Greetings, There is no hard empirical evidence supporting the notion that Windows' greater susceptibility to viruses and worms is exclusively due to low quality development on the part of Microsoft. The argument could also be made that the very fact that Windows is used by the majority makes it more of a target. In other words, Mac OS may be too small a fry for which hackers could pay any attention.
I agree that this is a very risky move. Apple has brought the battle it once fought exclusively in the market place to within its own doors, rendering its hardware and software holdings in a more tenuous position. Where it really didn't have to before, Apple will now have to compete directly with Dell, Gateway and many more while trying to chip at Microsoft's market share. A two pronged expansion strategy, very risky indeed... But if there is any way for Apple to dramatically grow within the next five years, this is it. As Joe so aptly pointed out, one could view this as an intermediary step allowing for a much more smoother transition from Windows to Mac OS. It would be too much of a shock otherwise. In fact, I have a friend who is a devout Mac-o-phile. He (in effect) decommissioned his PC after getting a mini and an I20. And now, he's unable to use his APH Book Port. Suppose the Book Port was a deal breaker (which for me personally, it is). Would you rather snub us potential users for the purity of the Mac? I agree with your initial point by the way. Viruses and Worms have been known to work at levels where even firmware is affected. Thus it is conceivable that there are viruses that could just as well corrupt a Mac OS partition via use of Windows on the same machine. But if Smokey the bear traded his furs for a nice polo shirt and slacks, a nifty phone, hell, let's throw in an iPod, and left his current job for an IT position, he would say (for the most part) that only you can prevent computer viral infections. In fact, numerous studies show that the principal reason why people are infected is due largely to their lack of diligence (running updates, performing scans, etc...) Now I'm not a betting man, but I would wager all the money I got in my wallet (which I admit, is nothing) that if Apple were to have Microsoft's market share, you would see the same level of behavior which inexorably leads to the same outcome. In other words, there might come a day when you will have to do just as much to protect your Mac OS as you would a PC. Till then, --------- Abdul -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 10:13 AM To: General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by theblind Subject: Re: Re: game over I think I disagree with your statement that this would only screw up the Windows part/file system. Often there have been viruses and worms that have been able to totaly fry your hard drive and or damage the file system on the drive. I'm curious if the issue would be that such a virus would just fry the Windows file structure or if Windows would just be its entry point and from there if it could fry the entire drive. I'm still convinced this is a bad move. Don't bow to the Windows folks, stick to your guns and market the OS as a better way of doing things. Windows is really a terrible OS and I just don't see the point of this. Further, I'm shocked that the die hard Mac users I know are on this list aren't screaming blody murder. I remember when I first got my Mac and suggested that Windows might have been easier or that I could not do things on my Mac that I could on Windows. You'd think I committed a crime against humanity by the reaction I generated just a few months ago. And, now, well, seems like you guys are fine with this latest move by Apple. Where are you Mac purists? > > From: Buddy Brannan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2006/04/06 Thu AM 01:15:47 EDT > To: General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by the > blind <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: game over > > The good news is that you'd only screw up the Windows side of your > Mac. Not the Mac stuff at all :-) On Apr 6, 2006, at 1:00 AM, > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > So, two questions as I think about this. > > > > 1. Is/will Apple end up selling both operating systems then. I > > mean, they could market this Windows/OS thing and sell machines with > > both. > > > > 2. Is/will this be something easy enough to do so that any person > > could operate and switch between OS and Windows on the Mac? Or, is > > this just a pitch for the real geeks out there? > > > > I'm still concerned about all of the security issues with Windows > > and the idea that I could put Windows on my Mac and screw it up. > > > > Does anyone see this as a bad move by Apple? Have they given up on > > trying to promote the superiority of the OS in favor of trying to > > bridge the gap between the PC and Mac world. Instead of selling > > machines that are better with a better OS, now they are doing that > > while saying oh, you can put Windows on here because we know that > > 95% of the computer world does and we can't convince you to just > > switch. I just don't know about this. Soon, will I just be able to > > buy a Mac with Windows on it and never bother with the OS? > > > >> > >> From: John Denning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> Date: 2006/04/05 Wed PM 05:28:25 PDT > >> To: General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS > >> X by the > >> blind <[email protected]> > >> Subject: Re: game over > >> > >> I think you answered your own question. Most of us would 't want to. > >> But being able to is cool. And the GEEK in many of us might make us > >> do it just for that reason alone. > >> > >> As you and others said, the selling point to VR. Wow how can you go > >> wrong. OK, you want Windows, here it is. Now let me show you the > >> Mac OS side of your new computer. > >> > >> Then there is the virtualization software that is being developed. > >> No dual boot, but have both running at the same time. Not just Mac > >> and Windows, but Linux also. That is cool, and super geeky. I love it. > >> > >> On Apr 5, 2006, at 8:16 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> > >>> Well, as someone who switched from the PC and Windows to the Mac I > >>> am left wondering why I would want to even bother with this. > >> > >> - JD - > >> John Denning > >> AIM: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> A+ MCSA MCSE > >> And glad to be a Mac snob again! > >> Roswell, GA > >> > >> My very old web site: www.jdenning.net > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > > -- > Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV | Work from home the Watkins way! > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Your phone and computer can really pay! > 888-75-BUDDY (888-752-8339) | More info at http://www.tastybiz.com > AIM/Skype/Yahoo: kb5elv | Check out the extensive selection of > MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Watkins' essential products: > http://buddy.brannan.name | http://www.tastyshop.net > > > >
