Is difference in protection offered really worth worrying about?

On the signature front, sure, the differences are so tiny it's almost yawn inducing, though if you dig into the detail of the AV Comparative reports you'll see there are some finer details worth noting that are missing from the overall chart.

Heuristics still allows products to stand apart though, there is a real divide there, and even some which score well like AntiVir are high on the false positive front.

For me though, the real battle ground is performance. The attack vectors for viruses are decreasing, and the programs themselves are getting better at spotting the nasties, so I want something that isn't going to get in my way or affect my use of the machine.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Also, different users have different needs. Hence resulting in configuration, and using AV's not at the top of the pack.

 

That's why I actually said the "best av's",not 2nd tier products with little or no development and backup