Huh, well don't hold your breath. For Microsoft to do that, they'd
have to damn near toss the entire windows code base out the window --
pardon the pun. This is a perfect opportunity to say that this is
where Microsoft and Apple truly differ. Snow Leopard when released
will likely not contain a large number of new features, but what it
will include if you have read the info available, is a significantly
optimized os designed to take advantage of many new and future
technologies. Microsoft will likely get there one day, but it'll just
be more code tossed on the old code, I don't see them actually sitting
down and basically rewriting windows from the ground up or even from
the fifth floor up.
On Jul 19, 2008, at 9:29 PM, Jude DaShiell wrote:
This topic came up at our Southern Maryland Mac Users Group
Meeting. As of now, no virus has yet been effective against a
Macintosh computer. There were two incidents which are called virus
but one of them was a user who got upset with his Mac because it
wouldn't automatically play a CD when he put it into his drive he
wrote a short piece of code and somehow it got onto the internet.
It was so popular though with other Mac users at that time it spread
like a virus. That code was later purchased by Apple and if I'm not
much mistaken it's been added to Tiger and Leopard as part of how
Apple handles playing of CD's and DVD's. If you choose the right
option that code will play CD's and DVD's for you when you put them
in your drive automatically. The other incident loosely described
as a virus was a company that had written a virus and then announced
it but never released it onto the internet in order to sell their
antivirus package. The Federal Government connected with that
Company and made the company cough up $2.5 million for their
misbehaviour. Not for one moment claiming Mac's are virus-proof and
will remain virus-proof into the future, but this is to the best of
my knowledge the only two times virus and Macintosh could be barely
ligitimately associated to date. Apple as a corporation very likely
will be what provides virus defense and prevention software to its
users in future should such software be needed you'll likely have it
downloaded by software update. Packages possibly vulnerable to
viruses are being upgraded and released as flaws get found and
corrected. Generally, packages either get released with new
capabilities or bug fixes. The virus writers on the Windows side of
the aisle have actually done the screen reader industry a huge favor
though. The resources Microsoft has to use to apply patches on top
of patches can't be used at the same time to add any new features to
their offerings, so the screen reader industry has more time to
perfect their new innovations against an already existing code
base. The one true danger to the screen reader industry will be if
Microsoft ever goes and closes all of those unterminated loops in
whatever version of windows is in use at the time. A tremendous
performance improvement will then happen along with a huge memory
requirement decrease windows xp can probably run in 640K of memory
if that ever gets done, then all those programmers who worked on
patches for all of those years will be back innovating new features
again. Such a move were it to ever happen would make life for virus
writers lots harder and also bankrupt Intel along with other chip
manufacturers because computers could get lots lighter in terms of
memory than they've grown over the years.
On Fri, 30 May 2008, Dave Wright wrote:
Hi there all,
I'm not sure whether or not this topic has been discussed on this
list, but I'm wondering if I should invest in a virus removal
program for the mac? I did see that Norton Antivirus does make a
version for mac OSX, however I didn't know if anyone out there had
a preference? Any info would be much appreciated.
Best Regards,
David Wright
Mobile: (832)518-0707
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.knfbreader.com
Scott Howell
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
