“Apple has been selling a lot of computers to former Windows users this year. At least 1 million buyers switched from Windows to new Macintoshes in the last nine months, according to an analyst for the financial forecasting firm Needham & Co.,” Al Fasoldt writes for The Syracuse Post-Standard. “Apple’s clearly on a roll. Yet the reasons many Windows users cite for switching to an Apple computer greater online safety and freedom from viruses and spyware haven’t convinced some others. Many Windows users are worried about finding software to replace their familiar programs. Others say they are wondering if Apple’s computers will soon be just as dangerous as Windows PCs; after all, they say, wouldn’t the virus and spyware writers go after Macs, too, someday?”

Fasoldt covers some basics, such as Mac OS X vs. older, now-discontinued versions of Mac operating systems, and also writes, “As of now, there are no viruses or spyware for OS X. There are, however, two dozen viruses for the discontinued Mac OS operating system. This is why you’ll sometimes hear about ‘Macintosh viruses’ if this important distinction isn’t made. A Mac OS virus can’t infect an OS X Macintosh. No one has yet reported spyware for OS X, either. Sophos, an anti-virus firm, has counted 103,000 active Windows viruses. Spyware totals are unknown, but the math is frightening; 30,000 Windows PCs are infected each day by zombies alone, according to Symantec. What will happen if the bad guys start targeting OS X? Not much. Unlike Windows, Mac OS X does not allow programs to take over central operations of the computer, nor does it let a program (or even a user) install software without permission.”

Full article here.

For more useful information for switchers, read The Wall Street Journal’s highly-respected technology guru Walt Mossberg’s recent article, “Tempted by the Apple?” and, of course, Apple’s “Switch” pages here: http://www.apple.com/switch/

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