“Never in the history of Henrico County’s laptop program have the students’ Apple iBooks fallen victim to a fast-spreading virus or worm,” Olympia Meola reports for The Richmond Times-Dispatch. “Apples were not as prone to them, said Lloyd Brown, director of technology for the Henrico school system.”
MacDailyNews Note: “Apples,” or “Macs” to be correct (Apple is the company, the computer platform they make is called Macintosh), running Mac OS X as Henrico once had, have had zero cases of viruses or worms. To say Macs are “not as prone” to viruses or worms is disingenuous, to say the least.
Meola continues, “The school system has also had good luck with its Windows-based PCs, though a virus attacked Windows computer labs at three or four schools about two years ago, Brown recalled. But this school year could be a learning experience in many ways. The Henrico school system will distribute Dell laptops to high school students this year, a change from the past four years with iBooks. That also means a switch from a Macintosh to a Windows operating system that has been more prone to viruses.”
MacDailyNews Note: The Windows operating system has been “more prone” to viruses? Yeah, we guess you could say that, although hardly with a straight face – see related articles below.
Meola continues, “Student e-mail accounts, where many viruses spread, are not being used. Filters, anti-theft tags, a firewall and wireless updates will help stem problems. At least, that’s the plan. ‘There are so many layers we have to have to . . . be somewhat secure,’ Brown said. ‘I’m never going to tell you we’re 100 percent secure.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Ever heard of the saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t ‘fix’ it?” Well, Henrico County has “fixed” it now. You were 100 percent secure from viruses for the last four years with Apple Mac OS X, Mr. Brown. And now you’re not.
We have to wonder if we’ll ever know if things are going badly for Henrico or will any problems just be swept under the rug?
Apple’s “Profile in Success – Henrico County Public Schools” webpages are currently still online here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Woman wets herself to keep place in line for $50 Apple iBooks – August 16, 2005
Apple continues to lead in customer satisfaction, Dell loses more ground – August 16, 2005
Henrico citizens stampede for $50 Apple iBooks – August 16, 2005
Henrico closes $50 Apple iBook sale to general public; only Henrico residents can buy – August 03, 2005
Henrico moves $50 Apple iBook sale to Richmond International Raceway due overwhelming demand – July 28, 2005
Apple announces 30,000 iBooks deal with Florida’s Broward County Public Schools – July 27, 2005
Henrico residents object to public sale of Apple iBooks – July 26, 2005
Henrico County Public Schools to sell Apple 12-inch iBooks for $50 each on August 9th – July 25, 2005
Henrico blasted for choosing Dell laptops with Windows XP over Apple iBooks with Mac OS X Tiger – May 09, 2005
Henrico school officials on Apple to Dell switch: The logo will change, but the tool is the same – April 30, 2005
Henrico school board dumps Apple Macs, picks Dells with Windows – April 29, 2005
Henrico County Apple iBook plan in jeopardy? – April 02, 2005
Survey shows support for Henrico iBook program with ‘lukewarm support’ for Apple’s Mac OS X – March 07, 2005
Henrico poll finds students are using iBooks successfully – February 11, 2005
Henrico iBooks raise concerns among some parents – May 28, 2004
Henrico high school laptop program to continue, but will it still feature Apple Macs? – February 24, 2005
More schools experience Windows virus, worm problems while Macs just keep working – August 22, 2003
A tale of two school systems: Windows schools crippled while Mac schools unaffected – August 21, 2003
Windows worm halts production at 13 DaimlerChrysler U.S. plants – August 26, 2005
Windows users fall victim to huge ID theft ring, 50 banks in danger; Apple Mac users unaffected – August 25, 2005
Zotob Windows worm knocks out North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles – August 24, 2005
How to avoid viruses and malware? Dump your Windows PC and get an Apple Macintosh – August 22, 2005
The Seattle Times: Apple iBook ‘a great laptop for students’ (with no viruses or spyware) – August 22, 2005
Do Apple Mac OS X users need antivirus software? – August 22, 2005
ZDNet: How many Mac OS X users affected by the last 100 viruses? None, zero, not one, not ever – August 18, 2005
Quickly spreading Microsoft Windows worm affects CNN, ABC, NY Times; Apple Macintosh unaffected – August 16, 2005
‘Zotob’ worm rapidly infects Microsoft Windows; Macintosh unaffected – August 15, 2005
SecurityFocus: ‘Your Windows computer is not to be trusted; buy a Mac and slip under the radar’ – July 06, 2005
Security expert sums up first month with Mac: ‘much safer, more secure, more productive than Wintel’ – June 02, 2005
Windows PC security company’s switch to Apple Mac causes overwhelming reaction – May 28, 2005
Increasing numbers of Windows PC users switching to Apple Mac for improved stability and security – May 27, 2005
Intel CEO Otellini: If you want security now, buy a Macintosh instead of a Wintel PC – May 25, 2005
Microsoft Windows Sober.P worm shows ‘epidemic’ spread; Macintosh unaffected – May 03, 2005
Apple touts Mac OS X security advantages over Windows – April 13, 2005
New ‘highly critical’ Office flaw embarrasses Microsoft – April 13, 2005
97,467 Microsoft Windows viruses vs. zero for Apple Mac’s OS X – April 05, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X is virus-free – March 18, 2005
68,736 Microsoft Windows viruses vs. zero for Apple Mac’s OS X – March 12, 2005
Microsoft tries to turn its own security flaw into commercial gain – February 25, 2005
Cybersecurity advisor Clarke questions why anybody would buy from Microsoft – February 18, 2005
Windows’ mounting security problems make some consumers eager to purchase Macs – January 03, 2005
Windows Media songs and videos found to carry Windows malware payloads – December 30, 2004
Anzae/Inzae worm affects all Windows versions after 3.1; Macintosh unaffected – December 28, 2004
Unlike Windows users, Mac OS X users surf the Internet without a care in the world – December 28, 2004
Multiple unpatched Windows holes crop up; Windows systems compromised within minutes in experiment – December 24, 2004
Windows spyware mess is out of control, get a Mac and surf with impunity – December 21, 2004
New Microsoft Internet Explorer exploit spoofs Web sites on fully patched Windows XP systems – December 17, 2004
Microsoft may charge extra for Windows spyware protection software – December 16, 2004
Detroit Free Press: Windows malware problem getting worse, it’s time to get a Mac instead – December 16, 2004
Sick of spyware, adware headaches? Get a Mac and surf the Internet freely – December 13, 2004
Mossberg: Windows PCs plagued with problems, Apple’s Mac is ‘rock solid, elegant and affordable’ – December 09, 2004
Security expert: Don’t use Microsoft Windows, Office, Outlook, Internet Explorer – December 09, 2004
Security test: Windows XP system easily compromised while Apple’s Mac OS X stands safe and secure – November 30, 2004
Sick of spyware, adware infecting your PC? Don’t fret, just get a Mac – November 01, 2004
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
Spyware plagues Windows users while Mac users surf Net with impunity – November 01, 2004
Ballmer blames Windows users for not upgrading systems as Microsoft’s biggest security problem – October 22, 2004
Windows users line up to pay for spyware removal; Mac users surf Web with impunity – October 18, 2004
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
Windows users’ security woes spark interest in Apple’s secure Mac OS X – October 06, 2004
Windows desktop monopoly threatened by secure, safe Apple Mac OS X – October 04, 2004
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Cyber-security adviser uses Apple Macintosh to avoid Windows’ security woes – September 27, 2004
Information Security Investigator says switch from Windows to Mac OS X for security – September 24, 2004
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USA Today: people are switching from Windows to Mac because of security issues – September 21, 2004
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USA Today columinst angry about Windows viruses, adware, spyware – September 15, 2004
University of Chicago recommends all students patch Windows at least once a day – September 14, 2004
Windows XP worm speaks to users as it deletes their files; Macintosh unaffected – September 13, 2004
Security is top priority in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2004
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Gates: Windows ‘by far the most secure’ system; tries to use ‘Mac OS X secure through obscurity’ myth – January 27, 2004
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New York Times: Mac OS X ‘much more secure than Windows XP’ – September 18, 2003
Wall Street Journal’s Mossberg on making the switch from Windows to Mac – September 18, 2003
Fortune columnist: ‘get a Mac’ to thwart viruses; right answer for the wrong reasons – September 02, 2003
Shattering the Mac OS X ‘security through obscurity’ myth – August 28, 2003
Is Mac OS X really inherently more secure than Windows? – August 26, 2003
Chicago Sun-Times columnist: Windows ‘many holes in its security’ but ‘none of my Macs have ever been affected – August 26, 2003
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1- The kids will be getting ‘locked down’ user accounts and will not be able to install any software. So much for individuality or creativity.
2- Anybody want to venture a guess at how many people Henrico Co will have to hire when the true maintenance costs of Windoze rears it’s ugly head?
1- The kids will be getting ‘locked down’ user accounts and will not be able to install any software. So much for individuality or creativity.
2- Anybody want to venture a guess at how many people Henrico Co will have to hire when the true maintenance costs of Windoze rears it’s ugly head?
1- The kids will be getting ‘locked down’ user accounts and will not be able to install any software. So much for individuality or creativity.
2- Anybody want to venture a guess at how many people Henrico Co will have to hire when the true maintenance costs of Windoze rears it’s ugly head?
To ohmigod!
I’m so glad you pointed out the problems of our left leaning gov’t schools. You’re right. We should prevent kids from seeing porn. Or liberal sites. Or anything else the right wingers can think of. After all, you right wingers believe in our freedoms and rights. As long as those freedoms and rights are aligned with yours. Correct?
Paul does make some valid points, though some appear off-base. I don’t remember seeing “declining share” stats anywhere and I would think he would be a real exception to miraculously survive viruses on a PC! But, if someone rarely goes to more than a handful of “safe” web sites, never downloads files from anyone else, rarely uses email, and doesn’t stay permanently connected to the Internet, I suppose some can survive the near constant attacks PC’s are under. But, many of us have had some problems with our Macs. Paul is right there. I had multiple freezing problems yesterday, which seem clear today. Brave people to post negative Mac comments on MDN. Nonetheless, Henrico made a big mistake going to PC’s. Big mistake.
I think it’s time for us to let this go. Henrico has made their bed with Dell as their bedmate, now let them sleep in it – lice, bedbugs, and all!
Here kids, put on these straight jackets and go to P.E. class.
Paul, you sound like someone who has lived for 30 years in New York City and has never been mugged saying all the press about crime is Bull wocky.
” Just don’t ride the subway and you will never get mugged, I never have.”
LOL
Someone should do an followup interview with Henrico officials, teachers and students in about 3-6 months.
Subjectsto to touch on:
Virii and downtime: how are things going?
Comparison of Dell to Mac useage ….. “One of the things that’s so thrilling for us is to see students with their laptops open, in places you’d never see students with a book open,” says Edwards. “It’s commonplace for us to have children sitting in the hallways, doing research together on a project … ” (takent from the above link)
Cost: previous months of Dell, 4 Years of Mac that should include admin/network support
Since the students and teachers have Macs at home and use the Dells in school, it should be interesting
It will be very interesting to see how this unfolds in the next few months. It is one thing to keep desktops, that never leave the secure network, clean and quite another for a laptop that goes who knows where.
So the students have to go without e-mail because of the “better” Dell option.
Well it’s been my experience that there is a lot of politics in one form or another in selecting computers for schools and I’ve seen this sort of thing before…and a little worse.
I tell these folks (as nicely as I can) if they buy these cheap Windows boxes they can’t expect much, that it will cost more in the long run. But they seldom listen or learn.
I never seen a more smug, hard-headed bunch than Windows users.
Dells connectd to the internet, I smell bottomless budget.
I hope the residents of Henrico follow the money trail. And then demand to know why officials switched.
Hehe. Comments to my post as expected. However, I’d be interested if someone could point out a recent virus attack that has brought down networks that had an up to date virus checker running. Corporate issues are more to do with poor IT departments not ensuring all user’s machines are updated. I work for NATO which uses Windows throughout for office work (and typically Sun Solaris for mission critical stuff). We’ve decent IT staff and decent centralised antivirus and firewall admin. There’s never been a problem yet – and believe me, NATO gets targeted by more than just joe script kiddie. It also has IT security specialists accrediting all its networks and systems. Again, get this Windows virus stuff in perspective folks. Windows doesn’t have to be insecure or virus ridden.
I love how the entire argument to get a Mac has deteriorated to harping on and on about security. No more arguments about how they’re easier to use, more stable, faster, have better hardware, work better with multimedia, etc. To answer Paul above, the same drum gets beaten over and over because it’s the only one there is now. I’ve used a PC for years and I have no problem visiting any websites, downloading files, using email, keeping the computer online 24/7, etc. AND, I have no antivirus software running, no antispyware running, and I’m not even sure what the whole malware thing is or how it’s different altogether from the previous two to be honest. MDN and the rest of the zealot community paint a bleak picture of the PC world using select stories and worst-case scenarios.
>You say this site is biased against Windows??? How does that compare to the mainstream, totally Mac misinformed, paid off by Microsot, media and all of the BS the average computer illiterate buyer is told at computer stores.
Two wrongs don’t make a right. Correct the ignorance with accurate reporting, not more BS.
from students, to make it “safe” to use Windows?
Paul,
You can use a Macintosh to chat with friends and family who use MSN Messenger. Give Adium a try — it is compatible with a wide range of IM clients: http://www.adiumx.com/
Ok so the reports that talk about 80% of Wintel PC’s being infected by some kind of malware are complete BS? Even if these number are too high and the real number is 50%, that’s still a lot.
There are new viruses every week for Windows that goes around any protection people can have including anti-viruses and firewalls, it’s not just people that had completely unprotected Win98 systems that get infected. I got very knowledgeable friends that had their supposedly highly protected Wintel PC were infected by viruses and adware over the last year.
This whole “I only visit clean sites and I get no viruses” sounds like some religious people saying that AIDS is punishing individuals for their sins! (Unlike computers though, every human is vulnerable to AIDS and it really comes down to protection, but humans can’t “switch” to another life platform.)
So be afraid if you deviate from the norm and visit anything other than mainstream websites! You will be punished by viruses!
Now if you want freedom of thought, use a Mac
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Wow! I have to say if I was a student at Henrico, I’d be seriously bummed about the change. They went from just having content filters, to having firewalls, content filters, remote control/observe desktops, no student email and a host of other security measures. And no applications besides the ones they provide. Which means no creative usage of your laptop at all.
It sounds like the laptops can be used for class and that’s it. And not to knock educational efforts, but for years the bulk of student education has come from out of class efforts (homework, individual research, and just plain o’ curious exploration).
I’d be pissed if I was working on my computer and a school administrator was watching my every move. I can understand having remote access for a number of IT reasons, included troubleshooting, updating non-pushable software, etc. But being able to see what a student is doing at any minute on their computer just sounds like something that computer companies would push as the next revolution to school official.
Forget privacy rights, it’s school property. But so are library books, and band uniforms, and a host of other items, and no administrator is offering to follow you home to make sure you hang them in the closet or actually read the books you borrow. That’s just plain gratuitous use of technology to provide powers that shouldn’t be legally available to people.
I love how both Dell and Microsoft will be providing staff to help monitor and control security breaches and outbreaks throughout the year. Talk about staking the odds. Did Apple dedicate staff (besides a sales rep and project manager) to Henrico’s laptop project to make sure the project wasn’t felled by viruses, hacks or other security breaks?? I don’t think so.
O’ well. Live and learn Henrico. Because I don’t think students are going to be using their laptops too creatively; and those that do will probably harbor ill intent. I would with the number of restrictions you’ve just added. I’d be dedicating some homework time to breaking your controls.
Thomas – thanks, I already use Adium. I was referring to the need to video chat. MacOS is still very incompatible with the Windows world in that respect. iChat can talk with AOL, but hardly anyone uses that for video chat.
VirtualTwin – you say “Ok so the reports that talk about 80% of Wintel PC’s being infected by some kind of malware are complete BS? Even if these number are too high and the real number is 50%, that’s still a lot.” But you have no statistics to back up any of those numbers. But my point is, if you have an uptodate virus checker, you won’t get infected. Period. The whole virus issue is completely overblown. Get over it.
As for your comment “Now if you want freedom of thought, use a Mac”, I’d only comment that I have a Powerbook and iMac: I also have two PC’s. And I use Linux and Sun Solaris at work. That’s freedom of thought. Not blind brand loyalty, combined with ill-informed FUD for the alternatives, which is all I see on this thread.
Paul,
OK, you work for NATO, and they never have problems becuase of a tremendous IT staff. Sooooo What is your annual budget? About three years worth of Henrico Districts entire budget for everything in the district? Even if three years is an overstatment, what if your IT budget was equal to one year of the districts entire operating budget?
Either way, Henrico and its district patrons don’t have that kind of money to toss around. Macs are still easier to use, OSX has ZERO viruses, are easier and less expensive to maintain.
Of course, the district will hide the true maintainence costs as “cost of doing business” but however they classify it, more money spent on IT means less money for more teachers and less money spent per student. All so the students can have a crappy experience.
As for the control issue, OS X server has all of the monitoring and control tools a district would ever realistically need.
Every time a “Paul” posts on one of these forums, I roll my eyes. First off, this idiot is very likely infected with something and doesn’t even know it. Unless you’re a hardcore Windows techie, you have no way of knowing anything’s wrong until one of the anti-virus/anti-spyware vendors learn of the malware and update their definitions. (And by then, there are new variants to catch.)
I work at a sizable company. They provide me with a Windows XP PC, with most higher functions locked down, connected behind an industrial-strength firewall. In the 2 years I have worked here, I have been hit by a worm once, and malware on three different occasions. I simply cannot buy the story of anyone who claims to have NEVER had an issue.
Paul
..MDN and the rest of the zealot community paint a bleak picture of the PC world using select stories and worst-case scenarios..
(And you don’t paint a onesided picture?)
The stories unfortunately are not “scenarios” they happen to be fact. If the common windows user had the security resources that NATO has, they also wouln’t be as worried about ?wares, virus attacks, worms either.
“….(and typically Sun Solaris for mission critical stuff)”
I wonder why