Should I use a free anti-virus or go for a paid one?Should I use a free anti-virus or go for a paid one?

Should I use a free anti-virus or go for a paid one?
 
One of the best free anti-virus programs is offered by Microsoft itself - to users of genuine Windows (Windows XP SP2 and later). Its called Microsoft Security Essentials and you can download it from microsoft security.

Before it installs, Microsoft Security Essentials validates your Windows install to make sure that it is genuine.

It is preferred over others, because it is effective and has a very small footprint (consumes fewer system resources while running). Like the other paid anti-virus programs, it offers real-time protection and stays automatically updated with the latest virus definitions.

To download an anti-virus program on a new laptop - you can connect it to the internet and go straight to the anti-virus website you want. The machine will not be infected with a virus just by connecting it to the Internet.

If you are still paranoid, you can always download the setup file of an anti-virus program to a USB drive using another computer and install it on the new laptop.