We have had mac's (and only macs,bar one unused work laptop) in our house since about 1988. Not a single virus ever, we currently have 4 mac's (all running 10.3.9 or tiger) in daily use, no problems.
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Actual Viruses / Spyware / Malware for OS X???
- Thread starter superleccy
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andcraig said:
Thanks for the update. Sounds nasty, glad you got it sorted in the end.
Interesting that the only actual virus we've found in two pages of threads relates to a Microsoft program. In fact, you could argue that OS X wasn't affected, just MS Word (but I think you made that point in your original post anyway).
Regards
Superleccy
mkrishnan said:This can be resolved and simultaneously annoy lots of purists if you say "OS Ex" instead of "OS Ten."
That will work even better when the next OS version comes out, and then we could call it "Oh Es Ex-eye!"
~Shard~ said:Can we at least agree it's not virii?
vi·rus P Pronunciation Key (vrs)
n. pl. vi·rus·es
Any of various simple submicroscopic parasites of plants, animals, and bacteria that often cause disease and that consist essentially of a core of RNA or DNA surrounded by a protein coat. Unable to replicate without a host cell, viruses are typically not considered living organisms.
A disease caused by a virus.
Something that poisons one's soul or mind: the pernicious virus of racism.
Computer Science. A computer virus.
From dictionary.com
I was sick last week with a really bad cold, and I was coughing and sneezing a lot near my computer, that's the closest it ever has come and ever will come to catching a virus
ive had hundreds emailed to me. Pitty they were all .exe
The only time my iMac screwed up was because i had been messing with my library files.
The only time my iMac screwed up was because i had been messing with my library files.
What he said.~Shard~ said:Can we at least agree it's not virii?
Just VPC.Melkor said:
For those posting links to Dictionary.com or Wiki, we already did that.
Scroll up.
superleccy said:
Yes.
Back in 1992, I got some random virus on a System 7-running, networked Mac. I used Disinfectant, and it went away.
I have always used a Mac. Never owned a PC.
In my 16 years of using a Mac, I have never had any security problems.
I don't think they actually exist - the idea was conceived in the imagination of disgruntled PC-user.
In my 16 years of using a Mac, I have never had any security problems.
I don't think they actually exist - the idea was conceived in the imagination of disgruntled PC-user.
Not exactly a virus
As I first started getting comfortable with OS X back in 2001 (yikes!), I put a Factory 81 cd in my then CD-RW drive, and started importing into iTunes. Then my system froze. I rebooted, on to get the folder/question mark icon, blinking constantly, as if it were mocking me. I lost everything (which at the time, wasn't much). I'm told it messed up my data allocation tables?!? Not sure if that was true or not. It was a cd with the extra media (meant for Windows). Damn Factory 81. Haven't listened to them since.
As I first started getting comfortable with OS X back in 2001 (yikes!), I put a Factory 81 cd in my then CD-RW drive, and started importing into iTunes. Then my system froze. I rebooted, on to get the folder/question mark icon, blinking constantly, as if it were mocking me. I lost everything (which at the time, wasn't much). I'm told it messed up my data allocation tables?!? Not sure if that was true or not. It was a cd with the extra media (meant for Windows). Damn Factory 81. Haven't listened to them since.
I switched to mac around two years ago now, and although Ive had a couple of problems (only one really wasn't my fault and then I didn't loose any work due to the great organization of the firewire Target mode, archive and install etc) Ive never had a virus, spyware, slowdowns in operation or anything.
To put this into context, in the last year alone Ive reset (meaning a complete format) of my dads PC (windows XP) around 4 to 5 times in the last year alone. Now granted, sometimes it was his fault, but the amount of spyware he has on his system is truly remarkable.
People argue that hackers don't target OSX as the minority use it, but I seriously doubt the 3% market share is correct anyway - everywhere I go I see people using macs...you can't tell me that hackers/spyware writers etc haven't thought "Hmmm, I know what will piss those OSX guys off..." I think apple deserves cudos for creating and, more importantly, maintaining a great OS!
*Hip Hip...*
To put this into context, in the last year alone Ive reset (meaning a complete format) of my dads PC (windows XP) around 4 to 5 times in the last year alone. Now granted, sometimes it was his fault, but the amount of spyware he has on his system is truly remarkable.
People argue that hackers don't target OSX as the minority use it, but I seriously doubt the 3% market share is correct anyway - everywhere I go I see people using macs...you can't tell me that hackers/spyware writers etc haven't thought "Hmmm, I know what will piss those OSX guys off..." I think apple deserves cudos for creating and, more importantly, maintaining a great OS!
*Hip Hip...*
alangyssler said:
Strange! I could imagine that sort of thing happening in 2005 on a Windows PC and one of those sneaky Sony rootkit CDs, but on a Mac in 2001? I'm perplexed!
Maybe your Mac just decided to have a nervous breakdown, and the Factory 81 CD was just a coincidence? Or maybe your Mac was telling you something about your taste in music...
although I've subjected my iBook to Chas 'n' Dave & Rolf Harris without a problem, so I don't think it was that. Regards
Superleccy