Hi Soar,
never used Kapersky but I too was a victim of Norton several years ago and also swore I would never use it again. I then went off on a search for the AV solution that really ticked the major boxes: Quick to start, Effective, Regular updates that didn't take ages to download and install, Small PC footprint, etc. I have tried a lot of different solutions but the one I have stuck with for the past 5+ Years has been ESET Nod32.
Norton does appear to be better than it used to be, it also seems to run faster as well but I still wouldn't use it. The same goes for Panda, a company I once rated very highly but who have, I feel, let things slide over the past couple of years.
Until recently I thought I would be staying with Nod32 but a couple of things have made me rethink my options. I too am running Microsoft Security Essentials on one of my laptops and I have been very impressed with its speed and also its effectiveness. Of course, to use this software you have to have a legitimate copy of the OS so some user's may not find this an option. But, I really do feel that this is one particular solution that Microsoft have got right and I have already switched most of my family over to this solution.
As many different options for system protection as there are on the market Soar, you will get as many different opinions of which is the best. If you are looking for a free option, are running a Microsoft OS, then I would definitely say go for Security Essentials from them. If you are looking to pay for a licence then I would say go with the one that you feel happiest with and that offers you the best solution.
(ps If you avoid sites such as Madam Fifi's den of iniquity you probably won't need to run an AV programme on your system but, you will almost certainly need some other sort of protection!) 
Absic,
Thanks for the insights! Yes, all my OS's are perfectly legitimate [Microsoft gave me free copies when I went to their "launching events" of each OS]. It was actually very nice of them. They sent me an invitation to attend these conferences. Then they provide a wonderful breakfast, presentation, and even lunch! Afterwards, as you leave the door, they gave each attendee a free coply of Windows 7 Ultimate. I think in the last conference they were trying to undo the damage caused by the premature release of Windows Vista. Anyway, I have attended each of their conferences and received free OS's now for years. Thanks Bill!
The ESET Nod32 has many professionals here in the USA totally sold on their product, so they must know what they are doing and they must do it well!
I avoid Madam Fifi's dens of iniquity simply because I would like my mind to work well. Nearly every serial killer in the USA in the last 20 years had a terrible addiction to porno...
But you are right...I have heard those sites can cause untold numbers of infections on computers...not to mention, infections of the mind and desires...hehehehehehe
Have a good one!
Soar
