Swordmaker, I would think it would be extremely difficult to exploit this vunerability for Windows 95 or Windows 98 machines. The primary functions of these vunerabilities is presumably to install spyware, and for spyware to run you have to have a genuine multitasking OS. I think a Windows 98/95 machine with even a modest spyware infection would become unusable and so I don't think this vunerability is going to be serious on those ancient machines.
I must agree that Steve is probably not entirely unhappy about recent developments at his rival.
Just a guess, mind.
Paloma, there are people who would work night and day to produce an exploit for the Mac, just to show that it's doable. Their egos would be enormously gratified by it. The fact that it hasn't yet been done make me think it's an extremely difficult task and that the MacOS is hardened quite a bit better than Windows is.
I think Mac users, including myself, are in pretty good shape as long as we keep our systems updated.
D
As far as being a great problem in reporting what spyware reports, you are probably correct about Windows 95 and 98... but on a useability level, either machine becoming infected could slow it to a stop, thereby prevent its owner from using it. That would be a problem until cleaned.
...Steve...
I think he will be grinning fom ear to ear after looking at Mac sales. 2005 showed sales topping 4.5 million units.
In terms of Mac sales, Apple set a record of 634,000 iBook and PowerBook shipments for the quarter, 139,000 more than last year, but the strongest growth year-on-year came from desktop and server sales. Mac Mini, iMac, eMac, PowerMac and Xserve were up 56 per cent in terms of units and 42 per cent higher measuring revenue. Portable revenue was up 22 per cent on 41 per cent more units shipped.