As you may know, I started out as a MAC user. A devoted MAC user at that. I don't count my Commodore years since it never really gripped my consciousness as a part of my everyday life. However, I once was one of those who ignored all the negatives like insane overpricing, lack of software, lack of games, lack of upgradeability, fragile file format causing constant file losses (broken fork issue), etc.
Then one day I got a virus on my MAC SE. Yes, back then there was none of that idiotic smug nonsense that Mac's were somehow invulnerable to malicious attacks. And where did I get this virus? Not on the Internet mind you, but from a document for my son's Lutheran Church School that I transferred to my computer by floppy disk to work on for them as a favor. What a nightmare that was! MACs are vulnerable, any computer is vulnerable, perhaps in different ways but believe me they are vulnerable.
Anyway, I switched and am now a Windows user, and that was the only time in all these years (almost 20!) that I have had one of my computers infected with anything. This is due to 95% vigilance and 5% luck. I did have 1 virus infection at an office computer at AboveNet, but that was during a short interval when they insisted on letting a true dork from Desktop Support at the White Plains HQ control my PC. His idea of security was to block all DL/installs on staff computers. What an arrogant, ignorant, sexist idiot he was. I resolved that issue fast. Got control of my PC back from the head of the dept with backup by my director, cleaned up my machine and never had a problem with it again.
Anyway, I put the blame for this crap on the real guilty parties. The criminals who create and send out the viruses, worms, trojans, malware, etc. Put them in jail.
So here's another critical flaw in the MAC OS that leaves users vulnerable to attack and takeover. They'll still keep singing the MACs are safe song, I know. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
http://www.jayallen.org/journey/2004/05/mac_os_x_highly_critical_security_flaw
http://mamamusings.net/archives/2004/05/18/serious_os_x_security_problem.php
Thanks go to Tavie for bringing this to my attention in her blog www.tavie.com. Tavie is one of the saner MAC users out there and I rate her highly for many reasons having nothing to do with MACs.
2 comments:
The worst negative of Apple is their tendency to make weak or shoddy parts on their portable computers, so you're constantly have to replace things like power cords. I've never had so much trouble with any machine as I've had with my iBook. The horror story that is that thing has turned me from a Mac enthusiast to disgusted with computers altogether. (My sister's Sony VAIO laptop has had its share of problems too, but not so many structural defect-related issues as that stupid iBook.)
I've followed the continuing tales of woe with your computers and Kirsten's and you have been badly hit several times. I can only say I've never had problems with any of mine. Alan bought me my first PC, a Gateway. Since then I upgraded to a IBM server as my workstation and several laptops. All work day in and day out, the laptops travel regularly between the US and the UK with me.
On the other hand everyone I know who has bought a Sony Vaio laptop has had continuing aggro with it. The MAC users I know seem to always have one thing or another wrong with it.
I guess you can have high style or reliability, take your pick; you can't have both.
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