Does Mac need Norton?

Forgive me, I have no doubt this has been beat to death around here previously…BUT…

I’m new to Mac (AND LOVE IT!!), and as instructed by the Apple store geeks, have never used antivirus software, because Mac is different and it’s not an issue because of the OS structure.

However I just talked with a computer engineer, who happened to have a MacBook with him. He said something about Unix/Linux, and that his specialty is computer protection. The guy seemed very credible, with not axe to grind. Very smart guy. Long story short, he suggested to me that Mac is indeed vulnerable to viruses etc. Yes, he said, it’s not the #1 target, but it is #2. He suggested I install protection.

After thinking about it, I thought why not. I sure would hate for my new iMac to start slowing down and or crashing because I never used something like Norton to protect it.

I do hate how Norton slows down my PC. But he suggested I could just turn it off if I was working on something.

So, how many here use Mac and use protection. And if you do use protection, what is best.

Thanks