Spyware-removal firm Webroot reported that the amount of adware programs it found on consumer computers dropped in the first quarter of 2005, saying it found adware on 64 percent of computers it scanned in the first quarter, down from 73 percent from the previous quarter. AdWeek writes that firm attributed the decline to growing consumer awareness that adware often comes bundled with free software, such as file-sharing programs.

Interestingly, Webroot found a decline in Claria's GAIN, distributed with the Kazaa file-sharing program. GAIN was on 2.2 percent of scanned computers in 1Q05, compared with 2.6 percent in Q404.

The most prevalent adware was CoolwebSearch, which webroot found on 8.2 percent of computers and termed it the "top threat" for the first quarter. Webroot also found that the distribution of 180Solutions' 180search Assistant had declined to 2 percent, compared with 2.6 percent in the previous quarter.