Security running Windows on a iMac

My iMac is on its way and I can't wait.
I intend to run Windows on it using Parallels.. So do I need to install my McAffee Netprotect security software?
I'm unsure which version of Windows I can put up with; Maybe one of you nice kind people could recommend which one works best. The programs I will be using are GX Developer (plc programming), Xara Web Publisher and Core FTP.
I have a choice of XP, Vista and Win7 running on my current pc
My concerns are that McAffee will upset the Mac operating system, and will be uninstallable.
You are right in assuming that I know nothing about owning a Mac, so a few pointers would be appreceated.
Thanks in advance.
Allan

In Parallels you can run any version of windows, whichever you prefer/suits you needs.

But either way you treat it exactly as you would a copy of windows running on a standalone PC. It'll still need firewall/anti-virus etc installing.

The install is completely contained in the VM. No need to worry about McAfee upsetting OSX as it's running purely within Windows.

Personally I wouldn't use McAfee personally (I find it heavy handed and over-bearing but that's a personal opinion).

Thanks mrplow,

Thats good to know! Its been bugging me for a while!
I only use McAffee as its supplied by my internet provider as part of my broadband package.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a top program and is freeware and in the opinion of many, including Microsoft of course, is a better and less intrusive application. Updating definitions is very quick.

Running under a Boot Camp partition, your option is Windows 7. Nothing else is supported.

Virtualisation programs like VirtualBox, Parallels, VMWare Fusion et all allow you to run any version you like, but you share resources with the Mac OS, which sacrifices a bit of speed and efficiency.

In either case, you'll be running your Windows anti-stuff software on the Windows install, so it will not matter to, nor affect, your Mac OS X install -- which does not require anti-virus software.

You can read the stickied anti-virus and malware thread on this site for more information on this topic.