Jr. Woodchuckington Janitor III, Esq.
steve-o,
Apple's operating system OSX is Unix. People tend not to realize it because of the shiny gui. If you don't want to go that route, there's a very good Unix like operating system called Linux. It runs very well on desktop machines and supports a wide variety of peripherals.
If there are some applications that you absolutely must run winder Windows, you can always install a VM (I use vmware) and run multple OS's concurrently.
Originally Posted by steve-o
suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.
Technically Still Banned
Every OS that is commonly in use today, except for MS, is a UNIX-like system.
Linux is free and can do all of that and then some.
It is a totally open playground for all kinds of software and hardware development.
Probably the most significant aspect of Linux is the HUGE array of hardware that it runs on.
Android is Linux!
Yes, Mac OSX is UNIX, but you need an Apple computer to run it.
Linux is free monetarily, but the real cost is in learning how to use it!
UNIX is a way of understanding pretty much the sum total of computer science. The languages C and C++ are native to UNIX. The Internet is entirely structured from UNIX network systems and protocols.
The best way to understand what an MS OS is all about is to step outside of all of them and see what they are not!
James.
Creator of LaserBoy!
LaserBoy is free and runs in Windows, MacOS and Linux (including Raspberry Pi!).
Download LaserBoy!
YouTube Tutorials
Ask me about my LaserBoy Correction Amp Kit for sale!
All software has a learning curve usually proportional to its capabilities and unique features. Pointing with a mouse is in no way easier than tapping a key.
Needs moar photons
macos is BSD, which is unix...
the internet has all sorts of stuff, most of what runs it is not unix, unless you are referring to servers, then yes, unix... but most of the dedicated hardware will run Cisco IOS, VxWorks, or JuniperOS
also Linux has had things injected into trees (trojans and such) so it is also not immune, its openness is its vulnerability, but its also that openness that lets people find the issues quickly (usually)
also since machos runs on a limited hardware set it reduces the complexity of the os/driver structure significantly... the literally billions of combinations available to a *nix or ms box are why you have so many issues to begin with...
yes learning *nix is a powerful skill but tell the average pc/apple dolt to recompile their kernel and tell me what the blank stare on their face looks like
Senior Member
When Windows Vista came out MS created this thing called Windows Defender that monitors your system for malware
and it is updated every couple of days via Windows Update for free provided that you have internet access, and I
applaud MS for that, but...
WTF!?!?!?!?!?
OK, call me a dumb ass, but why is #@!%^$^ Windows so *&^&^%$# vulnerable that this should be necessary???
Senior Member
Correct.
I have been a Unix/Linux sysadmin in past lives, and use Linux personally (Ubuntu) and have never required AV protection; nor have I been infected.
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. Exactly. Microsoft have a lot to learn about security. I am surprised Microsoft don't have a big finger in the AV market. There is NO money in creating vulnerable systems unless you also sell a solution to the vulnerabilities!
This space for rent.
Technically Still Banned
Think about it like this: If you are a user on a UNIX main frame then you get to use a nice computer that is maintained for you. You don't need to know all the scary stuff about security and what is and is not safe for the whole working system. Since you are a user, you only have limited capabilities and the most you are likely to screw up is the integrity of your own files. The system will protect itself from you and any mess you make can be cleaned up by the systems administrators.
That describes the experience of most computer users, until the "Personal Computer" came in to being.
Now that each of us owns our own computers, we have to be systems administrators.
Microsoft has done amazing things to make computers understandable and useful for the masses.
But there is really no getting around the ultimate truth. If you don't really know what goes on inside that box, then you probably won't make a very good systems administrator. As long as someone else out there knows more about it than you do and that person sees something to gain by causing you problems, then you are at risk.
James.
Creator of LaserBoy!
LaserBoy is free and runs in Windows, MacOS and Linux (including Raspberry Pi!).
Download LaserBoy!
YouTube Tutorials
Ask me about my LaserBoy Correction Amp Kit for sale!
All software has a learning curve usually proportional to its capabilities and unique features. Pointing with a mouse is in no way easier than tapping a key.
Senior Member
There are settings in Windows to lock it down but people do not use them. As soon as they go to a website and give permission to run Flash or some Java app or whatever they are allowing a foot in the door. The purpose of Windows Defender (which is now Microsoft Security Essentials) is to protect those who are careless or slip up. MS added UAC as a way to help protect people but most people I encounter simply turn it off. In otherwords, MS put a locks on the doors... but lazy people who go in and out all the time keep them unlocked and throw away the keys.
Senior Member
Also, I have encountered my share of "hackers" who write worms and other things so it isn't just McAfee who is writing viruses. Also, don't forget about China, who purposely writes trojans in order to steal secrets. In fact, it was problem Israel who wrote one in order to infect the Iranian nuclear site. But, the fact remains that the people writing these things do it to exploit new vulnerabilites, not old ones so it is important to keep your virus software up to date. Either that or just be very careful. 99.9% of the time you have nothing to worry about as long as you aren't downloading porn or game cracks.
Senior Member
To be honest, all I do on the web is download email, chat on forums, and watch youtube. For 3 years, I have had zero protection software on the my PC, and also zero problems. I recently doubted this, and caved in and downloaded McAfee for free and after one scan.
Zip. Nada. Nothin.
If you're visiting only ordinary websites, and not visiting things that a google search wouldn't suggest on the 10th page of your search results, then you're probably going to be safe. Just tell your browser to block popups and erase cookies every couple weeks.
I worried for you Android users. The malware for those have come in hot and heavy... where's your protection?
Senior Member
Amen!!!But there is really no getting around the ultimate truth. If you don't really know what goes on inside that box, then you probably won't make a very good systems administrator. As long as someone else out there knows more about it than you do and that person sees something to gain by causing you problems, then you are at risk.
Yep... I've had similar experience.To be honest, all I do on the web is download email, chat on forums, and watch youtube. For 3 years, I have had zero protection software on the my PC, and also zero problems. I recently doubted this, and caved in and downloaded McAfee for free and after one scan.
Zip. Nada. Nothin.
Since I bought my first PC some 20 years ago, my lot in life has been to be plagued with defective hardware and software driver problems.
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