ARRRRGH!!! 'TIS YER BROWSER WHAT'S BEEN HIJACKED, ARRRRGHH..

ARRRGHHHH-CADE, YE BEST HOLD OFF ON MAKING ANYONE WALK THE PLANK 'TILL THE FIX BE AVAILABLE

ARRRGHHHH!!!

MacBookPro... The only way to go...

I use Macs for my business, my wife has a a couple PC's for hers. I've never had a single virus on mine

I installed Firefox on hers after I had to wipe her hard drive the Umteenth time and reinstall Windows when she got viruses. Never had a problem since. More walls for someone to bust through than a Super Max prison too. AVG, Norton

I use Firefox too.

I've used Firefox for quite awhile now myself-and lots of firewalls,and Anti-Virus.

I avoid IE when I can. I was even ready to buy a Mac and software that allows you to emulate Windows when you have to (some of the software I use doesn't come in Mac versions). Got expensive, though.

Amazing that such a shoddy product (Windows, esp. Vista) has been able to maintain its market dominance.

As a former Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (Win NT4.0), I highly endorse the MacBook Pro with the Leopard OS and Mozilla Firefox Browser. It took me a few years to accept reality and make the leap but, now I know why everyone told me I should.

Microsoft is not only crap but a ghastly money racket, too.

PHOENIX

You can buy a used Mac pretty cheap.

Any of the Dual Core models will work fine, but if you're going to use Windows you're still vulnerable using IE

You may have these already, but if not, download them and install.

Firefox

Why is this news?

My 6 year old SONY VAIO is dying and after looking at Vista have decided to get an iMAC -- I'm over Microsoft.

MSGT

I've been using Macs since the 80's. Never had a problem.

The nice thing nowadays is that with a Dual Core processor you can run your Windows programs too. That was always that one drawback in having to have a PC too because there was so much more software available. But, not anymore.

Check out the 'refurbs' at Apple.com. You can get some great deals, and quite a bit cheaper too in many cases. Same warranty, just machines where they had to replace a motherboard or something. Brand new for all intents and purposes.

I own three Macs. Just make sure you get a Dual Core processor so you can run the Windows programs if you want to. Easy to flip back and forth. I never browse the Net on Windows though. My wife has, and I've had to wipe the hard drives and reinstall Windows several times. Never had a virus on a Mac. Ever.

Why is this news?

#8 | Posted by RingMaster at 2008-12-17 12:36 AM

The fact that you ask makes me wonder how you made it to the internet in the first place. Seriously, a security flaw of this magnitude can be worth big money to the wrong people [you know, hackers, identity thieves and the like]. So until there's a fix, a lot of people have a lot to lose - hence, news coverage.

If your comment was in jest I do apologize, apparently my sense of humor made it to bed before I did.

Windoze is neurotic and IE is worse.

As much as I dislike Microsoft products I have to give credit to them for making the personal computer affordable to so many. Shame that so many are so unappreciative of what computers have given us that they create viruses and such just to cause damage.

But what do you expect when the highest accolades most people give to a peecee is that it can run games... and the games (mostly repeats of 6 or 7 common themes) out number the practical software 50 to 1. Just shows you the mentality the majority of their user base operates with.

I've been using Apples since the 80's too... love em and never had a major problem even when the company nearly disappeared in the 90's. The minor problem I encountered were fixed with great customer service.

The obvious advantage Apple has is the system is designed for the computer making them more stable and the problems more easily remedied. On the other hand Windoze is a generic answer for a generic product.

I have XP Pro on two of my 8 business computers and I have been running windoze on my macs for 10 years... since Windoze 98... the only difference is now I run it natively rather than an emulator. A Peecee no matter how loaded goodies could ever offer me the versatility or security of Mac... every major operating system can be run on a Mac.

Eve used and Apple ;)

Check out the 'refurbs' at Apple.com... Just make sure you get a Dual Core processor so you can run the Windows programs if you want to. --#10 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY

Thanks for the info re: refurbs. What emulator are you using? I was looking at Parallels, but the only person I knew who had any experience with it had been working with an early version and had to re-install his OS 3 times in a few months. Also, some of the software he used crashed a lot on the emulator. (We both do computationally intensive statistical work using a package that's not available for the Mac.)

I have no patience for crashes, OS re-installs, etc. (and neither did he -- he gave up before newer versions that are reputed to be more stable were available).

I never use IE unless I have to, btw -- longtime Mosaic/Firefox user.

I bought the finest laptop computer money could buy....for 450 bucks at office depot. A compaq with amd athlon, drives vista, and browses with the fox.
With my son working at Mr. Softee I'm interested to hear his take on anti spyware this holiday

before that I had a nice toshiba laptop that drove linux and mozilla for years.

Thanks for the info re: refurbs. What emulator are you using? I was looking at Parallels, but the only person I knew who had any experience with it had been working with an early version and had to re-install his OS 3 times in a few months. Also, some of the software he used crashed a lot on the emulator. (We both do computationally intensive statistical work using a package that's not available for the Mac.)

#13 | POSTED BY PHOENIX AT 2008-12-17 07:32 AM

on dual core processors you don't need to emulate :-)

You can run it independently. Boot camp, created by mac, allows you to select your OS on start up. That means you have to restart to use windows, however it is the fastest way to run windows on a mac. They also have another one that opens a window in your mac OS and allows you to run it in there. Is that parallels? Or virtual pc, i can't remember. Google here I come.

Also - I've always been a firefox guy, and that's what's on my macbook. At work i use Chrome! (Except when our IT guys walk by)

I am the IT guy. IE is removed from XP and firefox runs on all of the browsers.

I've never been a fan of IE. Firefox has its own issues, but the developers are usually on top of it and working on a fix. If someone finds it before the fix is released, the fix isn't far behind.

Phoenix:

This site got a mention on the Mac website:

on dual core processors you don't need to emulate :-)

You can run it independently. Boot camp, created by mac, allows you to select your OS on start up. That means you have to restart to use windows, however it is the fastest way to run windows on a mac. --#15 | Posted by illumin

Yeah, but if you're a multi-tasker, that defeats the purpose of switching to a Mac.

Wish there were more tech-savvy people at my current university; I'd switch to Linux in a second. Don't want to go it alone, though.

"I cannot recommend people switch due to this one flaw," said John Curran, head of Microsoft UK's Windows group.

Wow, what a shocker.

This ONE flaw. Bet he uses Firefox. :-)

Linux Ubuntu for me... Using Firefox

Wish there were more tech-savvy people at my current university; I'd switch to Linux in a second. Don't want to go it alone, though.

It's ironic you mention that - my first year of college I went to a meetup for the campus Linux group, because I'd been having a lot of trouble with the newly-released Windows XP. I hooked up my computer and they installed one of the more basic Linux distros on it (Mandrake, I think?).

Absolutely nothing worked. The video card took 3 hours to get set up, I couldn't get sound, and it wouldn't recognize all of my RAM (in retrospect that could've been a BIOS setting that I messed up). Even doing something as simple as printing a document was a chore. As far as I can tell, the issues I had might've been caused by poor hardware (I was using a 900 mHz AMD Duron and a whopping 512 MB of RAM!), a poor distribution (I've heard Mandrake was pretty unstable early on), or just a plain inexperience on my part with PCs. Either way, I was back on Windows within a week, having thoroughly pissed off the dorm's resident Linux fiend. :)

If the Commerce and Justice Departments of the Bush Administration weren't asleep at the wheel, maybe they would have broken up the illegal Microsoft monopoly. Consumers would have more choice among software vendors. Alternatively, the Feds could take over Microsoft to ensure that the needs of the market are being met. Clearly, having one company dominate the industry has led to people groveling on the floor and begging "please, sir, can I have some more... security?"

Aaaaand know it's political. Nice.

I use windows only because it's cheap. I'm strapped for cash, and it functions. XP is way better than Vista, so I stick with that, but I really would like a mac. The only reason that I can imagine for why people use windows is that the code is pretty open. Mac locks down on a lot of their stuff, so it's way more secure. But for your average 13 year old trying to figure out computers with little monetary investment, go for windows.

"If the Commerce and Justice Departments of the Bush Administration weren't asleep at the wheel, maybe they would have broken up the illegal Microsoft monopoly."

#23 | Posted by KnowsTooMuch

If Microsoft has a monopoly, how do you explain all of the Mac users on this very thread?

Windows is not the problem. It's a great platform for people who need networked computing on a shoestring budget. For example I run three PC's on a network for render cows. I haven't had a problem for years with any of my computers that was not hardware related.

The problem is good old capitalist greed. Just like Microsoft created a need for PC applications, dozens of companies created a need for AV and security applications. This wasn't the chance byproduct of a bunch of script kiddies. It's the hard work and dedication of companies trying to sell stock. What better way to make a living then creating a need for your product out of thin air. It is the Silicon Vally mantra.

Microsoft, for what it's worth, sells 10 times the computers then Mac simply because they do work for those people who are smart enough to master them. Macs are for the dumb and lazy. They're both using the same hardware platform these days. Put Vista on a Mac and see how long it can last controlled by a Mac OS. It's a joke and everyone who ever tried it knows what I am talking about. PC's are much more forgiving with PC software and there is many more useful programs for a PC then Mac will ever have.

Oh, and yes my first comment, "Why is this news?" was not meant as humor. This has been an ongoing problem for years with IE. It was designed with more functionality then Netscape products, which is why there is constant problems from security companies trying to sell a new product update. The easy solution, use a third party browser and keep paying the bastards that make the AV programs. One more thing , don't do banking online with unsecured methods. That's not news.

Microsoft, for what it's worth, sells 10 times the computers then Mac simply because they do work for those people who are smart enough to master them. -- #26 | Posted by RingMaster

Who knew Bill Gates was on the DR?

MS sells 10 times the computers only because it wasn't cost-effective for co's producing specialized software to create versions for several platforms, and so a lot of the software originally designed for DOS never migrated to the Mac OS.

Macs are for the dumb and lazy.

Like engineers?

Put Vista on a Mac and see how long it can last controlled by a Mac OS... -- #26 | Posted by RingMaster

This says more about Vista than the Mac OS. Remember, MS had to kill XP to get the PC community to use Vista, and many will still pay the extra $$ for the XP "downgrade."

Personally, I have been running Ubuntu for at least three years and other linux distros before that and I have never had an issue with viruses although i am finding that ubuntu is becoming bloated and susceptible to locking up on older hardware. But i guess that is what i get for being a cheapskate.

I started buying Macs because PC's couldn't run the programs I use at nearly the speed. One program, ProTools, wasn't even available for PC's until recent years.

Someone said "Macs are for dumb people". I've never had to download endless 'patches' to get a Mac OS working properly. Also, the digital audio and video software I use comes out of the box working well. Apple is much more generous in sharing operating systems in development with software developers than Microsoft. Pull a PC version out of the box and spend half a day downloading patches to fix bugs. Pull a Mac version out of the box and get to work.

Networking is a breeze to set up. Ethernet cable, couple of settings and Voila!

I guess it's a matter of personal preference and what OS you know. All I know is I've never had a problem with a Mac and tons with PC's. We have several of both. To each his/her own.

To whomever asked: The days of needing Virtual PC were over with the advent of Intel based Dual Core processors.

Best wy is to rn windows version of Firefox in Wine on Linx. You r completely sfe.

Btw, my keybord is hosed, new one on order.

For those here who are all warm and comfy sitting by the Firefox...

Firefox joins security patch day treadmill

Mozilla is joining Microsoft and Opera on the browser patching treadmill.

The open-source group has rolled out the final security fix for the Firefox 2 branch and a new version of Firefox 3 to plug about a dozen security holes that could lead to remote code execution attacks, browser crashes and information disclosure issues.

In all, Mozilla released eight different bulletins with details on the security flaws. Three of the bulletins carry a "critical" label, meaning they can be exploited "to run attacker code and install software, requiring no user interaction beyond normal browsing."

One of the bulletins carry a "high severity" rating, meaning it can be used by hackers "to gather sensitive data from sites in other windows or inject data or code into those sites, requiring no more than normal browsing actions."

I'm sitting here on a Mac using Firefox.

Hackers attempts to insert viruses will be about as successful as stones thrown at a mattress will be in penetrating it.

Mac to PC malware: "Sorry, I don't understand what you said. It's all jibberish"

I think the main reason why PCs out sell macs by 10 to 1 is because of the brilliant minds at IBM. They realized early on that if they licensed the hardware specs to any company that wanted a piece of the action they could make a lot more money then a company that refused to license to any one else. Jobs was good at innovation but very bad at seeing the total picture. The Mac licensing dilemma is apparent with the IPod too. Sick of paying for i-tunes or converting wma to mp3? Get a real player that plays anything for half the price.

I have tried Mandrake, Mandriva etc. Ubuntu 8.1 is the best I have ever scene. I am using it with Linksys wireless cards and running it on 3 machines now.

No viruses need come knocking. IE sucks!

"The days of needing Virtual PC were over with the advent of Intel based Dual Core processors."

I have had the opposite experience with an Intel Duo Core. What a POS to set up. Give me a cheap AMD any day. In over 25 years of running PC's most were AMD and never a problem with any of them that I can remember as far a reliability and speed goes. Intel may make good cpu's but their MB chipsets suck.

Anyone using an Asus EEE pc laptop. Another fine example of what costs $250 and has NOOOOO MICROSOFT ON IT!!!

I'm sitting here on a Mac using Firefox.

Hackers attempts to insert viruses will be about as successful as stones thrown at a mattress will be in penetrating it.

Mac to PC malware: "Sorry, I don't understand what you said. It's all jibberish"

#33 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2008-12-17 05:32 PM | Reply | Flag:

What color is the sky in your world? My post did not address browsers running on Macs. Merely passing on info on Firefox. You, on the other hand, did mention problems involving IE on your wife's business PCs and stated that you installed Firefox for her to avoid similar problems.

I have both IE and Firefox on my compuker. I'm running Vista and have yet to encounter any of the problems or crashes noted to date. Au contraire, on my other, older computer running XP, I have had to replace a dead hard drive twice (two years apart). Go figure. Your mileage may vary.

MACV

I was merely commenting that on a Mac I'm not vulnerable to viruses PC users are. Not making a poke at you whatsoever or your choice of computer. Since I installed AVG and Norton on the PC's there hasn't been a single virus issue. But, I've also warned my wife not to open attachments in forwarded emails. Only those from people she knows who are sending a specific file.

I started installing IBM drives and they've lasted longer than Maxtor or other brands I've tried. One thing I've found helpful in keeping hard drive arrays working less hard in my business (where I work with mvery large files all playing at once) is to optimize the hard drive so they don't have to work quite so hard. Had one just die the other week. Got it started once - long enough to back up the few files that hadn't been backed up yet. Then it was 'hammer time' for it.

On the Mac I use a cloning program to make exact copies with registrations for software et al. On the PC I use Norton Ghost, although the first time I used it I did it backwards and wiped a perfectly good drive clean. OOPS!

Hard drive failure has nothing to do with the OS. It can happen on any platform. I tore apart a dead Mac once and used the hard drive in a PC. It was a Seagate SATA drive. Biggest problem drive I ever owned. It needed to be reformatted and reloaded about every 3 months. It never flagged an error, just never worked as expected.

MACV

I was merely commenting that on a Mac I'm not vulnerable to viruses PC users are. Not making a poke at you whatsoever or your choice of computer. Since I installed AVG and Norton on the PC's there hasn't been a single virus issue. But, I've also warned my wife not to open attachments in forwarded emails. Only those from people she knows who are sending a specific file.

I started installing IBM drives and they've lasted longer than Maxtor or other brands I've tried. One thing I've found helpful in keeping hard drive arrays working less hard in my business (where I work with mvery large files all playing at once) is to optimize the hard drive so they don't have to work quite so hard. Had one just die the other week. Got it started once - long enough to back up the few files that hadn't been backed up yet. Then it was 'hammer time' for it.

On the Mac I use a cloning program to make exact copies with registrations for software et al. On the PC I use Norton Ghost, although the first time I used it I did it backwards and wiped a perfectly good drive clean. OOPS!

#39 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2008-12-18 06:52 AM | Reply | Flag

Sorry. I confused Mac with MAC. No harm, no foul. Thanks for the insights on backing up data, etc.