Comments on: Apple to Mac users: No anti-virus software? Get it now!

By: Morosoph

Morosoph — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:51:41 +0000

If you never let some random program ask you for admin privilege, what’s the problem?

Hmmm. I store a lot in ~. Unix tools tend not to autorun stuff, but I suspect that the real difference is the savviness of the user. Yeah, certainly there’s an intellectual challenge in writing a Linux virus (say), but the economic returns are small when the user won’t, in general, co-operate!

By: Gadgetnut

Gadgetnut — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:32:53 +0000

The entire page has now been pulled.

Here’s the link to the story:
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/12/03/apple_pulls_support_note_recommending_antivirus_software.html

By: Gadgetnut

Gadgetnut — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:30:39 +0000

The entire notice has now been pulled. Here’s the link:

Apple pulls support note recommending antivirus software

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/12/03/apple_pulls_support_note_recommending_antivirus_software.html

By: webwoke

webwoke — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:06:13 +0000

Yeah, the system of mac not same as windows. And I thing that there is no system that 100% running without error. :D But i think for now, windows has a bigger percentages in malfunction of it’s system. :D

By: Gadgetnut

Gadgetnut — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:56:14 +0000

That’s an imperfect analogy likening the clearly human situation to computers. The analogy would be closer on point if we were discussing the differences between humans and some random, non-related species. It’s also non sequitur, and a bit misleading as well– attempting to simply use another unrelated, emotionally-charged issue to make your point.

Simple fact is; *Windows* code cannot, does not “infect” Mac systems; any more than a human flu virus can infect a cat. Windows malware is just as benign to a Mac system as is text, or a document file, or an encrypted file that one can’t even open. It’s bits of code that have no effect on a Mac system. Not my problem!

By: Jake Lockley

Jake Lockley — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:45:27 +0000

I think a distinction needs to be made between being a carrier who spreads viruses and having a virus compromise your system. Just because you don’t install a virus doesn’t mean you aren’t infected. If you don’t have anti-virus software on your machine then how do you know? I’ve had Mac users send me files with viruses they had no idea were on their machine. You know, just because you don’t have AIDs doesn’t mean you don’t have HIV. Get anti-virus software, otherwise the cleanliness of your machine is nothing more than speculation.

By: Gadgetnut

Gadgetnut — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:04:43 +0000

But the question that isn’t answered, or I didn’t see it, is whether this is tasking the Mac to eradicate Windows viruses or Mac viruses?

I thought that by definition, *nix doesn’t have viruses, and that the only way that anything that can get onto your Mac system is if you use the admin password to let it install – a move that most of us instinctively know is st00pid.

If these are tools to protect against Windows viruses, and I don’t use any Windows boxes, why do I care? Why do *my* systems have to take a performance hit to protect st00pid Windows users somewhere else? One of the things that made me move to Mac, and that I’ve enjoyed, is specifically *not* having to run five pieces of software just to keep st00pid krap off my system.

Is the problem a Mac problem or a Windows problem? If you never let some random program ask you for admin privilege, what’s the problem? What am I missing here?

NOT trying to start a religious war. I’m really after ‘the rest of the story.’

By: Sampi

Sampi — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:58:14 +0000

Here's the source of the note.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:27:08 +0000

Source Please. A google search came up with nothing.

By: Kiltak

Kiltak — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:08:50 +0000

Indeed. What I would be really curious to see is how much one of the 3 listed applications will affect the speed of a Mac system running OSX…

By: Sampi

Sampi — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:06:19 +0000

The fact that most viruses are written for Windows doesn’t mean there are no viruses that affect Mac or Linux. Don’t get me wrong, I like to make fun of Apple as much as the next guy but the note seems to be more about a safety net than a necessity.