What should a low-tech-guy like me do?
At some point, does a Mac look like it’s worth paying for as a safer bet than a Windows PC?
if you use a mid-range or high-end pc, consider a mac. if you use a low-end pc, a mac is overkill...until you lose something crazy important.
The article said nothing about Microsoft operating systems as the primary vector for infection. And if we read closely, much of this is speculation. We call it "white hat" in the industry, because ethical hackers have proposed it's something that COULD be done but hasn't been fully realized.
The problem with much of the virus and malware world is that the "low hanging fruit" is often the unwary user. No 15 year old script kidding browsing EfNet on a Friday night is going to figure out how to hack his way through your network directly to your machine to compromise it. These infections are often realized by people who think that something is legit and install it. The smaller vectors include underground, non-mainstream porn websites, 0-day warez sites, Torrents, and other P2P networks where people think they are getting a legitimate product for free. If you stick to the mainstream avenues and boulevards, use a browser with script blocking (i.e. NoScript), ad blocking (AdBlockPlus), and some sort of cookie maintenance extension (i.e. Ghostery, Cookie Monster), you're not going to be infected by an errant click.
Don't go throwing out your hardware folks. There are legitimate IT people out there who CAN fix your problems for you, no matter how bad they are. But if you don't heed the warnings, often times you leave us in a position where we not only can't help, but you're left with nothing.
Consider using two computers. A minimum system for internet access and keep your "main" machine completely off the grid. Transfer data on thumb drives when necessary. If your internet box gets corrupted, wipe it and re-install.