At first glance iolo AntiVirus looks much the same as any other antivirus tool. There's realtime scanning of downloads, emails and any files you might open, for instance. Scheduled and on-demand scans will give your system a more thorough checkup, and regular updates ensure you're always equipped to deal with the very latest threats. Take a closer look, though, and you begin to realise that iolo AntiVirus has some significant advantages over most competitors.

The program won't hog so many system resources that it'll interfere with your other PC activities, for instance. By default even scheduled scans won't start until the PC has been idle for 10 minutes, and they'll stop if you return to do something else. But in regular use this isn't likely to be a problem, as even full system scans are completed surprisingly quickly.

Iolo haven't forgotten that older PCs also need protection, either. While some other packages require at least 150 MB of disk space and Windows XP, iolo AntiVirus is happy with 30 MB and Windows 98.

The scanning engine uses a number of heuristic approaches to identify brand new threats from their behaviour alone, a very handy trick that could prevent you being an early victim.

But the best part is hidden away in the small print of the iolo AntiVirus licence. This isn't just another limited three month trial version - you're able to install it on up to three PCs, and they'll all receive for updates for a whole twelve months from the date of installation.

iolo produce a wide range of PC security and maintenance tools. There's System Mechanic, which contains everything you need to fix and speed up your PC; System Shield, a complete internet security suite; Search and Recover, a powerful undelete tool; and DriveScrubber, a program designed to securely wipe drives and ensure that your confidential data cannot be recovered. Prices start at an already reasonable £15, but just by registering iolo AntiVirus you'll qualify for a further 50% discount. Check your registration email for the coupon code, and order at www.iolo.com.