Gates Slams Mac Ads, Questions Mac Security

MacNN.com ^ | 2 Feb 2007

[big'ol_freeper]

Microsoft co-founder and former CEO Bill Gates has openly criticized Apple's 'Get a Mac' ads, called the company a liar, and questioned the security of Apple's Mac OS X operating system. In a recent interview with Newsweek, Gates compared Microsoft's recently released security-oriented Windows Vista to Apple's Mac OS X: "We made it way harder for guys to do exploits," Gates said, referring to Windows Vista. "The number [of violations] will be way less because we've done some dramatic things [to improve security] in the code base. Apple hasn't done any of those things." The executive also referenced the frequent discovery of flaws in Mac OS X. "Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine." Gates was likely referring to the 'Month of Apple Bugs' project -- which came under intense criticism this week for exploiting Safari users attempting to view a freshly-discovered bug.

[big'ol_freeper]

Little Billy goes delusional.

[L98Fiero]

Yet another "slams" in a headline. I've lost count today. Thesaurus alert!!!

[Always Right]

I think the ads were made prior to Vista, so they are accurate for 99% of the windows machines in existance.

[Blueflag]

Gates can say what he wants to, but the ad with the PC guy in his hospital gown going in for a (Vista) check up is priceless!

[To Hell With Poverty]

I love those ads. I'm a graphic designer and therefor a Mac person, but my dad is always trying to convince me that Macs are useless and I need a PC (he has NO IDEA what my industry is about). I, in turn, love teasing him about how much Rush loves his Mac!

[Deo volente]

Now let me get this straight.

Mac has had about 2 viruses to contend with.

And Windows users have had a few thousand or so.

What universe is Bill Gates living in?

[Blueflag]

http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/


click on "surgery"

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I have a Mac in mind when this Dell goes.

[rightwingextremist1776]

Every operating system has flaws that can be exploited, so I agree that the MAC system is not the Fort Knox it portends to be, how ever I would NEVER go out on the limb he has with this statement given Microsoft’s past…

I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine."

That's just meat for the dogs.....

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Microsoft sucks, but comparing Windows and OSX is comparing apples and oranges.

OSX runs on a very limited selection of proprietary hardware.

Windows runs on just about any generic hardware you can throw at it.

It's Windows that created a huge market for OEM hardware manufacturers.

Apple created a market for its own hardware.

[Bommer]

Microsoft co-founder and former CEO Bill Gates has openly criticized Apple's 'Get a Mac' ads, called the company a liar, and questioned the security of Apple's Mac OS X operating system. In a recent interview with Newsweek, Gates compared Microsoft's recently released security-oriented Windows Vista to Apple's Mac OS X: "We made it way harder for guys to do exploits," Gates said, referring to Windows Vista. "The number [of violations] will be way less because we've done some dramatic things [to improve security] in the code base. Apple hasn't done any of those things."

A Romanian-born programmer claims to have developed code that can bypass the Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology in Windows Vista. Writing in his blog, Alex Ionescu said that for over a year, he's been working on a method of getting around Vista's signed driver requirements and that he's recently succeeded.

Poor Bill. Came out with the ME version of XP and its already being cracked! Not a Mac user, but more and more it looks like a far superior system!

[razorback-bert]

If what I have been reading on the net is correct, Vista is only going to let certain peripherals work, isn't that going to make it a Mac?

[Lx]

I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine."

This reminds me of when Herman Goering said if any bombs dropped on Germany that you could call him Meyer. A boast he was soon to regret.

[big'ol_freeper]

What peripherals don't work on a Mac? Its one of the beauties of the MacOS that you just plug and go. Almost never need to download drivers.

[L98Fiero]

No kidding.

I'm no fan of the Mac ads, though. Matter of fact, they are why I will NEVER own a Mac. Insulting me is not the way to get my business. It's the liberal way of trying to change a person's mind, by belittling them and insulting them. All I know about Macs from those ads is that they seem to believe that "coolness" is the deciding factor in a computer purchase.

As for security, it's the global warming of the home PC market.

[Mr. Jeeves]

I'm no fan of the Mac ads, though. Matter of fact, they are why I will NEVER own a Mac. Insulting me is not the way to get my business.

They are insulting Microsoft. The characters represent the operating systems, not the users.

[L98Fiero]

What you just described is, in my mind, the difference between a socialist trying to be a capitalist (Mac) and a true capitalist (MS).

MS had, by FAR, the better business model. Now it really doesn't matter.

[L98Fiero]

"They are insulting Microsoft. The characters represent the operating systems, not the users."

I'd say that was open to the interpretation of the viewer. I would say they represent both.

How about telling me some real info instead of Windows users are goofy squares? Where are the commercials that paint Linux users as anti-social anarchists?

[MrLee]

I think the Mac ads are a hoot!!

[dmz]

LOL. Your cubbard at home must be quite bare. Seems like most advertising I see someone is getting made fun of.

The ads in question seem to exploit what all us know deep down. You find PCs in the accounting department and Macs in the marketing department.