[Grovenet] MACs for Christmas

[chuck]

>
> A truly trouble-free computer for the average non-technical computer user
> does not exist.  All proponents of non-MS operating systems have been
> pushing this mantra constantly, but it's a logical fallacy.
>
>   
In your opinion. 

My Linux machine is trouble free.  My opinion.  

I'm sure David can say the same with his Mac, as could Jane, or any of 
the other Mac users on this board. 

Trouble free - to me - means turning it on and having it actually come 
on.  Clicking my email icon and actually having it work.  Surfing the 
Internet with Firefox or Safari - and being able to go to any site 
without threat of a dangerous popup, trojan horse, or virus.  That's 
pretty much sums up trouble free to me.  A device that works like it is 
supposed to.  Like a TV, or radio.

In my experience, Windows has never been trouble free.  Freezing, 
locking up, driver issues, viruses, spyware, drive-by trojans, blue 
screens, support calls to foreign countries, activation issues, more 
software to purchase.  This is my definition of Windows.  Not exactly 
trouble free.
> An average non-technical user should not have to "learn an OS".  They should
> be able to sit down at the machine and just get it to work.  
I agree 100%. 
>   
>> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
>> My other service call this vacation (its hard being a computer guy) was
>> to another relative whom I built a computer for 3 years ago.  Not one
>> single Antivirus or Spyware application I had given him had been
>> updated.  Not once.  The computer was inundated with Viruses and
>> Spyware - big surprise.  [...]
>> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
>>     
>
> User error.
>   
Absolutely User Error. 

But 'should' it be his fault?  Had he been using something other than 
Windows - would it still have been an issue?  I doubt it as most of his 
problems were Virus/malware related.

I still stand by my experience that Macs/Linux has far fewer Virus 
problems than Windows. 

My Linux machine has been running 3 yrs.  eMail, Internet, Word 
Processing, music/mp3, video/dvd, photo editing/storage, cd/dvd 
burning,  web site editing.  I have no firewall and no virus 
protection.  None. 

Should I worry?  Maybe.  But I don't.  I may have viruses on here right 
now - Windows viruses - and without the proper privileges - they can do 
absolutely nothing.  

I have purposely gone to hacking sites, warez sites, torrent sites, 
myspace, etc....sites I know have trojans, and have even had the 
Winfixer popups - I simply close them.  I purposely open email 
attachments - even questionable ones - nothing.  I have tried to get a 
virus.  Sorry.  They cannot do anything on an OS other than Windows. 

That may indeed change one day - but for now - I feel pretty safe.

>
> Want a computer without the false sense of security (ie, the claims of being
> invulnerable)?  Get a PC.
>
>   
And when it breaks - I'm in the book.