Im setting up a new laptop, and want to install anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-adware software. I've decided on Norton anti-virus. I'm thinking that the average user only requires three or four programs to provide a pretty good level of security from adware and spyware, so can someone give me a short list? also, between norton anti virus and your suggestions, how much RAM do these programs use up in resident memory? Many thanks.

• Free Antivirus programs instead of Norton.
AVG
How to Install, Configure, and Use AVG

Avast
How to Install, Configure, and Use Avast Antivirus

• Free malware scanning/removal programs:
Ad-Aware SE
Spybot S&D
MS AntiSpyware beta
Ewido Anti-Malware v3.5
Ewido Install and Scan Instructions

Free alternate browsers for general web surfing [you must use IE for windows update]:
Mozilla Firefox
Opera

• Free browser security programs:
SpywareGuard [protects your homepage from being hijacked]: How to Use Tutorial
SpywareBlaster [non-resident utility that blocks known malware sites by adding them to IE's restricted sites zone]: How to Use Tutorial
IE-SPYAD [blocks even more malware sites by adding hem to IE's restricted sites zone]: Install-Uninstall Tutorial

AVG uses slightly less RAM than Norton; you should always have a resident firewall on your computer, as well as an AV and one or two anti-spyware applications. of which Spybot and Ad-AwareSE are the most popular (and for reason).
Regards,
John