Adobe Air I think is an add-on for Adobe Reader (*.pdf files reader) that you use when reading *.pdf files like manuals from websites whatever.
Shockwave Player is up to version 12 so I think 11 whatever you had is before. Another one that plays I think *.swf files or something that is needed if you ever use it. Other uses to.
Adobe Flash Player the new one is what Adobe installs and what websites use to play videos like utube, or numerous others websites that use it.
Adobe Reader of course is for *.pdf files, unless you want to make those, then you would have to buy the full version.
Nothing wrong with Adobe and you will not pick up anything there that is malware. Afterall, it is like Java and may need updates just like anything on a computer that uses other programs to play whatever on websites.
Usually you can tell Adobe Flash Player, to tell you if it needs an update and you decide when to do it, or install it automatically, or do not install any updates when you install the newest version.
Java the same way, when it is installing, otherwise all the update programs are running when you install the program, in Windows, the programs all following Microsoft that started off this crap by installing little start-up programs say for like Microsoft Office (so it starts up faster than it would otherwise) to make it seem the OS is faster (when in reality it is not actually faster).
If you get up Control Panel - Adminstrative Tools - System Configuration then you can go through all that stuff that may start up and have it start up or not. But then updates will have to be done manually if any security concerns is why they updated their software anyway.
Sort of like Windows Update but since different companies and their software used, then they usually have their update programming running to inform you that there is an update and that since it concerns security of your computer that you should download it and install the upgrade.
That's all because it such a Wonderful World, but all those little programs take a little bit of memory and if you have enough memory then probably no big problem, although if you are concerned and want your computer sort of clean of running all those little programs then you can do it manually by not having those startup in the System Configuration mentioned.
With DAW perhaps it is better to have as little of programs running automatically like even Windows programs like Defrag with its scheduling - turn it off - Windows Updates with it automatic updates - turn it off, but the second Tuesday of the month is when Microsoft comes out with Upates but sometimes at other times when needed for the OS and all of that stuff going on in the background in your computer. For normal general computing people probably like all that stuff done for them, but if using a computer for a specific purpose and want all the horsepower for that purpose, then you turn all the automatic stuff off and do it manually when you want to do it.
Control Panel is your friend as long as you go all through it, and see what is going on in your computer.
All those companies think you need the latest update even if you do not need the latest video card drivers or stuff like that. Sometimes video card drivers updates are not needed, not even if Microsoft Update tells you, and then well in the end I decide and not let the OS decide anything for me personally.
What you do is up to you with the computer.
Convenience sometimes is not needed on the computer but certain programs like Adobe Flash Player and Shockwave Player should be updated or even Java because usually they found a sercurity concern where a hacker could use a fault in the program and take over your computer.
However, Norton is not rated that good with some things because it may interfere when it should not being an anti-virus program along with McAfee whatever his name is. There are other ones you may want to consider, and usually the free version works well enough to stop things coming into your computer if something is trying to take it over (a hacker) and sometimes other programs will not work with the anti-virus. AVG is such an anti-virus program that will not work with Steam Client (used for games on the computer) but like anything if I want Steam to run I start it up and not have it start automatically (like the other programs) since they all take memory and I am not using a lot of them all the time anyway. It is like the Microsoft start-up program for Office, I do not need it to start up faster because it is only going to take a few seconds more when starting up the program anayway, so I do not want the star-up program running when booting up the computer and I want it a little cleaner with memory for my own purposes so I do things manually with any of those or they just remind me that an update is available to download whenever.