Mike --
I can only compare between AVG v7 Free (installed on laptop) and NAV 2004 Pro (installed on Desktop).
The principal difference between the two (aside from subscription fees) seems to be (IMHO) the system overhead required by NAV - I frequently see messages when running applications that <application name> is waiting for a scan of <filename>.
I should perhaps further qualify my previous post. I tend recommend AVG v7 Free to friends / family where they are on a tight budget or tend to view AV software as a drain on system resources or "unnecessary".
I do agree with you that the user interface is somewhat complicated, particularly when it comes to setting up the email scanner for use with non-Micro$oft products (Mozilla Thunderbird for example). However I have found the online help forums useful, and setup is generally a once-only process as reconfiguration for a standard system is largely unnecessary.
As to more technical benefits, I'll leave that to those more in the know than I. The single controlling benefit from my point-of-view is that my laptop (and the PCs of friends and family) remain unaffected by virii. Of course any localised install of AV software can (in theory) be compromised by malware, so I always recommend regular scans using free online resources (Trend Micro, BitDefender, etc).
HTH
TazUk
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Blue-screening PCs since 1998