What the article refers to isn't hacking in the traditional sense. Yes, any system can be hacked, but most of these worms/trojans take advantage of holes specific to Windows. Is this because it's the dominant OS? Probably. But it is also because of the practices that Microsoft has chosen. It's not that other OS'es are fully secure, it's that these exploits are specific to Windows and other Microsoft software.
I noticed the same thing. A light-year is a measure of distance. A year is a measure of time. So, yes, saying "a light-year ago" is incorrect. One could make the arguement that since time and space are the same thing, one could use light-year as a measure of time. But this is not the accepted use.
Didn't ruin the originals? Greedo now fires first (with a strangely cheesy effect), and Han Solo steps on Jabba's tail! Ok, maybe the originals weren't ruined, but I was kinda bummed...
The problem with that is that every schmuck who can attend a boot camp has an MCSE and/or VB cert. MCSE's are a dime a dozen. Learn something other than Microsoft. It looks like the original poster has done this to some extent. Besides, that way you're not stuck administering M$ wack-ass software.
Installing a Firewall/router and some anti-virus software doesn't seem like that much effort or expense to me. It would cost maybe $200, but I understand that this is alot of money to many.
I agree that the steel doors and bars are overkill. But you still have a locking wooden door on your house right? Right now your computer just has a screen door! It sounds to me like you are careful and have been a bit lucky. But hey, go with what works. Just be aware that there is a very real chance that you will come home some day to a hacked computer.
Since your tone indicates that you don't give a crap what happens to your computer, and you are happy to rebuild, I would say you don't need to worry about security. However, I do think that if you run a Windows machine (even patched) on the internet without a firewall you're wearing a sign that says, "hack me". Besides, wouldn't you rather rebuild on your own schedule, rather than someone else's?
I am a gamer and a Mac addict, so I can vouch for the fact that there are not as many games for Mac. There are , however a good number of good games for the Mac. Halo, Max Payne, and the Rainbow Six series come to mind, but there are others.
That being said, I'm not sure how much the lack of games hurts Apples sales. A bit maybe, but most people considering Macs are not gamers. If your main reason for buying a computer is gaming, you are better off with a PC or better yet, a console. But I think this segment of computer buyers is small. Just MHO.
Yes, Apple is a hardware company. They are a software company only insofar as it supports their hardware sales. Think about it. How much software does Apple sell as opposed to just giving it away? Even iLife, the new software suite, is only $50! Yes, the OS is $129, but it has no CD key!! Obviously, piracy is not at the top of Apple's worry list. Compare this with M$, which is a software company.
This is why Steve Jobs killed the clones. An important part of Apple's philosophy is that one company makes the whole widget. There are benefits to having the same company make the hardware and software, i.e. tight integration and superior performance. But this aside, hardware sales are Apple's bread and butter. There will never be an x86 version of the Mac OS. Darwin, maybe. But full blown Mac OS, with Aqua and all that? Never. If Mac OS were available for x86, it would be a cute thing to do with your PC that only about 5 people would care about. X86 is poular because Windows is popular, not the other way around.
And speaking to the original article, people who supposedly know have been forecasting Apple's demise since 1988. So I'll believe it when I see it.
These are all good points. If they have a broadband connection, all I would add is to secure that fw/router. Make sure the Admin account password is changed and, if it's wireless, restrict the IP range and filter MAC addresses if possible.
I second this! I have my whole family on Mac, and I have very little tech support to do. No viruses, no pop-ups (thx Safari!), no mystery apps, no registry freak-outs. I don't know how 90% of the world can stand using Windows, especially on the internet.
This is why I am glad that Apple has the in-ear white replacements. I'm not sure, but they look like re-branded Sony Fontopia headphones (which rule BTW). Call me vain, but I think it's cool to see people with telltale white headphones. It's like we're part of the club.
But I agree that the stock earbuds suck. I misplaced my Fontopias recently, and it was torture listening to the stock 'phones until I found the Sonys again!
I appreciate your comments. I am always interested in views from other countries. Yes we are offtopic, but I find that that is the result when a discussion really gets going.
I think the current logic is that people will take the US seriously when they have a US missile aimed at their face. So it doesn't matter if they like us or not. That's just the line, I don't claim to agree with it. Besides, the US has been the world's policeman for a while now. How do you like it so far?
The parent post had to do with Democrats coming up with half baked ideas to solve problems, and bemoaned a liberal congress. I merely pointed out that Republicans can also come up with dumb ideas and that the Congress is currently controlled by the Republicans. So I don't know where the "liberal" charge comes from.
Libertarian issues were not part of the original post, so I didn't address them. But judging from the website you posted, the RLC might be pissed these days too.
A major issue here is American exceptionalism. We are American and therefore we do not make mistakes and all of our motivations are honorable. Besides, we are the richest and most ass-kicking country in the world, so we must be the best. Really, I have tried to have conversations about America's role in creating our current situation and no-one wants to hear it. There is, in America, a deliberate ignorance about the actions of our government abroad. Many Americans honestly think that we, as a country, were just walking along minding our own business and got jumped from a dark alley or something. The truth is, we are in everyone's business and some of them resent us for it. Combine that with poverty, a lack of justice and some religious fundamentalism, and BAM! You've got Sept. 11. It's pretty clear to me, but the jingoists will take issue.
Sometimes America gets a bad rap, and sometimes we deserve our rap. And it is not a matter of "blaming" America for terrorism. Everyone is at fault and no-one is innocent. But if we, as a country, are not willing to honestly examine our actions and their effects, we will never know peace.
Thank you! Will somebody explain to me how Al Qaeda is such a threat to my freedom? To hear people talk, you'd think the barbarian hordes were massing at the border...
Nice box yourself! I'll bet you are caucasian. If I am wrong, i apologize for the assumption. But I have read numerous accounts of Arab or middle-eastern looking people being detained for months without charges being brought against them. This is without access to their families or a lawyer. It has and is happening. Just not to you or your friends.
The reason I am concerned about the PATRIOT Act is that there are a number of new provisions that do not require oversight by a judge. The FBI can now enter your home and collect evidence without a warrant. They can collect information on you from the library and bookstores without showing probable cause and can then prevent anyone from telling you about it.
I just don't trust the government, and I especially do not trust John Ashcroft. But this is about the law not the man. There needs to be oversight and accountability. And frankly, there needs to be some justification. What is it about these new powers that would have prevented the Sept. 11 attacks? Hindsight has shown us that the info and intelligence was there, but the CIA and FBI didn't connect the dots. How will the PATRIOT act help them connect the dots? It won't, and it is a power grab that is sure to be abused.
I am an opponent of the PATRIOT Act not because of what has happened to me personally, but because I see a larger picture.
Slashdot Mirror
What the article refers to isn't hacking in the traditional sense. Yes, any system can be hacked, but most of these worms/trojans take advantage of holes specific to Windows. Is this because it's the dominant OS? Probably. But it is also because of the practices that Microsoft has chosen. It's not that other OS'es are fully secure, it's that these exploits are specific to Windows and other Microsoft software.
Sweeet!
I noticed the same thing. A light-year is a measure of distance. A year is a measure of time. So, yes, saying "a light-year ago" is incorrect. One could make the arguement that since time and space are the same thing, one could use light-year as a measure of time. But this is not the accepted use.
Didn't ruin the originals? Greedo now fires first (with a strangely cheesy effect), and Han Solo steps on Jabba's tail! Ok, maybe the originals weren't ruined, but I was kinda bummed...
The problem with that is that every schmuck who can attend a boot camp has an MCSE and/or VB cert. MCSE's are a dime a dozen. Learn something other than Microsoft. It looks like the original poster has done this to some extent. Besides, that way you're not stuck administering M$ wack-ass software.
I agree that the steel doors and bars are overkill. But you still have a locking wooden door on your house right? Right now your computer just has a screen door! It sounds to me like you are careful and have been a bit lucky. But hey, go with what works. Just be aware that there is a very real chance that you will come home some day to a hacked computer.
Everyone in the world needs to click on the link in your sig. It really is that simple.
Since your tone indicates that you don't give a crap what happens to your computer, and you are happy to rebuild, I would say you don't need to worry about security. However, I do think that if you run a Windows machine (even patched) on the internet without a firewall you're wearing a sign that says, "hack me". Besides, wouldn't you rather rebuild on your own schedule, rather than someone else's?
Duh! The video cameras burst into flame!
That being said, I'm not sure how much the lack of games hurts Apples sales. A bit maybe, but most people considering Macs are not gamers. If your main reason for buying a computer is gaming, you are better off with a PC or better yet, a console. But I think this segment of computer buyers is small. Just MHO.
And besides, Garage Band rulez! Ya know, for us non-professional types...
Holy Cow! What a way to go! She must have been seriously pissed (or he seriously weak) to be able to bludgeon someone to death with an iPod!
This is why Steve Jobs killed the clones. An important part of Apple's philosophy is that one company makes the whole widget. There are benefits to having the same company make the hardware and software, i.e. tight integration and superior performance. But this aside, hardware sales are Apple's bread and butter. There will never be an x86 version of the Mac OS. Darwin, maybe. But full blown Mac OS, with Aqua and all that? Never. If Mac OS were available for x86, it would be a cute thing to do with your PC that only about 5 people would care about. X86 is poular because Windows is popular, not the other way around.
And speaking to the original article, people who supposedly know have been forecasting Apple's demise since 1988. So I'll believe it when I see it.
These are all good points. If they have a broadband connection, all I would add is to secure that fw/router. Make sure the Admin account password is changed and, if it's wireless, restrict the IP range and filter MAC addresses if possible.
I second this! I have my whole family on Mac, and I have very little tech support to do. No viruses, no pop-ups (thx Safari!), no mystery apps, no registry freak-outs. I don't know how 90% of the world can stand using Windows, especially on the internet.
But I agree that the stock earbuds suck. I misplaced my Fontopias recently, and it was torture listening to the stock 'phones until I found the Sonys again!
Cheers!
I think the current logic is that people will take the US seriously when they have a US missile aimed at their face. So it doesn't matter if they like us or not. That's just the line, I don't claim to agree with it. Besides, the US has been the world's policeman for a while now. How do you like it so far?
Cool, thanks for the lesson! In that case, I agree.
Libertarian issues were not part of the original post, so I didn't address them. But judging from the website you posted, the RLC might be pissed these days too.
Sometimes America gets a bad rap, and sometimes we deserve our rap. And it is not a matter of "blaming" America for terrorism. Everyone is at fault and no-one is innocent. But if we, as a country, are not willing to honestly examine our actions and their effects, we will never know peace.
Thank you! Will somebody explain to me how Al Qaeda is such a threat to my freedom? To hear people talk, you'd think the barbarian hordes were massing at the border...
The reason I am concerned about the PATRIOT Act is that there are a number of new provisions that do not require oversight by a judge. The FBI can now enter your home and collect evidence without a warrant. They can collect information on you from the library and bookstores without showing probable cause and can then prevent anyone from telling you about it.
I just don't trust the government, and I especially do not trust John Ashcroft. But this is about the law not the man. There needs to be oversight and accountability. And frankly, there needs to be some justification. What is it about these new powers that would have prevented the Sept. 11 attacks? Hindsight has shown us that the info and intelligence was there, but the CIA and FBI didn't connect the dots. How will the PATRIOT act help them connect the dots? It won't, and it is a power grab that is sure to be abused.
I am an opponent of the PATRIOT Act not because of what has happened to me personally, but because I see a larger picture.
The viruses are pretty much a given...
Sorry, but what does it mean to "lose the plot"? Is it like losing track of the story? Not being a wise@$$, just wondering what you mean exactly.