Anti-Virus programs

[R'as al Ghul]

Add to that that they "recommend" you to do a full system scan every time you reboot....well on my computer a full system scan (I have 4 HDs) takes 6 hours and most of that is the main drive. Not to mention that the system hit you get from most of them is like 3-10% which makes me wonder if it would be better for my system performance overall just to get a damn virus now and then.

I know what they're there for, I'm just venting.

If your PC isn't running 24/7 then I wouldn't recommend a "full system scan".
It takes too many resources. (mine runs overnight)
Once the full scan is completed it is sufficient
to have the on-access-function on. It protects you during run time. It checks
the files you're operating with.
New infections are most likely to come by through e-mail.
So, an e-mail protection is the most important thing.
For the full security a full-system scan should be done frequently, though.
I'd recommend to start it once you're finished with your work.
AVG has recently been tested in the German computer mag "ct" as the fastest scanner .
(Many orgahs favour it and its free.)
McAfee and Norton received the lowest marks in this test, btw.

EDIT: An anecdote concerning Norton AntiVirus. The recent version brings back
Dr. Solomon, the virusscanner from the last millenium, on their rescue disk.
It contains virus definitions from as late as 2002.