“The state of Windows”
Bill Palmer usually uses a Mac; then last weekend he went to a friend’s house, and ended up using his friend’s one-year-old PC with Windows XP and SP2 installed.
Oh, and 34 pieces of spy/ad/who-knows-what-ware. An interesting tale: read it in full. Certainly I didn’t know it was that bad. But I don’t let the Windows machine I have on the Net. (One question this article doesn’t answer is whether the guy had antivirus software etc going. But then, neither does Bill..)
- These posts might be related (the database thinks..):
- Hi there! You're invited to join Windows Live! Simply guess the secret URL to join right now! (2 April 2006; score: 24.96%)
- Winn Schwartau: mad as hell, bad as hell, or just concluding Windows is dangerous to know? (26 May 2005; score: 24.07%)
- Still hunting for a Mac to PC switcher (16 July 2004; score: 23.46%)
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October 27th, 2004 at 8:39 pm
This puts the whole security issue in perspective - OSX users debate whether there is or isn’t a virus, Windows users have no such latitude. Now if only Apple could get off their butt and use this in their marketing then market share would soar. And er, more virus attempts would be attracted - let’s hope they remain so unaggressive in Cupertino.
October 27th, 2004 at 8:43 pm
Well, I have three windows machines all connected to the net here, and, touch wood, we’ve only ever had one nasty, which never did any damage. None of them run anti-virus softweare, though I wil from time to time check them out with online scanners like Tren micro’s.
There is a hardware router/firewall which blocks all attempts to connect incoming to anything except SSH. And there are five rules, which between them keep Windows safe.
1) Never use IE for anything except the Essex libraries reservation system
2) Always run a restrictive software firewall: I use Kerio Personal Firewall
3) Never open an attachment about which there might be any doubt. Word docs get opened in Openoffice.
4) Run startup control panel — freeware that tells you whenever anything arranges to autostart with Windows
5) If you are 14 or are using a computer used by a 14-year-old, run Ad-Aware and Spybot once a week.
None of this need cost anything, though I have always paid for Opera. I’d like a mac. but just Not Using IE gets rid of almost all the security problems with Windows; and junking outlook does much of the rest.
October 28th, 2004 at 3:28 pm
I’m with Andrew - I don’t get this stuff, and I don’t spend very much time worrying about security. A firewall, Ad-Aware and I can’t even remember which anti-virus software, all conspire to keep me safe.
I have seen some horrors, though, and have spent more than one evening at friends’ places sorting out heavy infestations. Most of the problems seem to be people clicking in places where they know they shouldn’t, to be honest… and if the Mac got popular, then the dogs of warez would get going there too.
R