizards and a Web-like Home screen, Panda Antivirus Platinum 7.0 is sure to please anti-virus beginners. Like its competitors, Panda scans incoming and outgoing mail for viruses, prevents malicious Visual Basic and JavaScript files from running amok, and updates its virus definitions via the Internet. Version 7.0 also features a personal firewall to prevent Internet interlopers from accessing your computer, a tool found in McAfee's VirusScan 7.0 but not Norton AntiVirus 2003. However, Panda falls short on its virus-detection skills and telephone technical support. Nevertheless, current Platinum 6.0 users will want to upgrade for the improved interface and new firewall, but everyone else should opt for either McAfee or Norton.