I just got my Macbook pro today and I was wondering do I need to get anti virus.

Although it is true that Mac's do not get virus's as often as Windows units... they CAN and DO get them occasionally so don't believe that they cannot.

Every kind of computer can get a virus, no matter the maker. Its just that Macs have a less chance of getting viruses since most hackers made their targets Windows computers. The first thing you should do when you buy a new computer is to see if your firewalls are working and getting a Anti-Virus program. I suggest you purchase an Anti-Virus system like the real version of Comodo (I'm not sure if this works with a Mac). Your probably not going to use it but better safe than sorry.

There are at the moment 6 known viruses for mac OS X. Apple has built in the virus protection, so you don't need that, but if you want to scan your computer, you need to get one, such as sophos, which is real. With that you can also scan your computer for windows viruses. You can have virus files meant for windows on your computer, but they won't affect it.

If you have enough money to get an anti-virus protection plan you should just to ensure maximum protection and security, but otherwise, Macintosh computers and Laptops almost never get viruses but can sometimes get a virus due to the poor condition the user puts it in and the abuse that a business man gives to a computer. Overall, Macs don't NEED one but they would help in harsh problems with viruses. Also depends what software is used in the mac, OS X snow leopard doesn't get too many and OS X Lion barely gets any... Your choice.

If you have enough money to get an anti-virus protection plan you should just to ensure maximum protection and security, but otherwise, Macintosh computers and Laptops almost never get viruses but can sometimes get a virus due to the poor condition the user puts it in and the abuse that a business man gives to a computer. Overall, Macs don't NEED one but they would help in harsh problems with viruses. Also depends what software is used in the mac, OS X snow leopard doesn't get too many and OS X Lion barely gets any... Your choice.

Yes and no.
While Mac OSX is no more secure against hackers than windows, It is generally a much smaller target.
Hackers target larger "audiences" and as windows makes up around 90% of the computer market, hackers make targeting windows a priority. My friends with macs have gotten viruses, and mac antivirus is out there by many of the major security providers. However ultimately, the only reason to get antivirus on a mac is if you are visiting "shady" websites that have purchase that are uploaded by other people who are potential hackers.

If you have enough money to get an anti-virus protection plan you should just to ensure maximum protection and security, but otherwise, Macintosh computers and Laptops almost never get viruses but can sometimes get a virus due to the poor condition the user puts it in and the abuse that a business man gives to a computer. Overall, Macs don't NEED one but they would help in harsh problems with viruses. Also depends what software is used in the mac, OS X snow leopard doesn't get too many and OS X Lion barely gets any... Your choice.

Yes and no.
While Mac OSX is no more secure against hackers than windows, It is generally a much smaller target.
Hackers target larger "audiences" and as windows makes up around 90% of the computer market, hackers make targeting windows a priority. My friends with macs have gotten viruses, and mac antivirus is out there by many of the major security providers. However ultimately, the only reason to get antivirus on a mac is if you are visiting "shady" websites that have purchase that are uploaded by other people who are potential hackers.

No, Macs rarely ever get viruses, and you have to be doing something really bad and really risky to even have a slight chance of getting one. But let me clear some things up.

It's not the computer itself that gets the viruses, it's the operating system (software) itself. Because you have a Mac computer doesn't mean you're safe, because you can run Windows and get viruses on the Windows part of your Mac because the software is still the same.

Mac OS X itself does not get viruses though, rarely ever. I highly recommend it.

After having used AVG for several months on my new PC now, I can confidently recommend it to friends and colleagues. My biggest issue with antivirus programs are their inherent nature of robbing your system of speed and resources. I can safely say that AVG effectively handles this concern of mine, among others making it my preferred antivirus solution. After several months of daily use this is what I have been able to ascertain:
- IT WORKS - no infections of any serious viruses or malware (minor tracking cookies aside-but they were detected)
- Minimal drain on processing power/startup time/multitasking, etc
- I have not run into any compatibility issues with other software, nor have I needed to disable protection at any time for software installs, etc.
- The GUI is simple and detailed enough to use. It features a main screen that can easily be used to disable individual services on the fly (something Norton and Mcafee need serious improvement on)
- Scan times seem to be good, but I do not have any other software to compare it to on this particular computer.

After having used AVG for several months on my new PC now, I can confidently recommend it to friends and colleagues. My biggest issue with antivirus programs are their inherent nature of robbing your system of speed and resources. I can safely say that AVG effectively handles this concern of mine, among others making it my preferred antivirus solution. After several months of daily use this is what I have been able to ascertain:
- IT WORKS - no infections of any serious viruses or malware (minor tracking cookies aside-but they were detected)
- Minimal drain on processing power/startup time/multitasking, etc
- I have not run into any compatibility issues with other software, nor have I needed to disable protection at any time for software installs, etc.
- The GUI is simple and detailed enough to use. It features a main screen that can easily be used to disable individual services on the fly (something Norton and Mcafee need serious improvement on)
- Scan times seem to be good, but I do not have any other software to compare it to on this particular computer.

The current and very annoying strain of rogue security malware are mac OS compatible. The programs act like security software and will basically hold your computer hostage until you pay for their "fix" Of course it's only a scam but many people do fall for it. These programs can be a pain to remove.

No you do not need an antivirus. Since Windows is so much more widely used than Mac OS, no hackers bother writing viruses for Mac OS. Im sure they will someday but Mac also has built-in security methods that will stop a virus from doing anything.

Bottom line: no antivirus.