So what is it? You're reverting the OS to the as-installed state are you not? That's just the same as re-installing - but faster.
I'm pretty sure OS X has a firewall and from using macs in the past,
True, but they are needed more with Windows machines and, on Windows they are as much, if not more so, needed to prevent malicious s/w on the machine getting
out onto the 'net.
they've all had anti virus software installed and there is anti virus software from all the big players for OS X.
And AV is available for Unix/Linux/Netware too, but it's not to protect those machines from viruses, it's for when those machines are used as mail servers and AV checking is done at the gateway and is to seek out
Windows viruses to protect Windows machines on the LAN
From that article:
The Trojan requires victims to enter the administrative password for their machine,
That is the major difference. Windows - cetainly XP, don't know about Vista - puts all users created during the install into the Administrator group
without warning and without explanation of the risks so any malicious s/w doesn't need the root password, it already has the necessary privileges. On OSX, and *nix (on which OSX is based) they don't, so the malicious s/w has to try and trick the user into entering the password. No software company can prevent users falling for this - just like phishing and the Nigerian 419 scams - all they can do is advise them to be wary, so it's not a failing of the OS.
As does every piece of software ever written. The difference is that these
potential issues are discovered and fixed before they are exploited, which also happens with Windows but a lot of the time they are fixed
after they have been exploited. Also, the exploit described in the second of those links relies on a bug in the DNS system which is not Apple's - or Microsoft's - fault.
it turns out, macs are only less vulnerable because most of the malware is written for windows. As macs gain popularity better get yourself some free anti virus software.
Ah, that old chestnut, the 'security through obscurity' argument. Yes, the more popular Macs - and Linux - become then yes, there will be more malicious s/w appearing but, as I pointed out above, the damage it can do will be limited as it doesn't have the necessary privileges to do serious damage.
Historical note: the first ever piece of Internet malicious s/w was a worm that affected Unix boxes (probably because they were the only machines on the 'net at the time
).
Point is, doesn't matter what system you use, if you're naive enough to think macs are secure then perhaps you need to pay one of the 'tech guys' for a home visit.
I've got a 'tech guy' - me
Been working with computers since before the PC was born and as far as my home LAN is concerned I've been running Unix here since 1995 with no A/V s/w and minimum firewalling and never had any security breaches - and I've got ports open on the router to allow me to access my machines from anywhere - but I've had viruses on the Windows box - which, to be fair, were due to Norton AV failing to automatically update and even that may be Windows' fault as it used Task Scheduler to do it, but whatever the cause, Norton failed to warn it was out of date. On top of that SpyBot is forever popping-up warning of suspicious activity - usually when the kids try downloading something off a website.
Upshot is, a windows based machine still does everything as well as a mac for the cost of a couple of happy meals a week
I'm not disputing the productivity, it's the quality of the OS the apps are running on.
