NEWS: Macintosh Hacker Attacks Are on the Rise -Symantec

Originally posted by sardion2000
DirectX support.

Gamers aviod Macs like the plague, Linux seems to be getting more popular with my friends as more and more games are becoming easier and easier to emulate under Linspire(formerly Lindows)

Macs were great machines but they have remained dormant for too long, Jobs needs to innovate again and frankely the Mac mini is not an big innovation, its just a stripped down PC. AMD is releasing thier own sub 200 dollar PC soon that runs on 12 watts!

you're out of the loop. the new g5 processor has 64bit architecture. they were first with 64 bit. that's what innovation is. if you actually used the operating system you would know that innovation comes on the inside(soft) as well as the outside(hard). i have both, and the mac is still FAR more intuitive and plain goodlooking than XP.
the industrial designs are no small feat, either, and are certainly 'innovative'.
every one i know who has recently switched to mac is positively ecstatic

that aside, i heard a caller on coast to coast one time, and she claimed to work for microsoft. she said they would get notices and updates a week BEFORE a virus was released.
i think symantec is drumming up business, ...a racket, just like one of our previous callers guessed. why are we supposed to believe there is a tendency among computer programmers to be psychotically destructive? it is another reason for evil social engineers to hunt witches, while perpetrating the problem/reaction/solution gambit.

p.s. the us military switched all sensitive systems to macs a few years ago. WAY more secure. attacks from symantec may be on the rise, but windows virii and BACKDOORS are rampant.

[edit on 23-3-2005 by billybob]

please do not debate which computer is better...

this is just a "warning" thread...

GET virus protection!!!

You are correct, this ins't a thread about "which is better". But as a Mac and PC user myself, I know that this warning is mostly fluff. A very good point was brought up in here about Symantec not posting actual attacks, just that they are "on the rise". A well configured MAC is practically invulnerable. If the proper precautions are taken with the tools that come with the mac, then you will be fine. I have a 350mhz G3 processor from 1999!!!! And it runs the latest version of OSX (the 32bit version that is), and most current software. I bought it new, have never had any 3rd party virus protection, or any for that matter, and have never had an attack or an attempt to access. The system architecture is different as well, if - and i say if - a virus managed to infect a mac, it would only affect the area it reached. It wouldn't be able to spread thru the machine like on a pc, the file structure is completely different. PC's have their uses - dont get me wrong - but as far as being "safe" from viruses and attacks, macs are definately the way to go. jmho.

Symantec is making a lot of media noise lately, about the mac and also about how the average american pc is not properly firewalled as opposed to dutch computers (the dutch who are a bunch of freeloaders and hackers anyway, so yes they secure their PC lol),

I think Symantec is creating hype, I could imagine they come out with a 64-bit anti-virus suite soon...

i saw last week a report saying that in the last decade 97,000 virus have hit microsoft pcs where only 68 for mac (with most of them more than 10 years old). so i still think that mac is safer than microsoft because nobody really pay attention to it, but be sure that it will not last forever.

Symantec is just using scare tactics to get some sales. OS X is a very secure system by default and can be made extremely secure with a little tweaking. OS X is based on BSD UNIX and unless you're logged in as 'root' any virus isn't going to have the permissions to do damage. I work in the visual arts industry and all my friends and colleagues use Macs. None have ever got a virus since switching to OS X. Before that there was only the lame 'Autostart Worm' for OS 9 which didn't do much damage and was easy to detect.

Originally posted by they see ALL
people say Symantec Corp. sucks...

but look...

they are niiice enough to bring this report to out attention

what they are saying is "buy our firewall and you will be protected etc"

Its just a money making racket from a big company who feels the threat from companies such as Macafee etc.
Pinch of salt springs to mind here.

yes...

buy the best ant-virus software...

symantec...

BECAUSE THERE IS NO REASON TO HACK A MAC! It is like shooting a dead horse, you aren't doing anything to it. I swear, WEEE!!!!! Look at how clear pong plays, oops, crashed......

Besides games, what else is a computer for? Internet? Can get online with both. Typing? Microsoft Word, Desktop, whatever. So, unless you want a paper weight, PC is the best. Especially AMD. My AMD 350 still kicks ass compared to a Mac. Had a G3, fancy case, oh no, something broke, have to buy a new piece. What? Instead of 5 bucks for a reugular piece I have to spend 30 because it Mac and they need special parts? AMD, Pentium, Intel, Dell, whatever, doesn't matter, HD works on all, mouse, keyboard, all work even though they dif. But Mac? Nope, need special # that is only dif. because it is only thing tha works on pos Mac.

So, saying Macs good except for games is like Nintendo is good except for games............ "Well, I can type three papers at once with my mac." Well I can play HL2, bite me. "well, I can print a paper and play minesweeper!" I can print out a 10 page report while playing Doom 3 and d/l music. "well, if I shoot my computer it makes a great paper weight." If I shoot mine I have a warrenty so I can get whatever new. Macs crash trying to play Doom original it sucks. Why would you get a computer that considers Solitaire a heavy load? "Macs are better because they don't get hacked!" That's like saying a pinto with no tires is better because people don't steal them as much as people steal say...... cameros. You see what I am getting at? Know why schools use pc's instead of Macs? Because they want something great, not something that goes DvD? Whats that? Game? Whats that? Not being a paper weight? What's that?

Why don't people just stop being lazy and learn how to work with your computer so you do not get viruses? Also, comparing Mac and AMD is like comparing apples and oranges. Apple's chipsets are made by motorola. FYI

Originally posted by Qwas
Mac OSX is very safe because the "user" is not the sysop. And they have a different level of security. So a Mac user browsing the internet doesn't have access to system software.

Ah! I see we have more ignorance being spread, so just to clue you in so you don't spread your ignorance elsewhere - you can create a user under XP that has whatever rights you wish to give them - Just because many users are too dumb to figure that out doesn't mean it can't be done- Another words if you want to lock the system down & let your kid use it to browse the internet & download his/her virus infected music & movies you can without worrying about them disabling your system. Maybe they spoon-feed you a little better with the MAC & if that works for you then fine. But don't spread rumors about security on the PC platform when you’re clearly misinformed about the O/S & security.

Nobody hacks Mac’s because your bank is running a PC, your stockbroker is running a PC, the hottie down the block with the usb camera is running a PC & the seedeater with the Mac is writing a newsletter for Green peace. Which computer are you going to hack if you’re a hacker?

Be happy there's little interest in writing viruses for Mac’s & let it be. Mac’s make a great mid-level computer system for those who wish to keep it simple & don't mind paying a little extra for the equivalent power. PC's are for everyone else from the bottom feeders to the Power hungry gamers with multi-processor motherboards, multi-channel RISC processor RAID drive subsystems, and dual SLI-video configurations and the like. Anyone who has the idea that Mac’s are more powerful than PC's must not get out much. If you have the time & money you can configure a PC to be far more powerful than possible on any MAC - that's the bottom line. I've never said that Mac’s were not good or useful machines, but quit spreading misinformation about computers when clearly most commenting here don't have a clue what they're talking about.

I could build a PC that renders twice as fast as any MAC for the same cost. I'll have a rendering showdown anytime if you want to step up to the plate.


[edit on 23-3-2005 by outsider]

I just want to take a quick moment to correct some previous info stating that the G5 was the first 64bit processor out. In reality it was the UltraSPARC I released in 1995 to run Solaris in Sun machines. Sun has been in the 64bit era longer than Mac, Intel or AMD, so really the PC and Mac field are both playing catchup.

Good point heaven, but then most home & office computer users don't have a clue what real graphics workstations are, they all seem to believe that their mass marketed systems are all that exists.

For a second time MAC does not make its own chips! Motorolla does....*snaps and stomps off to go calm down and play jenga*

Originally posted by CAConrad0825
For a second time MAC does not make its own chips! Motorolla does....*snaps and stomps off to go calm down and play jenga*

Yeah & microsoft doesn't make any chips either! Intel does, AMD does and there are/were some others as well. What's your point? They're all great chips compared to anything a few years ago.



[edit on 24-3-2005 by outsider]

Sun has been in the 64bit era longer than Mac, Intel or AMD, so really the PC and Mac field are both playing catchup.

My point is taht some people do not understand that there is a difference between a processor maker and an OS maker....there is a big difference and "ignorance" (good god i said that word...) is why people are so suseptible to internet problems and also why less computer literate people tend to steer to simpler OS's like Mac OS. Saying that processor is made by the computer company is like saying that a cruise ships' engine is made by Carnival, when most are made by other drive system companies, like GE.

Originally posted by CAConrad0825
For a second time MAC does not make its own chips! Motorolla does....*snaps and stomps off to go calm down and play jenga*

i think IBM is making the 12 inch, G5 64bit thingy.

"...Apple's Macintosh computers use Motorola processors. Other computer manufacturers, including workstation manufacturers such as Sun Microsystems, also have relied on Motorola chips. Motorola processors were an early favorite among companies that built larger, UNIX-based computers.

"Today, Motorola offers two families of processor chips that are used in Macintosh computers. The first is known as the 680x 0 family. This family of processors has almost completely been replaced by a new type of processor, which was developed by Motorola, Apple, and IBM. This new processor, called the PowerPC processor, is the basis for all new computers made by Apple. The Power PC processor comes in 3 models, the G3, G4, and the G5."

-Excerpt from Peter Norton's: Introduction to Computers 5th Ed.

Originally posted by sardion2000


The guys down at the Hi-Fi store are now XP users, they absoluetly hate macs now, the only reason people use macs nowadays is twofold, Aesthetics and Graphics Modelling. I'm sure those two reasons will go away soon enough too.

Flame away Mac fanatics

I have my fireproof suit on

[edit on 23-3-2005 by sardion2000]

Down at the Hi-Fi store? Puh-leeze.

How about professional engineers in major label studios?

I am a professional musician and I have yet to see a PC used in a Major studio on either coasts of the US. Some studios have them as well, but they collect more dust than data. Trust me on this one.
There is a reason that most of the music you hear nowadays is recorded on macs, because they work....very well I might add.

I have not recorded into a PC on any major label session I have ever been on.

Originally posted by CAConrad0825
This family of processors has almost completely been replaced by a new type of processor, which was developed by Motorola, Apple, and IBM. This new processor, called the PowerPC processor, is the basis for all new computers made by Apple. The Power PC processor comes in 3 models, the G3, G4, and the G5."

from ZDNet UK
Aside from being Apple's first major chip upgrade since the G4 debuted (at 400MHz) in 1999, the G5 marks some major changes for Apple. First of all, the chip itself is IBM's 64-bit PowerPC 970 -- making this the first time since 1984 that Apple hasn't used a Motorola-manufactured processor. In addition, the G5 is the first 64-bit chip to be used in a desktop computer, according to Jobs, promising that standard 32-bit applications will run natively on the new platform. Whether anyone but graphics professionals will need a 64-bit chip and its possible maximum of 8GB of memory remains to be seen.

yeah?