Apple iMac vs. PC with Microsoft Vista

ClamXav is free and is supposed to be good. I don't bother with an antivirus, but it's probably a good idea in an enterprise environment.

There are a few AV programs out there, but as DK says...not really needed. I've been using Macs exclusively for years now with no AV software and nae a problem has ever arisen.

OTOH there is always a first time. As Macs become more widespread, they will also present a more attractive target for crackers. And because of the UNIX subsystem, security holes in *BSD will more than likely also crop up in OS X.

Yes, it is more secure, but it's not wise to allow yourself a false sense of security.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

@FF71

This has been said for many years, yet nobody's seen any actual proof.. MAC's do have some viruses (5-6) but not nearly as many as PCs (100k+).

That you've noticed...

Main issue they reckon is with viruses that make you load them up - so they pretend to be legitimate programmes.

Macs still make up at best 5% of the market. There is just no attraction to trying to create a virus or worm that targets Macs, because it won't create as much of a splash of attention (which is what crackers crave). And of course Macs aren't susceptible to Windows viruses, trojans, etc., meaning that all those Windows viruses don't affect Macs. That doesn't mean it's impossible to write one for Macs or UNIX in general. (The Slapper worm is one example where it's quite possible to infect UNIX systems rapidly. Or very recently the AsTHT.A trojan for OS X. Quite a lot of zombie servers online are in fact cracked UNIX boxes and are used in DDoS attacks.)

You don't need "proof". There is no such thing as a totally secure system. Believing otherwise is just going to lead to a false sense of security.

Again, yes, Macs are more secure than Windows PCs. But that doesn't mean that no anti-virus software is ever going to be necessary. That's just being naïve.

I might add that I've used Macs since they first came out in 1984, before that the Apple ][, and recently bought my tenth Mac, so it's hardly as if I'm some anti-Apple nut.

And it's "Mac", by the way. Not "MAC". That's a hardware address.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Technically that would be a trojan, not a virus. Viruses and worms are self-replicating; a trojan requires action on the part of the user. FWIW.

A virus infects a "real" program by attaching itself to it.
A worm acts independently of programs.
A trojan masquerades as a program and does nothing on its own until the user activates it.

Macs are generally less susceptible to viruses, but worms and especially trojans are a different story.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hey Fairfax71. Is it actually your job to be such a pedantic arse?

there were 2 trojans that I recall for osx, both of which needed be activated by the user to operate. 1 arrived via a dodgy Office installation which was on filesharing sites, and the other was on porn sites that tries to get you to download and install a new codec into Quicktime.

Common sense says that if you don't do stupid things like visit dodgy websites, install iffy software, and generally keep your computer up to date, and not open email which offers free sex/porn/viagra etc you will be generally fine. Have never felt the need for virus software, which is almost non existent at this point anyway.

Nice chip you have on your shoulder there.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

I am well-balanced. I have a chip on each shoulder.

Here's the rest of the story, one of the main guys who started it all back in the good ol' USA, home to all the innovation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MwD-TZ6r9Y...feature=related

For all those looking to get a new Macbook in the next month or so, hold off...

Apple "Notebook" event is on, October 14th!

I'm so excited! I've known about the Oct 14th event ever since my laptop died recently. Hopefully they will be ready to get shipped next week!

Yes, except one of those questions is far more crucial.

So here's the quick details on the new Mac line up.

Yes:
All glass touchpad and Display (Touchpad is multi touch up to 4 finger gestures demo'd)
New model Mac Pros, New Model Macbook, New model Airs's.
Single piece Aluminum body's on both 15in and 17in'ers
New 22in Display
Macbooks get a $100 price drop
New NVIDIA graphics for all laptops

No:
A $800 range Laptop
A netbook
Blueray
HDMI connectors

For the full Minute by minute breakdown of the Apple Event click Here

You lied. Only a 15" model.

It does seem weird that BluRay wasn't included in this line up, I would imagine that it has to be in the next one though.

Um. Actually the 17in MBP was the first model to have an aluminum body (Since 2006) - Link
Anywho, the 17in MBP is also getting refreshed.

You said single piece aluminium body on both. That is NOT available for the 17". I am sure it will come in future but your post was and is wrong.

As far as I can see, there are no firewire ports. Can anyone confirm that? If so, Apple evidently thinks that USB 2.0 is an adequate replacement. WTF?

dammit! I wanna get the new macbook today but I can't decide whether to get one with an American keyboard or a German one??? I am obviously more comfortable typing on an American one, but what if I end up living here for a couple more years. I AM hoping to return to the US asap, but dont know...

What would you guys do in my situation...?

German German German. Takes you 5 minutes to get used to it. Just the Z and Y.

But if you dont get the German then finding €, ß, ö, ä will drive you bonkers. Its a simple decision.

I know you're right...I'm just worried I'm gonna forget typing on a US keyboard and be screwed when I return to the US

Will take 5 mins to adjust back if you buy another PC. No brainer.

Other option: I pretty much 90% type using external keyboards, so you could purchase a German bluetooth keyboard and leave US on the main unit. But its a bodge.

The MBP has one FireWire 800 port.

pc: computer
Mac: intelligent, user friendly, built well, not prone to viruses, simple but still with amazing programs. fun, looks good, makes music, books, projects, WIDGETS!!! the list goes on. At first its a bit like Ahhhh... new stuff but then youu pick it up and then you dont have all these stupid, an unexpected error occured boxes like windows. Mac is a commputer for work and play. I love my mac and would not use a windows again!

yeah and the Macbook NONE! But I'm not paying double the price of a macbook to have a firewire.

Thats a good idea...the apple keyboards are 49€ . Now I just need to figure out which one to have built into the macbook and which one to get as an external keyboard

Dont sweat too much on the subject. You "can" buy and fit a different keyboard in the future - its a fiddly job but can be done and there are instructions on the internet. Obviously will probably take a few months before replacement US keyboards are available for the new models - but it will happen.

So get the German one now.

Depends how long you've been using the DE layout before you have to swap back. After 9 years using a DE one I'm having trouble adjusting back to using US at work, even more so since at home my MacBook is DE and I'm constantly switching between the 2.

Still, at least the US one is better than the Japanese one they gave me with a space bar that's only about 1 inch wide.

Different keyboards may be a problem on the new notebooks if the layout changes: the entire chassis will have to be replaced.

what about the /(){[]}\/-_<>@´`~+^ keys that are also in different places?
To get umlauts on the mac without a german keyboard you can use the optionkey+u, then press a for instance to get the ä. ß - option-s (I have not personally tested these)

Thanks for the info, cause that's EXACTLY what I've been wondering. If I can just type a short cut and get Umlauts I'll get the US one. I don't find myself having to use Umlauts too often anyway...

has anybody tried this before? I'm gonna ask the apple person as well.

I mean my last laptop was an American DELL, but I could only do the short cut umlaut thing within a Word Document. Not in E-mails, Online etc. ... AND I couldn't type capital Umlauts...OR maybe I was just too stupid to fgure it out

I do it. Takes a while to learn but it's OK. Example: to get a ß, hold down the Alt key and press S. To get an umlaut, hold down the Alt key and press U, then the letter which needs it - so for ï, hold down the Alt key and press U, followed by I. It sounds complicated but it's really not.

What you gonna be doing more?

Coding or writing german?

If your coding - stay american, if writing german text then get the german keyboard.

I hate coding on a german keyboard.

Poots

Does this work when you are typing online, in E-mails etc. ? Or just in Word documents? Can you do Capital letters too?

Mac OS also has a utility called "keyboard viewer" but I'm not sure if it's possible to use it to get characters that are not actually on your currently selected keyboard layout...

I know this goes against the common perception, but I have both and my Mac crashes FAR more often than my PC. I don't even remember the last time my PC (WinXP) crashed, yet my Mac needs a hard reset (hold down the power button) seemingly every other day.

Still, I've been holding off for a new laptop until this release and now have to make up my mind between Dell and Macbook. The MB is nicer, looks good, better built, etc - of course it is, it costs ~40% more! But is it really 40% better, given the same specs?

I powered on my Mac Pro April 2007, shut it down in March 2008 to ship to Germany, and powered it on again in April. Never froze, never complains.

Damn! You are wasting a lot of electricity

My only complain with the Mac Pro is that it generates a lot of heat.

I switched to Ubuntu long time back.

it turns out the short cut thing for the umlauts works, so I bought the new macbook with a US keyboard

I cant believe I made the switch to Macs... I hope I wont regret it!

the glossy screen is pretty lame cause the colors are so unrealistic on it...but then again I'm not a designer

Switched my desktop at home to a big imac I guess around 4 months ago. Not looked back since (well apart from having a load of old vector gfx in Corel Draw)

so...do I still need anti virus and anti spyware programs or the mac ?

For a company that prides itself on design, why they hell are they coming out with glossy screens? They function great if you're a girl and want to do your make up, but for anything else they freaking suck..

Yes - it's sytem-wide, no - see previous answer, and yes - you can do capitals as well. But I see I'm a bit late - have fun with it.

NERDSSSSSSSSS!!!

I've been quite happy using Vista and haven't had any problems with it what-so-ever. Well, that is after I was sent a new replacement Dell for the one that blew up thanks to a faulty power supply. Vista has run my image processing software flawlessly and is fast. I feel, if you are frustrated with Vista, you're probably a retard and shouldn't be allowed around electronic equipment in the first place.

I've really got nothing against Macs. It does seem that the people I know who have them are the more snobbish, uppity, 'I'm better than you types'. You know, the 'hipster' type person who looks down on people because of their lack of individuality but then follows the new and coolest hipster trends along with the rest of the yuppity hipster crowd. I bet a lot of you Mac users own fixie bikes too I kid, I kid (sort of...)

Oh, and USCTrojan ----->