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"It's impossible to solve the problem completely," Valentine said. "As we solve these problems there are hackers who are going to come up with new ones. There's no end to this."

Good luck Windows Users! The next sound you hear will be a hacker going to town on your hard drive. Sounds like using running Windows is about as safe as bending over at a Gay Pride march--eventually, you are going to get screwed.

Microsoft is finally admitting that their problem isn't a large market share, its that they produce a completely insecure operating system. Its like Ford or GM admitting they purposely made unsafe cars! Preserve your data and switch or sort of switch. These two products with a focus on security.

Remember the "trusted computing initiative" memo to all the MicroSofties from Uncle Bill last year?

In ten years, you're going to be b!tching about how it isn't fair that Microsoft is hitting Orange Book A1 standards and has a monopoly on security technology.

This aspect is much like finding fault with a Cadilac for being easy to steal. The Cadilac was built for comfort, not security. Windows was designed for the average user, to become a useful cog in the technology industry. Windows is designed to work with a plethora of different hardware products, all using specialized software, on different processors, all operating at different speeds, as a base of yet another group of software applications doing 'God knows what' to hardware and software components. Do you think Windows anticipated connecting digital video recorders, morphing the pictures, adding sound plus internet security when it was written back in the 80's?

The public has clamored for features, but only a small minority have demanded security. Market demand determines marketing strategy. I think MS has done a wonderful job, trying to please bazillions of customers, all running near unique configurations; while keeping the OS fairly stable, adding features, and EARNING the marketshare they have acquired. If ONLY the leadership at Apple were 10% as competent.

"It's impossible to solve the problem completely," Valentine said. "As we solve these problems there are hackers who are going to come up with new ones. There's no end to this."

Yes, apparently it is impossible. Microsoft operating systems are trivial for unauthorized users to crack because Microsoft is institutionally incapable of developing good software. Windows users are sitting ducks for any sufficiently motivated teenage intruder to break in and have his way with the user's files.

Mac users don't experience those problems. Apple's level of developer talent and dedication to secure, high-quality software puts Microsoft to shame.