“Microsoft Corp. disclosed plans Thursday to offer frustrated users of its Windows software new tools within 30 days to remove spyware programs secretly running on computers. But it might cost extra in coming months,” Ted Bridis writes for The Associated Press. “In a shift from past practice, the world’s largest software manufacturer said it may charge consumers for future versions of the new protective technology, which Microsoft acquired by buying a small New York software firm. Terms of the sale of Giant Company Software Inc. weren’t disclosed.”
“Spyware is a category of irritating programs that secretly monitor the online activities of Internet users and can cause sluggish computer performance or popup ads,” Bridis writes. “Microsoft, whose Windows operating systems have often been criticized for lax security, traditionally has given consumers – at no charge – separate programs to improve security. It also has increasingly built other protective tools, such as firewall software, into Windows to repel hackers.”
“Microsoft’s tool, expected to be available within 30 days, initially will be free but the company isn’t ruling out charging for future versions. ‘We’re going to be working through the issue of pricing and licensing,” Nash said. “We’ll come up with a plan and roll that out.’ Microsoft’s disclosure that it may eventually charge extra for Windows protection reflects a recognition inside the company that it could collect significant profits by helping to protect its customers,” Bridis writes. “Some experts blame Microsoft for Windows vulnerabilities that help spread spyware. Microsoft and some others, meanwhile, said blame should be directed instead at spyware manufacturers.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: There’s a tried and true name for people that will pay Microsoft for Windows and then pay them extra for some promise of protection: “suckers.” Hate to break it to you this way, but if you’re that stupid, you deserve to use Windows, and only Windows, for the rest of your life.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Virus and worm problems not just due to market share; Windows inherently insecure vs. Mac OS X – August 24, 2003
Sick of worms and viruses? ‘Move to Mac OS X’ suggests Chicago Tribune columnist – August 25, 2003
Chicago Sun-Times columnist: Windows ‘many holes in its security’ but ‘none of my Macs have ever been affected – August 26, 2003
Is Mac OS X really inherently more secure than Windows? – August 26, 2003
Shattering the Mac OS X ‘security through obscurity’ myth – August 28, 2003
Fortune columnist: ‘get a Mac’ to thwart viruses; right answer for the wrong reasons – September 02, 2003
Wall Street Journal’s Mossberg on making the switch from Windows to Mac – September 18, 2003
New York Times: Mac OS X ‘much more secure than Windows XP’ – September 18, 2003
Columnist tries the ‘security through obscurity’ myth to defend Windows vs. Macs on virus front – October 1, 2003
Gates: Windows ‘by far the most secure’ system; tries to use ‘Mac OS X secure through obscurity’ myth – January 27, 2004
Mac OS X has no viruses; what’s wrong with Windows? – February 11, 2004
SmartMoney: Long-suffering Windows users can only dare to dream of Mac’s ease-of-use – February 12, 2004
Spyware, adware plague Windows users online; Mac OS X users surf freely – April 19, 2004
Gartner: Worms jack up the total cost of Microsoft Windows – May 07, 2004
Windows ‘Scob’ virus designed to steal financial data, passwords; Macintosh unaffected – June 26, 2004
Tired of patching patches to patch Windows patches? Writer suggests getting a Mac – August 03, 2004
Mossberg: Dump your Windows machine and get an Apple Macintosh to free yourself of spyware – August 25, 2004
Millions of Windows PC’s hijacked by hackers, turned into zombies; Macintosh unaffected – September 08, 2004
Security is top priority in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2004
Windows XP worm speaks to users as it deletes their files; Macintosh unaffected – September 13, 2004
University of Chicago recommends all students patch Windows at least once a day – September 14, 2004
USA Today columinst angry about Windows viruses, adware, spyware – September 15, 2004
Windows besieged by hackers; number of Windows viruses soars by more than 400% – September 20, 2004
USA Today: people are switching from Windows to Mac because of security issues – September 21, 2004
Mossberg: Apple iMac G5 ‘powerful, affordable, virus-free with better, more modern OS than Windows XP’ – September 23, 2004
Information Security Investigator says switch from Windows to Mac OS X for security – September 24, 2004
Cyber-security adviser uses Apple Macintosh to avoid Windows’ security woes – September 27, 2004
Even Bill Gates can’t avoid Windows malware; Mac users surf the Web freely – October 03, 2004
Windows desktop monopoly threatened by secure, safe Apple Mac OS X – October 04, 2004
Windows users’ security woes spark interest in Apple’s secure Mac OS X – October 06, 2004
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
Windows users line up to pay for spyware removal; Mac users surf Web with impunity – October 18, 2004
Ballmer blames Windows users for not upgrading systems as Microsoft’s biggest security problem – October 22, 2004
Spyware plagues Windows users while Mac users surf Net with impunity – November 01, 2004
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
Sick of spyware, adware infecting your PC? Don’t fret, just get a Mac – November 01, 2004
Security test: Windows XP system easily compromised while Apple’s Mac OS X stands safe and secure – November 30, 2004
Security expert: Don’t use Microsoft Windows, Office, Outlook, Internet Explorer – December 09, 2004
Mossberg: Windows PCs plagued with problems, Apple’s Mac is ‘rock solid, elegant and affordable’ – December 09, 2004
Sick of spyware, adware headaches? Get a Mac and surf the Internet freely – December 13, 2004
Detroit Free Press: Windows malware problem getting worse, it’s time to get a Mac instead – December 16, 2004
“initially will be free but the company isn’t ruling out charging for future versions”
Good post Gandalf. But has anyone here really read this? I too have to suffer through Windoze at work on a daily basis, but can also read the word “free”. They aren’t charging for this and I hope it does help some of the folks out there… after all; MS didn’t write it, so it may work.
OK, MDN, I see your point. But calling anybody a “sucker” won’t persuade them from getting a Mac. True, most computer users are clueless. But if you’re a Mac enthusiast who love to share with people how insanely great the Mac is, then calling anyone names and putting them down for something they don’t know any better will make them resent not only you, but the Mac, as well.
The Mac community could show a bit more compassion for our windoze-suffering friends. Persuasion is most effective through understanding and kindness, not through humiliation and insults to their intelligence.
The only ones who deserve to use windoze for the rest of their lives is Gates and Ballmer! Let them suffer!!
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Talk about a conflict of interest. Microsoft sells an OS full of security holes they can’t or won’t fix. Then they buy security companies to get product to sell to protect the OS they can’t or won’t fix.
Does anyone believe that the security software they want to sell will be any good once they start working on it?
unknown – there are very few persons here that know nothing about using windows. although i do not agree that windows users are automatically stupid, your operating system is poop (just a fact) and you get what you pay for when it comes to computer hardware (a fact that can be applied to all purchases).
The Apple equivalent is the $129 annual OS upgrade.
But at least we don’t have to deal with viruses and spyware – yet.
Gambit,
MDN didn’t call everybody “suckers,” they specifically defined “suckers” as “people that will pay Microsoft for Windows and then pay them extra for some promise of protection.”
I agree with MDN, those people are suckers and they do deserve to use Windows, and only Windows, for the rest of their miserable lives.
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It was a general response to name calling and in the context of this discussion, I meant specifically those who may be ignorant to buy the ms crapware.
Yes, some people could get suckered into buying it, but I wouldn’t be too harsh on them. Rather, I’d focus the blame on microsucks and them spreading FUD through their marketing.
You guys could lighten up on the condemnation on innocent, don’t-know-any-better users. If you truly want windoze people to switch, your attitude isn’t helping.
Let’s clarify a few things. MS Windows/DOS has always been a single user system. Once you get in the front door you have the run of the house with admin level access. That’s a fact that MS has willfully ignored. This attitude has enabled a totally debilitating level of security breaches in MS machines.
Apple OSX *is* Berkeley Unix (BSD). Lump all the POSIX compliant versions of Unix together with Linux and you get a market share quite a bit bigger than 3% of the world’s operating systems. What’s more, those industrial strength systems contain some of the most sensitive and valuable information on earth, not just Joe Schmoe’s checking account balance. The reason these Unix/Linux systems aren’t compromised (except very rarely) is that each file has its own permissions for read, write, and execute operations, with each user compartmentalized from every other user and from the OS and able to modify only those files he/she owns or controls. In these systems most users do not have compile or install privileges either (in OSX installation requires a user entered password). The point is that if you could break into a Unix system on a user account you still couldn’t take control of the machine or the system. You’d be limited to a very small sandbox in which to play.
So yes, Apple has a very small share of installed machines and OS’s, but that is most definitely NOT the reason Macs don’t get attacked much. The reason is there’s just not much point in it.