“Sure, everyone knows that new Macs are going to be on Intel hardware, but what does that change mean to an average Mac user? Burton Cohen of TBI Computer (an Apple reseller in Westport, Conn.) thinks it may not mean that much. ‘Most people don’t realize how much was changed in the upgrade from OS X 10.3 to 10.4,’ Cohen says. ‘There was a complete rewrite of the underlying code such that Apple now does all the heavy lifting to make the program run on whatever chip is inside the Mac. If you are using XCode (Apple’s development system), you can change your program to run on Intel hardware with very little fuss. Users don’t care about whatever the underlying hardware is; all they know is that they will be running OS X just like they have been doing,'” Larry Loeb writes for Security IT Hub.
“This, then, is the underappreciated success of OS X: It has made security a non-issue for users. In all the discussions and rumor mongering that is going on about the upcoming hardware changes, there has been absolutely no concern voiced by anyone I’ve encountered about the security implications of such a migration,” Loeb writes. “Mac users have not had to deal with the myriad of vulnerabilities that afflict the Windows user daily (although that could change if the new hardware is able to run Windows natively and thereby encourages the increased use of that OS.) This is a case, as Sherlock Holmes would put it, of the dog that did not bark. Security concerns are somewhat muted for OS X users because there has not up to this point been a catalyst to cause these kinds of concerns to come to the forefront. Things have been working. And when the hardware changes in the future, Mac users will no doubt expect that things will continue to be as boring security-wise as they have been in the past.”
Full article, “Mac Users Miss All the Security Fun,” here.
Advertisements: The New iMac G5 – Built-in iSight camera and remote control with Front Row media experience. From $1299. Free shipping.
Get Microsoft Office for up to 50% off when you buy a new Mac at the Apple Store. For a limited time, you can load up your new Mac with a full version of Microsoft Office and save up to $250 after mail-in rebate.
What if you could run Windows applications on Intel-based Macs at native speeds without having to run Windows? http://darwine.opendarwin.org/
Obviously, real estate, architecture, and many, many other Windows-dependent industries would finally be able to consider Apple Macs, as would gamers and a great many more switchers who would be able to run their existing software and replace it over time. Remember, the safest way to run Windows is on your Mac.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Will future Intel-based Apple Macs offer multiple OS worlds via virtualization? – November 16, 2005
Hackers already targeting viruses for Microsoft’s Windows Vista – August 04, 2005
16-percent of computer users are unaffected by viruses, malware because they use Apple Macs – June 15, 2005
ZDNet: How many Mac OS X users affected by the last 100 viruses? None, zero, not one, not ever – August 18, 2005
Intel CEO Otellini: If you want security now, buy a Macintosh instead of a Wintel PC – May 25, 2005
Apple touts Mac OS X security advantages over Windows – 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
Cybersecurity advisor Clarke questions why anybody would buy from Microsoft – February 18, 2005
Security test: Windows XP system easily compromised while Apple’s Mac OS X stands safe and secure – November 30, 2004
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
Information Security Investigator says switch from Windows to Mac OS X for security – September 24, 2004
Columnist tries the ‘security through obscurity’ myth to defend Windows vs. Macs on virus front – October 1, 2003
New York Times: Mac OS X ‘much more secure than Windows XP’ – 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
Virus and worm problems not just due to market share; Windows inherently insecure vs. Mac OS X – August 24, 2003
ooo what if?!? i cant wait!
What windows apps do I need….? None. Really… I’ve been a mac only user in a windows world for the past 5 years and have not had issues with software. I don’t need no stinking windows.
A non-issue it is, despite all the warnings from Begonia and those windows-dependent hole-pluggers. I hope it stays that way.
MW: “sound,” something Windows ain’t….
Despite supposedly being very knowledgeable about the technical aspects of OSX, there is still an underlying sense of ‘security through obscurity’ that the author implies here.
All I know is, the processor isnt going to make a damn bit of difference to end users for the most part. However, the startegy of the shift to Intel is brilliant and unfolding before our very eyes from a business strategy standpoint. Eliminating the biggest objection of Windows users switching to the Mac is at the heart of this strategy, and it will work just as it did when Apple weened people slowly off OS9 onto OSX.
It’s gonna get real interesting the next 2 years
When selling the virtues of Macs to our potential Switcher friends, family, and asssoicates, we still need to remember to tell them that this does not exempt them from phishing and other forms of social engineering security attacks. Just a reminder if a Mac is on anyone you know’s holiday list.
That said, I’m glad I don’t have to have to deal with all the Windows malware problems (unless you’re paying me to do so!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” /> )
MW = effects
qka writes: “ this does not exempt them from phishing and other forms of social engineering security attacks”
I love phishing. When i get a scam mail from “eBay” or a bank, etc., i go out to the bogus site and enter bogus info. Funny how any combination of user names and passwords seem to work for log-in purposes! And i love to enter made-up credit card and pin info.
I like to think of it as SPAM for the phishers. If everybody did that, and 99% of the info they collect is bogus, it would cease to be profitable, and increase the likelihood of their getting caught when they try to use the bogus info.
In any event, it’s fun to mess with the heads of those trying to mess with yours!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”vampire” style=”border:0;” />
“Most people don’t realize how much was changed in the upgrade from OS X 10.3 to 10.4,’ Cohen says. ‘There was a complete rewrite of the underlying code such that Apple now does all the heavy lifting to make the program run on whatever chip is inside the Mac…”
Is this why Mail runs slower on Tiger than it did on Panther?
yeah… most windows users are so surprised to find that you don’t have malware, spyware or viruses on the mac.
freakin’ media bias against macs makes my heartbeat faster.
Booooo – Yaaaaah
MDN seems to be really enamored with the idea of running Windows on a Mac, as if it is going to save the day for Apple. Strange. What about WMA on your iPod then, does MDN support that too?
If I had had an Intel Mac here in the studio a couple of weeks ago I would not have needed to buy a new PC for our accounts. So I’d love to be able to run windows apps with out a PC.
have you guys seen the screenshots from the link MDN gave http://darwine.opendarwin.org/ with the Mac OS with windows windows on the desktop, talk about ugly.
i am worried about security, not that i personally would need or want to run any windows applications. but is there a possibility now for people to run a windows application on a mac and for that to be passed on to another mac simply through just one program for instance?
im sure apple are fully aware of this potential, i just hope they keep OSX secure. this move will not be worth it if macintoshs are opened up to all the shyte that windows boxes are open to.
should clarify…if for instance a windows user has a virus that is spread using email, and he sends that to me, now when i open that email say with my windows os on my mac, now i have a virus on my windows operating system?
its just a bit too close for comfort.
and what if for example the virus stuffs up all the image files on my harddrive? ala lovebug? thats not something that the mac could do anything to stop is it?
so basically now, no matter how secure the mac os is, its all a complete waste of time, because if i use windows, im stuffed. maybe theyre hoping people will see this.
maybe im wrong just speculating, dont honestly know enough about the whole thing.
Carlo man you are right, ugly. ugly, ugly, keep this fooking crap of my mac.
vote for steve http://www.time.com
But isn’t the point that it’s not running windows at all therefore any viruses have nothing to interface with.
“Why do the media all say there are so many problems with Windows and viruses. I run Macs and PCs and I have no problems on either…” etc. etc. etc.
Common Windows defenders, where are you all..? Don’t tell me the MS money orders have dried up?
Back on a serious note, I think the Windows on Macissue is nothing but a great comforter for Windows users when they switch.
-It’s a backstop for them if they don’t like Windows
-They can still switch and know that arcane Win app will work
-And it just demonstrates that OSX puts Windows and Win hardware way down the league
The reality is we all know that they will all soon forget all about Windows..
Freudian slip? “if they don’t like OSX” that should have read. Sorry!
My credit card is a Visa the Number is 5678 3456 7711 3409 #433 and it expires 11/2007
If they can do this WITHOUT making OSX vulnerable to windows malware, this could be a very good thing. I used to work for a business that suffered through adware and spyware shutting down their system every couple of months because they had a custom written windows program they couldn’t do without; this program literally cost them tens of thousands of dollars for a business employing 20 people or less.
Now imagine being able to tell this business owner that he could start replacing pc’s with say, mac mini’s piecemeal. He could replace a dying pc with a mini, and even use the same periphrials, use his existing network and keep using the same software he cannot live without. Eventually, he could even take his outside IT guy off of his fixed monthly retainer once he quits having to spend as much time there as some of the employees. It’s a good bet as well that some of the employees would make their next computer purchase a Mac as well.
And at roughly the same time, M$ is going to release its new version of Windows, which typically requires that your system is two years old or less. A lot of Windows users will have to upgrade or replace their systems anyway, when Apple enters the picture with their Mactels which can run their favorite Windows programs without spyware, adware, viruses, and having to reboot their computer every 12 to 72 hours. The wintel boxes won’t even have the processor speed “advantage” that they had over the PPC models since they will use the same chips. Apple’s market share drastically goes up.
The biggest upside to this scenario is, IMHO, not even the death or emasculation of M$. It is the likelihood that more and more developers will support the platform. There is a lot of talented, creative people people out there who are only coding for windows; imagine what could happen if they start writing programs for, and start supporting, our operating system. Imagine a Best buy or a CompUSA with row upon row of software titles stating they are Mac compatible.
Ooooh, I’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it….
I don’t give a hoot about running Windows on my Mac, but running Windows applications (games or whatever) at native speeds and beyond might be pretty cool. M’kay?
I run Windows on my Mac – using Remote Desktop Connection.
That’s the closest it’ll ever get to being on my Mac. Why would I want to waste Gigabytes of space on an OS that is a Virus Magnet?
John, the reason that being able to run windows on a Mac will be cool are two fold.
One is for Mac user like myself that once in a great while have to run a windows only application and want to be able to do it in native mode. In my case it is because my company sell some software that is Windows only. Yeah, I could run it in VPC probably but VPC sucks. So this obviates the need for me to have a wintel box at all.
Two is for all the potential switchers out there. Why buy a computer that can only do Windows or linux when you could buy an Almighty Mac and it can run Windows or Linux or OS X. And we all know that it won’t take too long before people find themselves never firing up the Windows side of things at all. Especially if there is a case or two of viral infection and somebody not wanting to waste their weekend re-installing windows once again.
Why are people happy about switchers? Because it assures the health and third-party development for future Macs. And because having more Macs in the world will make the world a little bit better of a place.
sorry for the errors, should have read it before I posted.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”red face” style=”border:0;” />
Yeah, although I’m a new Mac convert and would never go back to Windows, my business apps, unfortunately are not made for the Mac. Now, if I can install those same apps on a Mac running OS X, I could switch out every Windows PC in my office. What a joy that would be! But this is really the extent to which I would allow any “Windows” software to touch my Mac.
Windows users are not impressed when you tell them a Mac has no malware, and for one simple reason: They don’t believe you.
It is, for them, an intrinsic property of a complex computing system that it regularly has complicated problems. If it doesn’t have these problems then it must somehow be incomplete and not a “real” computer.
If someone proudly told you his 6-month old baby had never cried once since he was born, you woudn’t believe him or you’d think something was wrong with the kid, right? If someone told that his 30-year old Jaguar with 900,000 miles on it still runs great and has never had an oil change or needed any maintenence at all, what would you think? Now what would you think if you had a screaming baby at home and your car was in the shop?
Now tell a windows user that your Mac never had a single virus, never had any spyware, never crashed, hasn’t rebooted in 8 months, never has internal resource conflicts between applications, is easier to use than Windows, and with a Mac he can do everything he now does on his Windows computer.
You know what he’d think? I’ll tell you what he’d think: He’d be very suspicious.
On a broader scale this disbelief represents a significant marketing obstacle for Apple. Their central strength, and their most important message to new users, is simply hard to swallow.