A question thats been on my mind.

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djago

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Hi I have been doing more and more research on macs since I decided to leave the pc and the one of the main reasons for doing so is the "superb" virus/spyware protection. but one question has been bugging me.

Is osx more secure because it has realy good protection or is it because viruses for pc simply don't work on a mac os/no one makes them?

either way its got to be better then installing 3 different anti virus/spyware programs and still finding stuff on a scan.

btw. how are macs when it comes time to upgrade them?(hardware).peace.
 
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OS X requires a password to install software so if something is installed (i.e. malware) a user is aware of it and must enter a password to aprove the installation. This is not a default feature of Windows, so if something is installed the, user won't be aware of it until it starts eating files or spamming your buddy list or whatever.

There is also the market share thing. Hackers as a rule would much rather cause trouble for large financial institutions and governments than professional photographers and pixar (or whatever the comon perception of the mac user is).

That is my take on it anyway.
 
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djago

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And one last question before I forget. I know that macs and pc use some of the same file formats. but Ive also heard of formats that are mac specific. what type of files would these incompas(video/audio/txt) and is there a free "pc to mac" file converter or somthing similar?.

again thanks for all the help and sorry if I'm being bothersome.peace.
 
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menace3054

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video/audio/txt are cross compatable. if you use word, txt files would be saved a .doc, you can save video files as .mpeg or .wmv, and audio is usually .mp3 or .aac, all work on either. the main difference on file format is refering to winblows NTFS system vs whatever the mac uses, but nothing that you really need to worry about
 
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djago said:
Is osx more secure because it has realy good protection or is it because viruses for pc simply don't work on a mac os/no one makes them?

There is no good answer to that question.
 
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Traditionally OSX has been considered more secure than Windows because of such things as the built in Firewall that comes with all the ports closed by default. With XP SP2, much of that changed. Much of it has also been the old "Security through Obscurity" saying.

Historically Apple and MS have differed in how they dealt with security issues. MS tended to deal with them after they had been discovered and usually only after they have been exploited, Apple has tended to deal with them both before and after public discovery, but before exploitation. Much of that may have to do with the security through obscurity thing again though.

Overall, UNIX based systems have tended to be more secure than Windows has been.
 
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menace3054 said:
video/audio/txt are cross compatable. if you use word, txt files would be saved a .doc, you can save video files as .mpeg or .wmv, and audio is usually .mp3 or .aac, all work on either. the main difference on file format is refering to winblows NTFS system vs whatever the mac uses, but nothing that you really need to worry about

In my few weeks of iMac ownership I am finding this not entirely true. In particular I have found inability to receive WMV's and, at various times, any/all of the Windows-formatted information from ANY source onto/into iMac. I have learned about beta-Flip4Mac which helps but there is still a TON of Windows-format stuff on the net and from PC files that simply will NOT transfer unless/until the hapless user (that's me!) discovers the precise device that enables it to do so. For example, at this moment I am pondering whether or not to attempt the "EasyWMA" experience in order to get several hundred audio downloads into my iTunes folder.

Let's be fair about the representation. Macs are, indeed, wonderful (in my limited experience) but there's quite a bit of stuff they are NOT able to interact with without considerable PC-like fishing around in cyberspace searching for the solution.
 
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As for not being able to play different media files, the files extension doesn't always say how the audio or video was encoded. If you don't have the right codec, you won't be able to play the file. I've come accross several wmv's I can't play, and just as many that I can on my Mac. Installing the missing codec should fix any media files not playing problem, but whoever developed the codec has to make a mac version. If there's not one, then your pretty much out of luck unless you have a pc, or know someone with one who will convert the file for you.

However, I'm not an expert one digitized videos and all this if from my readings around the internet so anyone feel free to corect me if i'm wrong.
 
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There ARE multiple AVI Codecs that have no Mac version and therefore many AVI files will not play. Flip4Mac does not cover the entire WMV gambit either, although most of those will play in VLC. The ability to interact with PCs and PC files will vary from person to person depending on their need and their knowledge level.
 
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djago

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...

although I am still firm in my resolution to get a mac ....this scares me.
I have a bunch of movies and a couple hundred songs I was going to move from my pc to my (will be my) mac and this does not sound good. most of my movies play in divx. yikes... so while I still have my pc is there anything I can download to convert my media to a mac friendly format?
also does this mean that I can't use a mac to stream wmv video even if I have (the mac native) quick time set to handle all my video.peace.
 
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I'll second baggss and say VLC. It plays just about everything (certainly it plays divx). I've had it fail on a couple of wmvs, but there's also mplayer for something a bit more beardy.
 
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All of the Divx stuff I have plays in Quicktime fine. There are Divx player Apps available for the Mac also. Divx is not one of the formats I've ever had trouble with. Mostly it's been AVIs...
 
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djago

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..

ok I just tried to open some of my movies in quicktime and it tells me that there are components missing so it links me to apple.com and shows me a bunch of codecs and such that I can download so I click on the divx one(because divx plays avi files) but it isnt just a codec its a whole new player built for mac.
so I did not download it because I don't yet have my mac. but will that work to play the filles that I have associated with divx?

also what is VLC? and I'm using the newest version of qtime.
 
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This thread kind of migrated away from the security issue, but I will make this comment.

With Windows, Internet Explorer is integrated into the operating system. With IE being the main doorway for bad stuff, it easily infects the entire OS.

Safari (and others) are not integrated into OS X in this manner.
 
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There is basically one codec that will not play, and that's the latest windows media codec versions.

This can be used in files with .wmv or .avi wrappers. All other video files will work under quicktime or VLC.

OS X is inherently more secure as it is UNIX based: System files are protected from manipulation by programs and can only be modified with the user's password.

Of course no OS is entirely immune, so the lack of marketshare is currently acting as a bit of a cover as well, but OS X is definitely more secure on the whole.
 
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djago

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thanks

thank you for all the feedback. since when I switch (money allowing) I'm going to buy an external hdd or flash drive I guess I will have to deal with file issues when they comes up.although that last post put me at ease.Again thanks for all tha help.

Also (kinda unrelated) I just watched the quicktime tour of osx "tiger" up on apples site....wow. it realy is revolutionary and years beyond anything windows has to offer.And boy I can't wait.peace.
 
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Jeremy W said:
This thread kind of migrated away from the security issue, but I will make this comment.

With Windows, Internet Explorer is integrated into the operating system. With IE being the main doorway for bad stuff, it easily infects the entire OS.

Safari (and others) are not integrated into OS X in this manner.

Webkit is integrated, though, and that's what Safari operates on.
 

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