Nope, you don't really need any drivers (well, I only installed 1 driver for some USB-Serial adapter thing, but i really didn't need it after all)!

Would I do the same for a firewall too? or is there a risk of hacking?

A firewall is good protection on any computer thats connected to the internet as it helps keep people out... things like people trying to snif out infomration about your computer or trying to get to your files. Its a bit like the difference between having a door to your home, an having a door that actually locks so only people you want to see come in do so.

There is a built-in Firewall in OS X and it is easy to turn on. It is more than sufficient, especially if you're using a router.

AV software definitely is far more trouble than it's worth. None of the Mac AV software seems to be well-written (understandable, since it's not necessary).

On drivers...reverse the rule that you know from Windows. With Windows, you must never plug in a device without first installing drivers, because if you do, it may not ever work properly. On the Mac, always plug in your new toys first and see if they work. If not, THEN look for a driver. And with most bundled free software on Windows machines, you would look for a better alternative since the free one sucks. The "free" stuff bundled with a Mac is actually very good, and rarely do third-party solutions do much better. (Some people will prefer other solutions, but that's usually just a preference, not that the built-in apps suck.)

I think you'll be shocked when you unpack your fresh new Mac, plug in your Sony video cam, and in a couple seconds iMovie pops up and asks what you'd like to do with your camera.

Really? I always plug in things to my Windows box before installing the driver. Half the time I can't install the driver for the device unless it's installed. Maybe I've just been really lucky, but things are working fine for me.

Not saying you're wrong by any stretch, just that my experience has been the opposite.

Totally agree with the rest of the stuff in your post, though. :)

Yes, there are lots of devices that now have a big yellow sticker over the USB port saying, "WARNING--install drivers first." On Windows, many devices will spontaneously load a default driver for that device class, and then you can never get the real drivers to load (without intimate time with the registry and command line). I can't think of any examples right now, but I've had to support lots of machines with this problem. I've had to tell people to either reinstall Windows clean or return the device because it would take more hours to fix it than it is worth.

On the Mac the only driver issue I've had is when I loaded the add-on drivers for the Verizon EV-DO card, not realizing they were built it. Adding them screws it all up, and you have to manually remove the new ones (still easier than on Windows, since there's no registry).

Very odd. Then I guess I'll count myself as lucky. Never had an issue with anything like that. Thanks for the info.