Ummm... Ok... That's enough... Stop buying macs...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(burritos @ Oct 22 2007, 03:43 PM) [snapback]529038[/snapback]</div>

I totally agree. Just because they are better and easier to use is no excuse to buy them.

Everyone knows that suffering is good for you. There are plenty of cheap computers out there to buy without getting a Mac.

 

"...cold dead hands".

Stay away if you value your reproductive system.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(burritos @ Oct 22 2007, 04:43 PM) [snapback]529038[/snapback]</div>

They can try. Hard to believe none of them has actually tried yet. Meanwhile a Windows PC needs more shields than the Starship Enterprise, just as much vigilence to keep them working, and at nearly the same cost.

Guess I won't be switching from Mac back to PC any time soon.

 

Leopard has some additional features (including sandboxing and random memory addresses for library components) that will further harden OS X against malware. Is it possible to create malware for OS X? Sure, but its not easy. There are people out there working on it, but no one has been successful yet.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/300.html#security

I can still remember the days when everyone thought Apple would go out of business. Now I don't really care if more people use Macs or not - there are enough now to sustain the platform. And more people are getting clued in all of the time.

 

Old article from the NYT:

In 1997, shortly after Mr. Jobs returned to Apple, the company he helped start in 1976, Dell's founder and chairman, Michael S. Dell, was asked at a technology conference what might be done to fix Apple, then deeply troubled financially.

"What would I do?" Mr. Dell said to an audience of several thousand information technology managers. "I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders."

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dogfriend @ Oct 23 2007, 06:12 AM) [snapback]529156[/snapback]</div>

My prediction is that traditional malware, such as viruses and Trojan horses will become less and less important in the future, even on PC's.

But there is a "bright" future for techniques like social engineering and phishing. And it works equally well on all platforms!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vtie @ Oct 23 2007, 05:44 AM) [snapback]529208[/snapback]</div>

And it's a lot easier to do.

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dogfriend @ Oct 22 2007, 11:12 PM) [snapback]529156[/snapback]</div>

Makes me think of this article i saw the other day...
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/10/21/w...c-os-x-leopard/

Especially this part:

What you Expected:

What you Got:
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/wp-content/u...leopard.014.png

(BTW, i made more money on Apple stock before i woke up this morning than i'll make all week here at work - I'm loving this!)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dogfriend @ Oct 22 2007, 09:12 PM) [snapback]529156[/snapback]</div>

They would be out of business now if Microsoft had not bought a 20% stake in the company. Remember too, there is ten times the software availability for the PC than the MAC.

If there were more MAC's out there there would be more viruses and malware, same for Linux boxes. Think about it. If I'm going to take the risk of writing a virus would I go after a small fringe market or the 90% chunk of the market?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YBNormal @ Oct 23 2007, 07:32 AM) [snapback]529283[/snapback]</div>

This point of view is SO relevant! If you are a non Mac user and are thinking about joining us who are - JUST QUIT IT. Don't mess up a good thing.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Oct 22 2007, 05:43 PM) [snapback]529066[/snapback]</div>

Arguably at greater cost when you factor in the cost of time spent on the vigilance thing.... Unless your time is free.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YBNormal @ Oct 23 2007, 10:32 AM) [snapback]529283[/snapback]</div>

And how much of that 90% is GAMES?

The Mac has the same basic production software the PC has.

In some cases more.

I attended a class on Audacity (freeware available for both Mac and PC) and someone asked about Garageband for the PC. Perhaps someone here knows a better answer, but the instructor said there isn't a program for the PC that is the equivalent of Garageband. You might be able to buy several different programs that together equals it......

My time and convenience is important to me. My Mac does everything I need and more and I don't have to bother with virus stuff. I use a P.C. at work. The P.C. is time consuming, inconvenient, cranky and often a pain in the a$$. My Father has a P.C. running Vista. It is no better than the work machine.

I'll continue to support the Mac platform. It does what I need. And when I need to do more, it does that too. I'll be learning how to use my USB turntable and rip my out of print vinyl soon. After that...who knows? Maybe....Garageband.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YBNormal @ Oct 23 2007, 08:32 AM) [snapback]529283[/snapback]</div>

You do realize that Intel based Macs can run Windows, both natively (Boot Camp) and as a virtual machine (Parallels or VMware Fusion). Also, using X windows you can compile and run many open source apps. So there is more software available for the Mac than any other desktop platform.

But, don't bother, we don't need or want you to switch. :lol:

 

There are times I think that the hacking of PCs and resulting viruses have less to do with the ease and vulnerability and more to do with the hackers loathing and contempt for Windows.

I think hackers just hate PCs more than they hate Macs.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Oct 23 2007, 03:40 PM) [snapback]529399[/snapback]</div>

It's easier to write them for PCs, plus there are a lot more PCs so you get a bigger bang for the buck. The Mac OS is inherently a bit more secure, but probably the biggest issue is the availability of numerous "starter kits" for virus writers that exploit known PC holes. You don't have to be much of a programmer to download a virus kit, make a few changes, and post it back onto a web site or send it out on email. For the Mac and Linux platforms, you have to do a lot of work from scratch, and then you don't have much to show for it. Commercial hackers are like thieves: they go after the easiest targets with the best payoff. You still get some individuals getting their jollies from writing malware, but the real problem is now organized crime, especially in Russia and some third world countries.

If you want to try a Mac virus first hand, click on this link: http://92.155.127.15/index.php

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YBNormal @ Oct 23 2007, 10:32 AM) [snapback]529283[/snapback]</div>

The 90% "extra" software for the PC must be all of the viruses, anti-viral software, anti-spyware software and service packs!

With that I'm very happy having 90% less software available for the Mac!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vtie @ Oct 23 2007, 02:44 AM) [snapback]529208[/snapback]</div>

Most malware nowadays is organized crime, and there's a lot of money to be made. It won't go away until Windows goes away, or becomes as secure as OS X.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YBNormal @ Oct 23 2007, 08:32 AM) [snapback]529283[/snapback]</div>

This is a common claim from Windows advocates. There is no evidence for it. OS X is inherently more secure.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Oct 23 2007, 12:40 PM) [snapback]529399[/snapback]</div>

In the early days, most hackers were a sort of cyber joyriders, out to see what they could do. Anger at Windows might well have motivated some of them.

But nowadays it's organized criminal big business. It won't go away as long as there's money to be made.

One thing some people overlook is the role of hijacked computers in distributing spam. Since most Windows users are too unsophisticated to use the security software that is needed to make Windows even half-way safe, this crappy, vulnerable, POS operating system is directly responsible for the plague of spam we all have to deal with.

There are no OS X viruses in the wild. None. Plenty of hobby hackers would love to be the first to create one. There may be less financial incentive, due to the smaller user base, but there would be tremendous prestige for the hacker who could write one, and maybe lucrative employment with the Russian mafia or Apple's own security department.

Don't kid yourself. OS X is extremely robust. Windows is a rotten, leaking, festering sore.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Oct 23 2007, 06:56 PM) [snapback]529501[/snapback]</div>

You forgot putrid (in your attribution of the sore).