new computer...advice on what I should use

I just got a new computer a couple days ago. It came with a trial version of Trend Micro Internet Security. I haven't activated it yet though. Is this any good? or should i delete it and get something offline for free. or should i pay for something that is even better?
I downloaded mbam already. is it worth the paid upgrade or should the free be enough....
What all do I need to have on here to be protected against viruses/malware/adware and whatever else that can screw stuff up.
And what do u all think is the best?

on my old lap top i had downloaded rootkill or something of the sort to help shut down malware stuff when it hits. i also had some online scanner that i can't remember the name now...what about having stuff like this on here?
basically just any advice starting from scratch. thanks and happy early vday <3 to everyone =)

Simple and easy ways to keep your computer safe and secure on the Internet

Choosing a security toolkit with anti-virus, firewall and anti-malware programs is a matter of personal preference, your technical ability and experience, features offered, the amount of resources utilized, how it may affect system performance and what will work best for your system. A particular combination that works well for one person may not work as well for another. There is no universal "one size fits all" solution that works for everyone. You may need to experiment and find what is most suitable for your needs. Another factor to consider is whether you want to use paid for products or free alternatives.

I'm not an advocate of suites. All-in-one tools and suites generally use more system resources than separate programs that do the same task. They tend to have varying degrees of strengths and weaknesses for each feature. In contrast, separate tools are designed, built and maintained with a greater focus in a specific area so they are generally of better quality. This means the program's performance for that particular feature is usually superior than their all-in-one counterpart. Further, all-in-one tools generally do not allow the user as much flexibility in tailoring default settings and usage.

As a general rule, using more than one anti-spyware program like Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, SuperAntispyware, Spybot S&D, Ad-Aware, etc will not conflict with each other or your anti-virus if using only one of them for real time protection and others as stand-alone scanners. In fact, doing so increases your protection coverage without causing the same kind of conflicts or affecting the stability of your system that can occur when using more than one anti-virus. The overlap of protection from using different signature databases will aid in detection and removal of more threats when scanning your system for malware. However, if using all their real-time resident shields (TeaTimer, Ad-Watch, MBAM Protection Module, Spyware Terminator Shields, etc) together at the same time, there can be conflicts when each application tries to compete for resources and exclusive rights to perform an action. Additionally, competing tools may even provide redundant alerts which can be annoying and/or confusing.

I recommend Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and taking advantage of the Protection Module which uses advanced heuristic scanning technology to monitor your system and provide real-time protection to prevent the installation of most new malware. This technology monitors every process and stops malicious processes before they can infect your computer. Enabling the Protection Module feature requires reqistration and purchase of a license key that includes free lifetime upgrades and support. After activation, Malwarebytes can be set to update itself and schedule scans automatically on a daily basis. The Protection Module is not intrusive as it utilizes few system resources and should not conflict with other scanners or anti-virus programs.

No single product is 100% foolproof and can prevent, detect and remove all threats at any given time. The security community is in a constant state of change as new infections appear. Each vendor has its own definition of what constitutes malware and scanning your computer using different criteria will yield different results. The fact that each program has its own definition files means that some malware may be picked up by one that could be missed by another. Thus, a multi-layered defense using several anti-spyware products (including an effective firewall) to supplement your anti-virus combined with common sense and safe surfing habits provides the most complete protection.

Other security reading resources:

• Browser Security resources:

BleepingComputer.com: new computer...advice on what I should use