Posted on 12/03/2008 2:08:29 AM PST by ComputerGuy
Here’s what Apple said about this...
“’We have removed the KnowledgeBase article because it was old and inaccurate,’ Apple spokesman Bill Evans, told Macworld. ‘The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box.’”
Now, I can confirm that over about 22 years of my use of Apple Macintosh computers, and using all sorts of data, from floppies, to hard drives (when they finally came out), to bulletin boards (back when they were popular), using modems, and later the Internet (when that became cheaper and affordable), to exchanging a lot of data in many different ways, over many generations of machines and many different operating system upgrades and revisions — that in *all that time* and *all that usage* (which was extensive and continuous) — that I *only ever found one virus* — and that was back in 1990 — *only* one — ever....
My own personal usage was such that I would have several models of the Macintosh at one time, be continuously changing and upgrading and many of my friends swore I would have a computer attached to me, if I could... LOL. I’m sure that the majority of people don’t even use their computers as much as I do (and did). So, others would run into *less viruses* than I did — on the Macintosh (and that was *only one* for me). Many people on the Macintosh don’t know what the “big deal” is about — concerning viruses. They’ve never had any problems or concern about it.
And my “results” (concerning viruses) was from my first beginnings and all the way up to the present. And..., I’ve continuously run anti-virus software from way-back when, too..., although it’s *not* been necessary. I’ve gone through several different versions and companies that made it. I had Virex at one time and now have Intego.
But, I really don’t think it’s doing me any good and I don’t think it’s every done me any good... LOL...
I don’t get any alarms (and haven’t in the past), although one time I got a couple of e-mails that alerted me to a Windows virus — which does *absolutely nothing* on a Macintosh computer.
The Apple spokesman is right, the Macintosh computers are built secure from the “git-go”... You really don’t have to worry — at all — about viruses or worms or any of that stuff with Macintosh. It’s a *non-starter* and will probably continue that way for a very log time.
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Get a Mac and you won’t have to be concerned about viruses. It’s the answer from over 22 years of experience...
Auto-run attachments should never have even been a feature.
If dumb people run as root they can always accidentally “install” a virus. No software is more secure than the users. They always have been and always will be the biggest security hole. Assuming the install base grows eventually Apple will have to contend with the “always root double click on anything” crowd. As long as you’re not in that crowd you probably don’t have to worry, truth to tell Windows users that stay out of that crowd can stay pretty worry free too.
The OS helps, certainly Mac doesn’t encourage people to run as god as much as Windows used to (Vista and 2K8 severely discourage it, of course they still make life very annoying when you don’t), but you still could (because sometimes you have too, life with computers) and if you double click the wrong thing when you are...
I’ve been on Windows forever, and I’m even lazy and tend to be god, I don’t get viruses. It really doesn’t take much smarts, even on the OS with the worst security rep (mostly earned) ever.
Like I've always said, if you can't run a computer, you should get a Mac.
Well sure, high on the list of dumbest features ever. But again, most user who got infected and spread that virus did it by being double-click happy. Most folks dumb enough to use that feature aren’t smart enough to find the checkbox.
Why should I buy something I already have ?
You said — “If dumb people run as root they can always accidentally “install” a virus. No software is more secure than the users. They always have been and always will be the biggest security hole. Assuming the install base grows eventually Apple will have to contend with the “always root double click on anything” crowd. As long as you’re not in that crowd you probably don’t have to worry, truth to tell Windows users that stay out of that crowd can stay pretty worry free too.”
Well, on Mac OS 10.4 (and prior versions, too), you set up the initial account as the Administrator (when you first get the computer, and/or first install a new operating from scratch). Then you are advised to set up a User Account to run your everyday stuff. But, a lot of Macintosh users operate in the Administrator mode. I do and I don’t have a problem.
However, the root (user) is not activated on the Macintosh, unless you go to some measures to do so. You’ll hardly find any user signed in as root and using the Macintosh computer that way. It really doesn’t ever happen.
Next time you upgrade, you can do it then. AND, if you really want to run any favorite Windows programs (I really don’t know why anyone would though...), you can also run them on the Macintosh, right inside the Mac OS 10.5 operating system. You can barely tell the Windows program is running any differently than the Mac programs (although it is running under the Windows operating system, at the same time the Mac programs are running, side-by-side, under the Mac OS)....
That’s one good reason — at least, I would say so — for Windows users to get a Mac — since they can run *all* the programs on the market if they want to... LOL...
You said — “Like I’ve always said, if you can’t run a computer, you should get a Mac.”
I would agree with that for the majority of the people, and that’s why I tell them to get a Macintosh, instead of a computer running Windows...
AND, I would also add to that statement — “If you *can* run a computer, you should get a Mac.” [and that’s exactly what is happening now, in greater and greater numbers...]
Both of those statements go together... :-)
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If you can’t run a computer, you should get a Mac; and if you *can* run a computer (like a genius), then *for sure* you should get a Mac!”
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And there you have it...
“After working on windows for 17 years, I bought my first MacBook Pro this last week. Love it. Can’t wait to move everything over and escape.”
Wouldn’t be in too much of a hurry. Lots of aps won’t run without Windows/IE. Plus, there are some real serious problems with macs that never seem to get any press. For example, a power cord that gets so hot it catches on fire and a keyboard that intermittantly won’t type keystrokes.
Color me underwhelmed.
As in Engineering. Serious Engineering.
Sure, for now. Wait for it. There’s vast quantities of dumb people out there. Eventually, if the user base keeps growing, you’ll get enough running as root to start some virus fun in Mac. It’s part of the inevitable evolution of users. Now Mac gets some additional safety because there is that barrier between Admin and Root so people can be lazy and not god, that’ll help. But there’s always going to be the crowd that wants to run with ALL the privileges to just stroke their ego or whatever, and those are the people that keep AV software in business.
I’ll take the Gators and 10. Okay ?
lol..
Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say that there are going to be users who want to do that (i.e., running all the time in root). I mean, there have been a very few times that I do that.
I suspect most of your hard-core users, who are wanting to do things that most users don’t, will want to go to the terminal window and run the UNIX commands, instead... LOL...
The *vast and overwhelming majority* of Macintosh users (and even the power users) simply don’t run in root. It’s really not necessary. And..., like I said, most users, even if they wanted to run in root, probably couldn’t figure out how to do so... :-)
It’s just not going to happen. And remember, the Macs have been around for a very long time, the user base keeps expanding and the Mac OS X operating system has been around for a long time, too. These things were “warned about” before, but they are just not happening.
It will be another five years, 10 years — and I’ll guarantee you that there will be people saying, “Well, you just wait; it will happen...” and we will be waiting and nothing will happen...
Well, I know a lot of people are not aware that the Macintosh machines run the latest Windows software, too... LOL...
I mean, they can run *solely* Windows software — or — they can run Windows and the Mac OS X, side-by-side.
So, if someone wanted to do one, or the other, or both — they could *do it all* on just one machine. That’s what causing a lot of Windows users to come over to the Macintosh, even the power users...
You won’t find any program that you could run on the Windows machines that won’t run on the Macintosh, if you want to run the Windows operating system on it...
As in Engineering. Serious Engineering.
25.6 Ghz CPU(8 cores) and 8 Terabytes of DASD inboard 60 gigaFLOPS Get a Mac Pro:
You said — “Thanks for the advice, though. I’ve been writing code since 1974. I like to think I know what I’m doing. :>)”
Get an iPhone, sign up for the developer program and make a pile of money from the iTunes iPhone App Store from your fantastic app.... :-)
There was a story about one developer that made about 1/4 of a million dollars from an iPhone app ($5 program) in about three months... He was a lone programmer... :-)
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