I hate computers

[Rich Harman]

It's been ten years since I've switch to Macs. I only use windows where absolutely necessary, and use Security Essentials on those.

I used to accept that the reason Macs don't require antivirus software was because there were too few of them to be worth trying to hack. That reason doesn't hold water anymore, if it ever really did. How is it that Macs manage to pretty much avoid all the problems that plague Windows computers? They do have their own set of problems, but nothing like the problems I've had with windows.

[paul cottingham]

The main reason is that MacOS is built on FreeBSD, with a Mac GUI. FreeBSD is very secure, and difficult to infect with viruses. It's security model is much more robust than Windows. I still use AV with my wife's Mac, and run AV on any *NIX boxes I run, but mostly from an abundance of caution. We ran all our web servers on FreeBSD, and never had one hacked or infected we did actually check regularly, unlike most people who (without AV) claim to have never been infected (although I can't figure out how they assert that if they have never run AV.) :-)

[Tim Bateson]

Paul, that is what I found out last year when I got hit with a Ransom ware. I had 2 anti virus programs on, one I had paid for, once. It saw something going on but by the time it caught the thing, it was too late.
That is why I pay for and use Norton's on all my PC's and my MacBook. Let it be noted in the 20 some years I have been computing online this was the first and only virus I have had. I have recovered my wife's computer more than once from a virus however. She also now uses Norton's.

I use PC Matic. I have a multi use licenses and even installed on my PC at work (day job). It finds & stops viruses that even our corporate security can't seem to stop. While everyone around me have scrambled to fight something new, I just keep working as normal. Even Ransom Ware.

[Scott Shepherd]

It's been ten years since I've switch to Macs. I only use windows where absolutely necessary, and use Security Essentials on those.

I used to accept that the reason Macs don't require antivirus software was because there were too few of them to be worth trying to hack. That reason doesn't hold water anymore, if it ever really did. How is it that Macs manage to pretty much avoid all the problems that plague Windows computers? They do have their own set of problems, but nothing like the problems I've had with windows.

We made the same change, personally, and at work. I do all my main work on on iMac, and PC's run the lasers and other machines, but no one surfs the internet or gets emails on a PC here. For at least 6-7 years now, all I've been hearing is that "You just wait, it's coming to Macs" and 6-7 years later, I can report I've had a stress free life from that stuff for the whole time. For me, not having to deal with that stuff was money well spent.

[Bill George]

Where is the "Like" button for Tim and Scott on the last two posts! I wondered about PC Matic