“The Windows computing platform is in a genuine crisis. Windows computers are being attacked, every day, by an international army of digital criminals who seek to spy on users, turn their own computers against them and deface, corrupt or destroy their data.There have long been computer viruses, but until the past couple of years, they were mainly a nuisance. Now they have grown into a serious problem-by one account there were 5,000 new Windows viruses discovered in the first six months of 2004. And the virus plague has been trumped by a new type of malicious software, spyware, which can track your activities, bombard you with unwanted ads, even steal your identity,” Walter S. Mossberg writes for The Wall Street Journal.
“Spam has also grown exponentially, clogging e-mail boxes and carrying with it malicious software. For some people, e-mail has become a curse. And that’s not all. Every minute of every day, hackers using automated software scan the Internet looking for computers vulnerable enough to invade and, in some cases, to surreptitiously take over. Without your knowledge, they can turn your computer into a ‘zombie’ machine rigged to help them spread their nasty viruses, spam and spyware,” Mossberg writes.
“So for consumers and small businesses — everyone without a large IT department to manage security — the Windows computers they use have become huge burdens instead of helpful tools. If you do get a severe virus or spyware infestation, you may have to spend hundreds of dollars and many hours to wipe your hard disk clean and start fresh, quite possibly losing crucial data in the process,” Mossberg writes. “If you’re totally fed up with the security crisis but want to continue using your computer for common tasks, consider dumping Windows altogether and switching to Apple’s Macintosh, which uses its own operating system, called OS X. There has never been a successful virus reported on OS X, and there is little or no spyware for the Mac.”
Mossberg writes, “In my view, Macs have better hardware, a better operating system and better bundled software than Windows PCs. They are as good as, and often better than, Windows PCs at e-mail and Web surfing; at word processing and other productivity tasks; and at handling digital photos, videos and music. And most popular Windows file types open right up in Mac programs, without the need for any conversion or translation.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Windows patchers, there is a better way. For more information about smoothly adding a safe, secure, powerful, and fun Mac OS X machine to your computing arsenal, please click here. If we may be so forward, you might want to take a look at Apple’s new Mac Mini which starts at just US$499 — it just might be the perfect machine for you. And don’t forget to bump the RAM up to 512MB, you’ll want it. And please don’t forget to read Switching from Windows to Mac? Save money by asking to ‘crossgrade’ your software.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
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97,467 Microsoft Windows viruses vs. zero for Apple Mac’s OS X – April 05, 2005
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Mossberg knows what he is talking about. Take his advise you will be much happier.
Everything in this article goes with out saying and Microsoft has a real mess on their hands and we can only hope that the Mac OS will never go down the same road.
Walt it straight out telling people, “Unless you want to deal with this garbage in Windows by yourself, and can’t afford to hire someone else to deal with it for you, switch to a Mac.” I think we’ve been waiting for this article from him for awhile. I like Walt. I think he’s on the ball when it comes to tech news, and he doesn’t pull any punches, against Microsoft or Apple.
“which starts at just US$499 — it just might be the perfect machine for you. And don’t forget to bump the RAM up to 512MB, you’ll want it.”
So, it’s not really $499 is it? If you’re going to be the PR arm of Apple, at least be honest about it. So its really $575 for a usable computer (or really $624 w/ the upgrade to the neccessary 80gb drive). Still a decent deal…..
and this is news?
I’ve had a feeling for awhile now that Mossberg has been working his way up to a full blown decrying of Windows and urging people to move to Macs. Looks like he’s finally done it. Good on ya, Walt!
WOW!
Email that article to ALL your windows mates NOW!!
You should ALWAYS include the link about ‘crossgrading’ of software. Many cite the cost of re-purchasing their high $ apps as a major reason to stick with Windows.
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/5455/
Amen..!
I wonder if Walt has seen this
http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/652.html
This is known since long time already. And even sw developers have hinted that to WIndows users but in a too subtle way: developers overestimated the average Wintel user.
In all products it is written every time in the recommendation:
Use Windows <flavor and vs> or BETTER.
I followed that recommendation long time ago hence I use now BETTER: OS X !
As much as I like Apple and Macs, I cannot help but feeling Mossberg is overdoing it. Yes most nasties target Windows and other MS software, but if you just keep the proper software protection on your PC and keep it up-to-date, you are ok.
I overheard (eavesdropped on) a conversation on the train last week between two PC users. One was telling the other how pleased he was with his new machine. He then rattled through all the precaution he took, which basically read a bit like Mossberg’s list of things you need to do, and then said it wasn’t giving him any trouble. He seemed pleased that he was able to keep his PC clean, presumably long wnough to do a few other things on it too.
I was very tempted to tell the guy what a terrible mistake he had made, asking if he’d consider it OK to have to check the oil in his car every day and top up the coolant once a week because the pipes didn’t fit as well as they might. But there was no point. I just chuckled to myself and let it go.
I just made a new sig – the last paragraph of Walt’s article.
Mac…”but if you just keep the proper software protection on your PC and keep it up-to-date, you are ok.”
Thats the problem.. a majority of people that have PCs don’t think to do this… and they shouldn’t have to. Wow this is great I buy a PC then I have to purchase additional software to keep it safe.. That makes a lot of sense doesn’t it?
Mac – overdoing it? If I HAVE to pay for and spend time maintaining all these protections for my PC, that’s a very real cost in terms of time and money. So the hidden costs of using a PC are much much higher than a Mac. And oh by the way, I may be “OK” as you say (even though I’m spending a lot more time and money to be “OK”) – but it’s really a time bomb waiting to go off that I don’t have with my Mac. New viruses show up all the time, and it takes time for the scanners to respond and for you to update. So “OK” is a relative term.
Hywel – right on, man. Chuckle away.
Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
OSX 97% markeshare, Windows 3%….only a fool would believe hackers/spam/trojans/viruses/etc would target exclusively the tiny Windows platform.
“Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
OSX 97% markeshare, Windows 3%….only a fool would believe hackers/spam/trojans/viruses/etc would target exclusively the tiny Windows platform.
Ah… the old “security through obscurity” myth. I thought that had been dealt with often enough on this site to relegate it to other flatlander “theories.”
Sammy: most of the software that serves the web is non-M$ and very few viruses, etc. There are many markets where M$ is not No.1 – yet it is still M$ that has all the viruses. Why is that?
70-80% of the design comunity use Macs apparently, again no viruses.
Market share figures are fun to look at but do not equate with or correlate to security.
Okay this is gay. Ive put together what it would take to put a 15 user organization together including the support costs. I sold this last year. They havent had a single problem, Infact, they havent called in 2 months. I check on them once a month just to check up and install updates. (I dont charge for updates) And chances are you cant even roll over anyway due to software compatability.
16 Machines from Dell w/ Office 03 1200*16 $19200
1 Windows 2003 Server w/ SUS $2000
2 Days configuration 65*16 $1040
Sonic Wall Firewall / Router $2000
Total $20,640 over 8 months
16 Machines from Apple 1400*16 -22400
16 Copies Office 349*16 -5584
1 Apple XServe 2999
2 Days configuration 65*16 $1040
Sonic Wall Firewall / Router $2000
Two weeks Training 40*50 -2000
Lost time (15 employees, averaging 20 hr) 12,000
Total $48,023
Anyone who switches to mac in an organization is a dumbass, Even with Viruses on a windows network, it would never get so bad to justify another 28000 bucks in spending every year.
You gay are lost in the fog of your idol SJ…Sad, VERY sad.
stan the man..
can you rip your ram out of your PC and put it in a mac mini?
(bring your own RAM?
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Gimp,
I knocked you out in Pulp Fiction. Put your mask back on & go back to sleep in your box & wait for Bill Gates to wake you up.
Gimps real name is Steve Ballmer.
Funny the magic word is bill – go figure.
Hey Gimp, your numbers do not add up; nicely inflated in the Apple list. What’s with the mythical “two weeks training” crap? And 2 days configuration for 16 Macs? We’re not talking Windows machines … configuration is trivial and can be easily automated for 16 Macs. And 16 copies of Office I am sure are available at much lower prices than you quoted; assuming one needed 16. In fact you probably would find that most of them don’t need all that functionality (and baggage).
Of course if all your mythical employees just use Office and nothing else, maybe they only need a IBM-PC compatible. On the other hand, if they’re doing more creative work and also don’t want to be held up by viruses/spyware, the choice is obvious.
Yes, by the way, where are the costs for the anti-virusware/anti-spyware and the extra lost hours of maintaing the IBM-PC compatibles
when the viruses/spyware break through.
Gimp, you’re between (MW) a rock and a hard place … learn to analyse and add up properly!
“What’s with the mythical “two weeks training” crap?”
Whats so “Mythical” about it thor?
How about the 100 users I just trained going from OS 9 to X? Its sad man, real sad that even some veteran Mac users dont have a clue. Let alone trying to put Windows users on OS X, Its completely utterly stupid to convert an entire office built on Windows for 10+ years and expect everything to function as normal.(Vice Versa)Things may come easier to You and I in the configuration areas but for “office” users, its impractical.
“Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Mythical this, Mythical That” -Thorpedo
“Yes, by the way, where are the costs for the anti-virusware/anti-spyware and the extra lost hours of maintaing the IBM-PC compatibles
when the viruses/spyware break through.” -Thorpedo
The only thing running is MS (Beta) Antispyware, Firewalls -1, PATCHES installed, Network Observer, and Netfilters Filters.
As far as lost hours? Over the past 4 years Windows has become a hell of a lot less “prone” to “the forces of criminals”.
I havent lost hours, or sleep in that long..Windows may have “been” horrible to manage in the past, I wont argue with that. It’s come a long way in that amount of time.
But to say that “Windows computers have become huge burdens instead of helpful tools” – Mossberg
It makes me believe that Apple’s “Up in our ass for the Hour” attitude is active again.
Give me some cold hard (MW) evidence that what I say isnt true.
I emailed the article to all my computing friends and family. It was nice that it had something for everybody – windozers or Mac.