Have used Eset Smart Security since mid June this year on Windows XP laptop and Vista Desktop. Now have fully licensed suites on both computers. Small footprint, non intrusive software that does indeed learn fast from user experience. No popups!. Now that's a change from Zone Alarm, Outpost, Kerio, Kaspersky and Comodo, all of which I have used and discarded, mainly for the reason of excessive popups and poor learning skills.

Save every downloaded program in a "Downloads" folder. When it gets to be aroud 500-600MBs I put it  on a CD and start again. Having software even two or three years old, particularly freeware saves a lot of trouble. You can search the web of course but sometimes that can take a long time.

In perspective:
1. Lotus 123 cost around $129, 20 years ago. Excel probably costs about the same now, for a much superior software. Lotus made you use their program disk every time you wanted to use the program, that is after you installed it. Having to install a Key once on software installation does not seem so bad, does it?.
2. No use ranting at prices and quoting some piece of Hollywood fantasy as your guide. Vote with your feet - there is a legal freebie for most software you would want to use, in most cases several freebies.
3. Cost of goods was never a reason for stealing , and piracy is not caused by software pricing. Pirates do it because they can, and it will always be cheaper that any price. Countries like China and others condone piracy because it is a cheap way for them to catch up technologically.