MS Anti-Virus
Posted June 16th, 2004 @ 08:36pm by Erik J. Barzeski
Microsoft Exec #1: We've got a steaming pile of shit for an OS in which thousands of holes are found each month!?! What to do?
Microsoft Exec #2: Let's sell our own anti-virus software, profiting from our ineptitude!
I heard a few years ago that about 1/3 of all Windows software did one of three things: uninstalled software, repaired the software/OS, or tried to protect against viruses and spyware. I'd bet that percentage is no lower than 25 today.
Donate Life
Posted 16 Jun 2004 at 10:25pm #
Microsoft to Offer Anti-Virus Software
I saw this article on Reuters today and it really floored me. The article says that Microsoft is going to start offering their own Anti-Virus software to compete with Symantic, Network Associates. According to the article:
Mike Nash, chief of Microsoft'
Posted 16 Jun 2004 at 11:20pm #
I generally prefer my anti-virus software to not have gaping security holes. I definitely will *not* be purchasing an MS anti-virus
Posted 17 Jun 2004 at 12:41am #
Hm, ah... Windows has the problems with security that it has because it is used by so many people and therefore more attention is given to digging up holes in the OS to mess with. I have no doubt that if Mac OS X or Linux ran on the majority of systems in use we'd be hearing about how horrible that OS is instead.
However, that said, as a recent switcher after 15 years of PC use... there's plenty of positive things to be said about Mac OS X without the need to throw mud on Windows. I didn't switch because Windows was unstable or I couldnt find apps I wanted. Far from it. My Windows boxes were always rock solid stable and everyone knows there's more than enough apps for Windows. What Mac has that Windows don't is flair, style and oomph. I can live with the crashes every other day in Mac OS X that I did not have in Windows...
Posted 17 Jun 2004 at 11:47am #
Geoff I will point you to this daring fireball article Broken Windows. It is possible for Windows to be rock solid, its easier with Mac. I really have to wonder what you are doing, or what programs you are running, or had installed at some point to cause crashes so much. Even when my system is in need of a reinstall cause of the various crap I tried out that have clogged up the system (that I knew had the potential to mess things up front from the developer), it is usable for work and everything, I just know that a reinstall would have me running leaner and meaner.
Posted 17 Jun 2004 at 3:58pm #
We're comparing apples and oranges (yeah, pun not intended). Until either OS has the same number of users and the same attention to tearing up the security no one can truly say how well each would would fare under the same heatlamp Windows sits under. However, whatever the case, Mac OS X does not currently have thousands of virii, trojans and security holes to deal with and it is very nice being able to browse the net without worrying about pop-ups and other malicious crap.
As for whatever my own crashes are related to... I haven't a clue. I'm a newbie for the first time in a very long time. I'm a one-button mouse candidate (though, my mouse does have two buttons and a wheel). I don't know much of anything about the inner-workings of Mac OS X. For now, I'm just a user like so many others. As such, I do find it a bit troublesome to have to dig here and there, clear out caches, fix permissions, etc. That's not something everyday users should ever have to concern themselves with. It's very confusing, to say the least. If I were my father using this Mac, I'd have torn out what little hair I have left by now (er, what he has... mine is still full and healthy). It has not been a plug in, turn on, and enjoy experience. Time and experience will change all of that for me, because I am willing to go beyond thinking of my computer as more than an appliance.
Posted 17 Jun 2004 at 5:49pm #
All those "number of user" arguments fall apart when considering Apache vs. IIS or Oracle vs. MSSQL...
Posted 19 Jun 2004 at 8:40am #
Microsoft anti-virus software, an ethical dilemma?
Reuters recently reported that "Microsoft is still on track to offer an anti-virus product that will compete against similar software offered by Symantec Corp." There is an obvious conflict of interests with Microsoft releasing anti-…
Posted 20 Jun 2004 at 6:53pm #
And I bet another 25% is the viruses and spyware itself.