Hey redpete!! Yes, you will find many instances of Norton not playing nice with other apps. I don't think you will find any one member on this forum that would recommend using Norton.
Now, that said, if you are to uninstall Norton , there are certain procedures that you MUST follow if you are not already aware of them. I'll tell you anyways.
First: Uninstall using the Add / Delete in your OS.(operating system)
Second : and this is very important if you want to completely rid yourself of Norton. You Must use the "Norton Removal Tool". You can download it directly from Norton's site or an easier way to access it is here:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Norton_Removal_Tool_SymNRT_d4749.html.
You should run the Removal Tool at least twice to make sure nothing is left on your PC.
Now, for your Alternatives. If you would still like to use a suite from a security provider , you could take a look at these,
http://www.bitdefender.com/
OR
http://www.eset.com/
The last one is from eset, the maker of NOD32.
On the other hand , if you would simply like Free security, there are very good ones and sometimes better than the paid for products.
It is the general consensus on this forum that these free apps. work well together at protecting you (your PC) . It is also agreed that a tiered solution is best. Meaning that a variety of security apps. rather than, from one company. Always only ONE Firewall. Only ONE Antivirus, and as for your AntiSpyware, Only ONE with Real Time Shields. Here are some recommendations :
Avast AntiVirus :
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html . FREE
OR
AVG AntiVirus :
http://free.grisoft.com/ . FREE
ANTISPYWARE:
SUPERAntiSpyware :
http://www.superantispyware.com/ . FREE or PAID FOR
Avg AntiSpyware :
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-spyware/us/frt/0 . FREE
Auto Detection .
SpywareBlaster :
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html . FREE or PAID FOR ($10.00) well worth it.
Prevention .
WinPatrol :
http://www.winpatrol.com/
All of these security apps. work well together and won't drain your PC of it's resources .
These are my recommendations . You should , however , visit these sites to read about them.
I hope this will help in your quest to be better protected.
FLASHORN.
Patience is life.