J
jpfritz
Guest
Ok, I am doing massive research for myself and a friend regarding purchasing the new MacBook. I am ready to jump ship from windows, but am getting confused the more websites I search. Can someone explain to me any or all of the following?
1. Macs either NEVER get viruses, or if they do they are only problematic because they might be sent to other window users via email, but will not do anything to the Mac. Is this true? I know OSX is super secure and that most do not buy the anti virus programs for macs that are out there. Can someone explain to me on the odd change you d/l a win virus, would it do anything to the mac? Are their any Mac viruses out there that are detrimental? or are they just minor things that really dont do anything major, unlike all the windows viruses.
2. As long as you are not running any windows programs, you will not d/l windows viruses. If you are just surfing and emailing but never using the windows programs for mac, you are secure and fine. Is this true? I know that you can open a Word file using the Macbook progrms and are able to save in multiple formats. If a Word file is "infected" would it bother or hurt the Macbook?
3. With the "Bootcamp" program you can have a dual boot machine and choose to boot into Windows XP ( if purchased and installed ) or OSX. If you do that and it appears there will be a section of the HD that will be partitioned off for XP, and you use the XP for various web activities, if you acquire a virus in the XP OS due to surfing/emailing while in the XP mode. Would that virus have any way of "jumping" to the other partition of the HD where X lives? or would it be stuck in the XP partition? I am thinking at first glance worst case if you get a XP virus while usign the XP partition, your OS X would be safe. Is this true?
4. Several of the MAC websites I went to basically stated that any virus for mac that shows up on a list is a virus written for various Word or other Windows files that people might use with the previous "virtual pc" on a mac, and that if you took those out of the list and all viruses for previous OS before X then you would have almost none to date. Is this true?
I realize that some of these may overlap, but I am sure you can understand/imagine the confusion when looking into the Mac Virus issue. One recurring theme that I did see is that only reason alot of schools and companies require AV to be put on macs is so window viruses do not get forwarded from macs where they do no harm to various other window users via email. I am still very sold on Macbook, but need to know these answeres to help with explaining to my friend and myself! LOL
Thanks in advance,
JP
1. Macs either NEVER get viruses, or if they do they are only problematic because they might be sent to other window users via email, but will not do anything to the Mac. Is this true? I know OSX is super secure and that most do not buy the anti virus programs for macs that are out there. Can someone explain to me on the odd change you d/l a win virus, would it do anything to the mac? Are their any Mac viruses out there that are detrimental? or are they just minor things that really dont do anything major, unlike all the windows viruses.
2. As long as you are not running any windows programs, you will not d/l windows viruses. If you are just surfing and emailing but never using the windows programs for mac, you are secure and fine. Is this true? I know that you can open a Word file using the Macbook progrms and are able to save in multiple formats. If a Word file is "infected" would it bother or hurt the Macbook?
3. With the "Bootcamp" program you can have a dual boot machine and choose to boot into Windows XP ( if purchased and installed ) or OSX. If you do that and it appears there will be a section of the HD that will be partitioned off for XP, and you use the XP for various web activities, if you acquire a virus in the XP OS due to surfing/emailing while in the XP mode. Would that virus have any way of "jumping" to the other partition of the HD where X lives? or would it be stuck in the XP partition? I am thinking at first glance worst case if you get a XP virus while usign the XP partition, your OS X would be safe. Is this true?
4. Several of the MAC websites I went to basically stated that any virus for mac that shows up on a list is a virus written for various Word or other Windows files that people might use with the previous "virtual pc" on a mac, and that if you took those out of the list and all viruses for previous OS before X then you would have almost none to date. Is this true?
I realize that some of these may overlap, but I am sure you can understand/imagine the confusion when looking into the Mac Virus issue. One recurring theme that I did see is that only reason alot of schools and companies require AV to be put on macs is so window viruses do not get forwarded from macs where they do no harm to various other window users via email. I am still very sold on Macbook, but need to know these answeres to help with explaining to my friend and myself! LOL
Thanks in advance,
JP