Indeed both threads should be proof positive that no single product can fully protect you on the spyware front.
On the virus front, however, Kaspersky is pretty much the be-all end-all. But that's another story
Another disturbing development in the battle against spyware:
Silencing the Critics: ISearch/IDownload
Like the RIAA, crapware makers are turning to lawsuits to try to get their (flawed) message across.