Ans UR ???s
To answer some of the questions:
1) Adware was created to find marketing information
a) what you would like to buy
b) if you saw it a lot would you remember the product and buy it in the
future
c) remember the x10 camera ads, well it is a very good surveillance
camera to record on your computer
Spyware was another marketing ploy
a) to gather information from where you search and where you go
b) to advertise to you in hopes that you buy their product
c) they are very effective except that it has become too invasive
2) Pop ups
a) if you never see it then you will never remember it
b) they are very annoying but if you get it stuck in you head then you
are more willing to buy the product, such as x10
3) The ads are used that you remember that they are out there when you need their product or make you think about it a lot and buy their product.
To fight this:
Use Spybot Search and Destroy
Use Lavasoft's Adaware
Use a Firewall to prevent most from downloading, such as Sygate Personal Firewall for more flexibility
Note: An antivirus software is not going to do anything to Spyware or Adware. They specialty is only viruses.
The only reason that XP SP2 works is that they activated the firewall and security features. Panda may have anti-spyware or anti-adware but like I said. That is not their specialty.