i have heard that linux doesn't require an anti virus? i would like to understand whats the answer to that issue. also what programs can be installed on that mini laptop again its an acer aspire one with os linux. can anyone plz help me i want to purchase one but i wanna keep it protected what anti virus works with linux preferably free and what programs can i install on it.?

Answer:
You probably don't need antivirus. Some people recommend it, but it's not really necessary. The reason is that you’ve to write a virus for a specific operating system. Since the majority of viruses are written for windows, you'll probably never get a virus. It's the same reason people think macs are invincible. No one writes viruses for them.

The Acer Aspire One is a netbook. It will likely come with many useful programs installed. Because it is a netbook, it won't be ideal for doing process heavy tasks. They would be good for browsing the internet, maybe listening to music (although they probably won't be able to store that many songs, depending on the hard drive) and doing other simple tasks.

As for the OS, linux is capable of doing pretty much everything Windows is. Instead of Microsoft Office, you have OpenOffice. They're very similar, and I even prefer OpenOffice. Instead of iTunes you’ve songbird. Again, it is very similar. For image editing you'll be using GIMP, which is similar to Adobe Photoshop. The list goes on. For every windows program, there's usually a couple free linux programs with similar features.

I’ve yet to find anything for linux that costs anything. The whole idea behind linux is freedom and openness, and that means giving everything away. Anyone who uses or writes programs for linux likely has the same ideology and will give their software away for free.

Answer:
linux has to small of a market share to get bothered by hackers …. i mean witch do you want to infect the majority of the computers or the group measuring in the 100's

anti virus or any of that stuff is pointless on a linux system at the moment

Answer:
Linux has several forums on the internet that could answer your question accurately. Just search for one and ask.

You really shouldn't need an Anti-Virus however.

Answer:
linux doesnt require an anti virus as no one programs viruses for them.