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Windows PCs face ‘huge’ virus threat
Financial Times via Drudge ^ | January 2 2006 18:18 | By Kevin Allison in San Francisco

Posted on 01/02/2006 3:54:03 PM PST by Swordmaker

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To: SlowBoat407
"You do among a community of fellow punks

The more people you brag to, the more likely you are going to jail. As any LEO will tell you.

141 posted on 01/02/2006 8:06:10 PM PST by PetiteMericco
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To: PetiteMericco; Swordmaker
Was something I said about your seemingly inordinate attachment to an overpriced teal plastic boat anchor factually incorrect?

It's one thing to have little or no appreciation for a system that is "different" from your experience. It's quite another to have a visceral, emotional need to insult, belittle and alienate others over our preference for a system that is every bit as useful to us as your little home-built concatenation is to you.

I have used Macs since 1986, and I have never wished I had a PC instead. It has an elegant interface, powerful hardware, and everything I need to do my work. How is that such a threat to you that you have to refer to it as a "boat anchor"? (and by the way, they haven't been beige for years.)

142 posted on 01/02/2006 8:08:34 PM PST by SlowBoat407 (The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
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To: PetiteMericco
Hm, you can't exactly brag about doing something illegal like writing viruses when the bragging will send you to jail.

Are you really so unknowledgable about such things that you believe that the cretins who build these things don't communicate with each other?

143 posted on 01/02/2006 8:09:39 PM PST by zeugma (Warning: Self-referential object does not reference itself.)
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To: SlowBoat407

...or teal.


144 posted on 01/02/2006 8:10:01 PM PST by SlowBoat407 (The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
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To: mysterio
sometimes

Sometimes?

145 posted on 01/02/2006 8:11:20 PM PST by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s......you weren't really there.)
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To: SlowBoat407
...or teal.

Teal is a species of duck. Not a color. :-)

146 posted on 01/02/2006 8:11:36 PM PST by zeugma (Warning: Self-referential object does not reference itself.)
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To: zeugma
Teal is a species of duck. Not a color. :-)

Are you ducking the issue, or making an issue of the duck? ;^)

147 posted on 01/02/2006 8:13:12 PM PST by SlowBoat407 (The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
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To: SlowBoat407
Macintosh: When you're through playing games.

Well, heck. There's Linux for that and IT'S FREE!

148 posted on 01/02/2006 8:19:32 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (What? Me worry?)
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To: VeniVidiVici
Well, heck. There's Linux for that and IT'S FREE!

LOL. I don't think I'll ever find the time to learn enough about Linux, although I've heard a number of good things about it.

149 posted on 01/02/2006 8:21:26 PM PST by SlowBoat407 (The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
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To: SlowBoat407
It's one thing to have little or no appreciation for a system that is "different" from your experience.

Or, in the case of Mac OS, one that costs about four times more than it should and do four times more than it should.

It's quite another to have a visceral, emotional need to insult

Or in your case a visceral, emotional attachment to a hunk of silicone/hatred for Bill Gates.

And I didn't insult you. "Mac fanboy" is a general term used to refer to someone who is inordinately attached to their mac.

I have used Macs since 1986, and I have never wished I had a PC instead.

Maybe not, but I bet you wish you had some of that money back that you could have saved.

It has an elegant interface, powerful hardware, and everything I need to do my work.

I have all that AND mine also runs more software, is faster, easy and cheap to upgrade, and cost about a third as much. Don't cry.

How is that such a threat to you

Why do you think that everyone who doesn't agree with you must be "threatened?" Seems to me your failure to address my original points about your inferior machine indicate that you feel threatened and/or regretful.

that you have to refer to it as a "boat anchor"?

It IS a boat anchor.

(and by the way, they haven't been beige for years.)

I said they were teal. As if changing the color made them better or something.

150 posted on 01/02/2006 8:23:20 PM PST by PetiteMericco
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To: zeugma
"Are you really so unknowledgable about such things that you believe that the cretins who build these things don't communicate with each other?"

Once again, that is one way LEO's catch perpetrators. They cannot keep their big mouths shut.

BTW, teal is also a color. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teal_(color)

151 posted on 01/02/2006 8:26:46 PM PST by PetiteMericco
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To: PetiteMericco
I cannot even address your response to me because it is based on the premise that the Mac is useless, overpriced, and that I am somehow jealous because your PC will run more virus protection systems than my Mac will (or will ever have to). I have not expressed any hatred for Bill Gates. I simply prefer the Mac to the PC for the kind of work I do, and that, in your mind, is apparently indicative of a huge mental deficit on my part. I find that insulting, considering the fact that I have spent more time working with PCs than you will ever dare to put in on a Mac. I have my preference, and that is all. I think it is worth a few extra bucks to get the quality, reliability, and speed (yes, I said speed) that comes with a Mac. Your insistence on claiming that they are somehow worthless pieces of junk makes no sense, and strikes me as more of an emotional argument than one based in any reason. You have attributed to me some level of regret over money spent on my Macs over the years. I have not regretted a penny.

Get back to me when you can argue from some experience. Til then, enjoy your hobby.

152 posted on 01/02/2006 8:33:28 PM PST by SlowBoat407 (The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
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To: PetiteMericco
Once again, that is one way LEO's catch perpetrators. They cannot keep their big mouths shut.

Yes, it is one way they catch folks. Unfortunately, they apparently don't appear to be doing a good job of it with these punks so far. Your initial comment was:

Hm, you can't exactly brag about doing something illegal like writing viruses when the bragging will send you to jail.

Duh.

Just because it is not the most intellegent thing for them to do does not mean that they don't do it. Many also make use of pseudonyms and are adept at hiding the true source of their comments. There are ways to do this very effectively, and they are used extensively.

If there were effective attack vectors against Macs and the various flavors of Linux out there, you can bet that someone would be scrambling for the bragging rights that would go to whoever created a novel worm/virus that was able to spread even somewhat efficiently. Earlier, I posted an example of a worm that attacked a target of just 15k hosts worldwide. Are not the several million Mac/Linux users out there a much bigger target than that?

The comment about "teal" was a joke to the poster. Did you not see the ":)" which, in general terms indicates the comment is not to be taken entirely seriesly? Lighten up, Francis.

153 posted on 01/02/2006 8:41:34 PM PST by zeugma (Warning: Self-referential object does not reference itself.)
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To: SlowBoat407
I cannot even address your response to me because it is based on the premise that the Mac is useless, overpriced,

In other words, you cannot address my response because it's true. Your machine is overpriced (although if it's useful to you, more power to you).

and that I am somehow jealous because your PC will run more virus protection systems than my Mac will (or will ever have to).

It runs more in general. Face it, all your machine has going for it is that people don't care to write viruses for it. If I make a pros and cons list, having one positive attribute in the pro column doesn't exactly win me over.

I have not expressed any hatred for Bill Gates.

Many Mac people do. In fact, many Mac people base their decision to run a Mac on the fact that they hate Bill Gates because it's the only reason that actually makes sense.

I simply prefer the Mac to the PC for the kind of work I do, and that, in your mind, is apparently indicative of a huge mental deficit on my part.

It's indicative that you wasted your money. But it is your money. More power to you.

I find that insulting,

Too bad. If something I said about Mac v. my custom PC was factually incorrect, feel free to bring it.

considering the fact that I have spent more time working with PCs than you will ever dare to put in on a Mac.

Then you know that every word I said is true. End of story.

I have my preference, and that is all.

Wonderful. Just don't pretend it's based on common sense.

I think it is worth a few extra bucks

It's a lot more than "a few extra bucks."

to get the quality, reliability, and speed (yes, I said speed) that comes with a Mac.

Your Mac is not faster, higher quality, or more reliable than a PC. Sorry. They lied to you.

Your insistence on claiming that they are somehow worthless pieces of junk makes no sense,

I didn't say they were worthless pieces of junk. But you don't get very much for what you pay.

and strikes me as more of an emotional argument than one based in any reason.

I think my statements about my PC's performance, versatility, cost, and upgradeability don't exactly fall under the "emotional" category. Your failure to address these points, however, does.

You have attributed to me some level of regret over money spent on my Macs over the years.

I think anyone who spends more than $700 for a computer, ANY computer, SHOULD feel some regret since you can build a better machine for a fraction of the cost. Maybe you have money to throw away. Most of us do not.

154 posted on 01/02/2006 8:50:24 PM PST by PetiteMericco
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To: zeugma
If there were effective attack vectors against Macs and the various flavors of Linux out there, you can bet that someone would be scrambling for the bragging rights that would go to whoever created a novel worm/virus that was able to spread even somewhat efficiently.

You seem to believe that Mac and Linux OSs must be secure because no viruses have been written for them--as if creating viruses for them is impossible.

Maybe it really isn't worth anyone's time. Occam's Razor, don't you know.

155 posted on 01/02/2006 8:54:29 PM PST by PetiteMericco
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To: snarks_when_bored
Got home from Dinner and a movie and (naturally) logged in to FR.

Snarks, you're a marvel!

Cheers!

156 posted on 01/02/2006 9:00:30 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: LEPEN

I'd buy a Mac, but I'm not gay.


157 posted on 01/02/2006 9:12:43 PM PST by Rodney King (No, we can't all just get along.)
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To: PetiteMericco
Slur? Was something I said about your seemingly inordinate attachment to an overpriced teal plastic boat anchor factually incorrect?

Absolutely, and yes, incorrect, and ignorant, and unwilling to learn.

158 posted on 01/02/2006 10:07:22 PM PST by Swordmaker (Beware of Geeks bearing GIFs.)
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To: Swordmaker
Absolutely,

So you DON'T really feel attached to/and or any allegiance to your Mac, then?

Why did you buy it?

and unwilling to learn.

You didn't teach me anything I didn't already know.

159 posted on 01/02/2006 10:24:12 PM PST by PetiteMericco
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To: Paloma_55
It is one thing to say MACs are not being targeted and another to say they are invulnerable. I was simply pointing out that the former is true.

Actually, neither of those assertions are true.

The fact is: Macs are not invulnerable, but Mac OS X is engineered to have superior security by design.

Every day, more people are realizing that Microsoft Windows is a hopeless piece of low-quality crap.

160 posted on 01/02/2006 11:57:09 PM PST by HAL9000 (Get a Mac - The Ultimate FReeping Machine)
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