“The December issue of Consumer Reports magazine features Apple’s new iMac G5 on the front cover along with the caption, “Unspectacular results for Intel’s new processor. Plus 59,940 reasons to reconsider Macs. “Inside the issue, Consumer Reports writes, ” In this atmosphere of low expectations, Apple Computer has actually raised its support satisfaction for desktop computers over the past three years to levels well above all competitors, while offering the most reliable desktop hardware. […] Another factor working in Apple’s favor: Macs are vulnerable to few viruses and little spyware because both target mostly Windows-based users,” MacNN reports.
Full article here.
1st post?
Can’t wait to read the whole article. Is it a Halloween joke?
Cool
During the past year CR has been grudgingly giving Macs and iBooks good marks which is refreshing considering their past slams against Apple. (This was always amusing since, I believe, they use Apples for their magazine production.)
It’s about time!
zupchuck, it’s for real. I got the issue in the mail yesterday. A wonderful surprise.
CR is no small potato. This is excellent positive news to hear, especially on the front page. Blow up the misconception myths!!
Consumer Reports have benn giving great reviews on Apple Macintosh over the last year or so. This issue is even better.
I have one issue with Consumer Reports. They state that there is approximately 60,000 viruses aimed at Windows PCs, but about 60 targeted to Macs. Isn’t this statement incorrect? Maybe they mean all Macs out there, where there is still people running OS 9.
It is my understanding that the new Mac operating system OS X, has zero (0) viruses, so far! If they are talking about recommending the buying of a new Mac, the consumer will never encounter OS 9. So their article is misleading.
I have been trying to find a ‘Letters to the Editor’ for Consumer Reports magazine, but I cannot find an email address. If anyone can find where we can email the magazine, asking for a correction of these facts in their next issue; I would appreciate it.
I would encourage everyone who uses a Mac to write to the magazine and encourage them to correct this mistake. This will help the cause of PC to Mac switchers; and reflect at how much better the Macintosh platform really is.
bsantoto,
CU wants you to send snail-mail for letters to the editor…
—————-
In the past, I’ve written CU to separate the costs of monitors from the CPU for a more accurate comparison. Since CU bought LCD displays for their Macs, and CRTs for their PCs, the cost comparison was unfair. They replied with an encouraging note about considering the request for future articles.
Frankly, I wouldn’t push the virus issue too much with them. Hopefully CU made the distinction between OS 9 (and earlier) bugs and OS X bugs. Apple fans have a way of looking pretty pushy to those who aren’t as enamoured with Apples products.
Still, 59940 to 60 is pretty revealing statistic.
Way Cool. I hope I can find a copy of this to get the full article. You can’t get the full article online can you?
OS 9 or not, the virus thing is still pushing the “security through obscurity” myth, one of MDN’s favorite hot buttons.
There were actually 59 known virus for OS Classic. Consumer Reports is right.
Still, it should have been clarified that these viruses won’t affect you if you’re buying a new Mac running OS X.
Cr.. how is that possible.. with such a low marketshare?
this ain’t mac news but..
check this website out
educate-yourself.org
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/davemcgowan70newsletter12oct04.shtml
http://educate-yourself.org
Lets see…
~60,000 vs. ~60 (sic)
That’s still THREE orders of magnitude better! How can there be any question?
Mike
“~60,000 vs. ~60 (sic)
That’s still THREE orders of magnitude better!”
60,000 vs. ~ 0 would be an infinite order of magnitude better.
60 viruses for MacOS? Do they still count the stuff that was transmitted by infected floppies? I can remember two or three worms during the time when MacOS 8.1 and 8.5 were around. The rest is stuff that can be eliminated by old versions of Disinfectant freeware.
Disinfectant was one of the main reasons classic Mac viruses never spread very far.
Thanks John Norstad!!!!!
‘CR was quoting Symantec, who, whether you like it or not, is cosidered a leader in the field of AV’
since when Symantec considered anything other then a joke ???
‘Sophos’ an other ‘serious’ antivirus company
well read and …
http://www.sophos.co.uk/virusinfo/articles/renepo.html
What’s the worry that even if symantec says there are 60 Viruses for the mac.
If you compare that 60 to the 60,000 windows viruses that works out to less than 0.1 % of the viruses.
OK. So there are 60 Mac viruses that affect an old operating system…
The real question is how many users were actually affected by them? Probably a handful.
Conversely, read the latest BW take on SP2:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/04/technology/circuits/04POGUE-EMAIL.html
APPLE IS READY TO HAVE THE LAST LAUGH.
That link was NYT’s David Pogue not BW. Sorry.
I like the feedback:
“To go through what you have suggested is absurd for the average PC user. Please let them know they have created a fearful user base.”
And:
“Microsoft simply astounds me. I have to go through all of that because their software doesn’t work in the first place?”
Even better, he’s added a PS to the SP2 guide:
P.S. Last week, I noted that another approach to avoiding the nightmare of Windows security hassles is to switch to the Macintosh, where practical. Many of you challenged my assertion that there hasn�t been a single a Mac virus outbreak. I should have explained more specifically that I�m talking about Mac OS X, the Mac�s operating system since 2001.
Even then, many of you wrote to say, �But if everyone switches to the Mac, it won�t remain virus-free for long. The only reason the virus writers leave the Mac alone is that its market share is so small.�
The Mac�s small market share (�only� 25 million running Mac OS X) may be part of the explanation, it�s but not the only one; there are some solid technical reasons the Mac is less susceptible to viruses and Internet attacks, too. For details, see this earlier column: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/18/technology/circuits/18POGUE-EMAIL.html
Macaday..
50% migration.. Therefore.. actually about 14 million users of OS X.. the other 14M are in OS 9
The Mac installed base is about 30 Mil.. and 600 Mil for WIndows