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Is There a Virus Threat for Macs?
The Wall Street Journal ^ | May 11, 2006 | Walter S. Mossberg

Posted on 05/11/2006 1:24:06 PM PDT by quidnunc

There's no other major item most of us own that is as confusing, unpredictable and unreliable as our personal computers. Everybody has questions about them, and we aim to help.

Here are a few questions about computers I've received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained a question about security software for Macs.

If you have a question, send it to me at mossberg@wsj.com, and I may select it to be answered here in Mossberg's Mailbox.

Q: There's been a lot of press lately about increased virus activity on the Macintosh platform. Should Mac owners now be running the same kinds of security software that Windows owners use?

A: There is no sudden security crisis on the Apple Macintosh platform. In fact, for average Mac users, there isn't a security threat of any significance, at least not yet. It is laughable to compare the real, massive and burdensome security problems on Windows with the largely theoretical security problem on the Mac.

As I have said in the past, no operating system is invulnerable to attack, including Apple's Mac OS X operating system, which powers Macintosh computers. It is possible to write malicious software for the Mac, including viruses and spyware, and it is possible for this software to spread in the wild, infecting many Macs.

-snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at ptech.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: impossible; jobsisgod; macsareperfect
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To: coconutt2000

post system specs and price of a mac, and I will produce a better PC version for less.


101 posted on 05/12/2006 11:53:22 PM PDT by Echo Talon
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To: BJungNan
They simply are trendy machines that people are extremely brand loyal to for no significant functional reason.

They are brand loyal because they believe the marketing and they keep trying to justify the price they paid.

102 posted on 05/12/2006 11:55:28 PM PDT by Echo Talon
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To: savedbygrace
Are you then concluding that you shouldn't buy or use a Mac today because of what might happen years from now when/if Macs achieve greater market share?

YOu should not buy a Mac because they are not worth the extra money. Go out and buy four PCs. In case on of them gets a dibilitating virus that renders it useless, you still have three more PC's as back up.

That is the absurdity of the my Mac won't get a virus claim.

103 posted on 05/12/2006 11:56:09 PM PDT by BJungNan
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To: Echo Talon

You liked that one did you. I've got a few more at the office parked on my Mac. I need to upload and post them.


104 posted on 05/12/2006 11:57:54 PM PDT by BJungNan
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To: coconutt2000
Echo Talon.... I come onto another Mac thread and find you trolling. Again....You're Mac-phobic because you secretly envy Mac users...

You forgot to include me! Or don't Mac users trolling for Mac threads count?

105 posted on 05/13/2006 12:00:15 AM PDT by BJungNan
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To: coconutt2000; Echo Talon
Echo Talon.... I come onto another Mac thread and find you trolling. Again....You're Mac-phobic because you secretly envy Mac users...

You forgot to include me! Or don't Mac users trolling for Mac threads count?

106 posted on 05/13/2006 12:01:07 AM PDT by BJungNan
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To: BJungNan
Did you see the iProduct ad? here LOL
107 posted on 05/13/2006 12:03:06 AM PDT by Echo Talon
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To: Echo Talon
what apps do they have you using?

Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Quark, Roundhouse, MS Office for Mac, IE for Mac...mainly...

108 posted on 05/13/2006 12:03:50 AM PDT by BJungNan
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To: Echo Talon

Given a set of specs, I'm sure you could build a trailer home that is cheaper than an equivalent house. But you'd still be living in a trailer.

Computer platform choice is experiential, just as cars, homes, and any other consumer choice is really decided by how people "experience" the use of what they buy.

Heck, your trolling on Mac threads is pointless. You do it for the non-tangible pleasure you get out of getting a rise out of people. I've told you before that this is sick and demented behavior, yet you continue unabashed and unabated.

Compared to you, Mac users who mind their own business, stick to their own threads, and generally support one another with positive contributions are a Godsend. You? You're just an annoying prick with too much time on your hands.


109 posted on 05/13/2006 12:04:39 AM PDT by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: BJungNan

LOL!


110 posted on 05/13/2006 12:05:09 AM PDT by Echo Talon
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To: BJungNan

I haven't seen you be as fanatic about being an insulting prick as Echo Talon. He does it for no reason other than the joy of pissing off strangers.


111 posted on 05/13/2006 12:06:20 AM PDT by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: coconutt2000
do you work for apple or something? I find it odd behavior to defend it to strongly. I know you paid way to much but instead of defending them maybe you should be complaining and then they will lower their prices a little bit. LOL
112 posted on 05/13/2006 12:08:38 AM PDT by Echo Talon
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To: coconutt2000; BJungNan

its usually common courtesy to ping someone when you talk sh*t about them, but then again... you're an iProduct.


113 posted on 05/13/2006 12:10:32 AM PDT by Echo Talon
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To: Echo Talon
more fans do NOT equate to better cooling/airflow..... you could have 9 20mm fans vs. 2-120mm, 2-80mm fans and which one would pull more CFM's?

More ignorance, Echo. It has less to do with CFM (although that is part of the equation) and more to do with timing... adjusting the speed and airflow when its needed. The Apple G5 case is designed to flow air where its needed and the fans are under constant control of the computer to maximize cooling as it is needed... not just to run continually or always at the same velocity.

114 posted on 05/13/2006 12:13:02 AM PDT by Swordmaker (Remember, the proper pronunciation of IE is "AAAAIIIIIEEEEEEE!")
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To: Echo Talon

PING - you're a prick.


115 posted on 05/13/2006 12:14:04 AM PDT by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: Echo Talon

You're a useless, non-contributing member of this thread. :-)


116 posted on 05/13/2006 12:16:17 AM PDT by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: Echo Talon
post system specs and price of a mac, and I will produce a better PC version for less.

From a name brand manufacturer?

117 posted on 05/13/2006 12:19:24 AM PDT by Swordmaker (Remember, the proper pronunciation of IE is "AAAAIIIIIEEEEEEE!")
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To: MadIvan

Linux is a nice OS. It lacks some of the polish of the Mac OS, but in terms of user experience, Linux is not only usable but easy to use for basic, everyday activities.

The only thing Linux is missing is adoption by a major OS developer, just as Apple adopted FreeBSD Unix. Apple's adoption of FreeBSD has injected a lot of fuel and energy into the Open Source community, and Linux has benefited from the attention.

I've also found the Open Source icon developers to be much better than your average OS icon developers on both Mac and Windows. Some of the icon sets for Linux are beautiful.

But YellowDog on my 350Mhz B&W is rather slow. You may have to tweak your installation to get the right mix of performance and applications. But it works, and most of the problem I think with performance is the fact that I only have a little less than 300 MB of memory. I have a suspicion that performance would increase by leaps and bounds if I went out and bought more memory.


118 posted on 05/13/2006 12:25:17 AM PDT by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: Swordmaker

Sure.


119 posted on 05/13/2006 12:36:14 AM PDT by Echo Talon
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To: Swordmaker
The Apple G5 case is designed to flow air where its needed and the fans are under constant control of the computer to maximize cooling as it is needed... not just to run continually or always at the same velocity.

Kind of like the AMD "cool&Quiet technology" ?

120 posted on 05/13/2006 12:38:21 AM PDT by Echo Talon
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