Apple Quietly Recommends Antivirus Software For Macs 484
Barence writes "After years of boasting about the Mac's near invincibility, Apple is now advising its customers to install security software on their computers. Apple — which has continually played on Windows' vulnerability to viruses in its advertising campaigns — issued the advice in a low-key message on its support forums. 'Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult.' It goes on to recommend a handful of products." Reader wild_berry points out the BBC's story on the unexpected recommendation.
Not suprised (Score:3, Funny)
I don't need a virus to affect my system (Score:5, Funny)
I have Quicktime.
a necessity (Score:5, Funny)
Well, duh... With the Apple CEO engaging in the unhygienic practice of peeing on all the hardware before it ships, no wonder users are being advised to get some sort of protection against pathogens.
Or was that the Mapple CEO... meh, they probably all do it.
If you listen carefully... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Old document (Score:1, Funny)
shit.
Re:"Apple Quietly"?? (Score:3, Funny)
Any information release by Apple that doesn't occur during a Special Event seems to be suspect.
("In other news, Steve Jobs quietly blows his nose. Will this fuel more concerns about his health?")
Re:a way to make money (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Multiple antivirus products? (Score:4, Funny)
you wouldn't expect one user to run all of the anti virus products on one machine.
It seems you've never had to do IT support for any rich old clueless porn addicts. Lucky you.
Re:Um huh? Apple has always recommended protection (Score:5, Funny)
Hell they even gave it away with old .mac accounts. And apple support always had lines saying to use protection. How is it all of a sudden new? They have been saying to use protection for YEARS now.
Very true.
And I've been ignoring the recommendation for years now. Guess which AV app I'm going to install today.
That's right. None. Running an AV program on a Mac makes about as much sense as using a rope to tie down your car every time you park it in your garage.
Re:Um huh? Apple has always recommended protection (Score:3, Funny)
They have been saying to use protection for YEARS now.
And yet, AIDs is still an epidemic.
Re:Herd Immunity (Score:3, Funny)
It's just misspelled. 'Hurd Immunity': a system gets no viruses because it has no users.
Re:a way to make money (Score:2, Funny)
>I don't know why you want to wait,
Because, after a decade and a half running Windows of various flavors and several years doing tech support (aka virus removal specialist) part time, I've learned that keeping a Windows system clean takes more than a bit of common sense in addition to time and (possibly) money. Now that I'm on OS X, I just need common sense. I'm not going to waste any time or money on this "problem" until I hear of thousands of other Mac boxes going down in flames. When these dead canaries start being reported, I'll start paying attention.
They've had it too good for too long... (Score:2, Funny)
Well, if there's group of users that has been told repeatedly that their computer is safe from viruses, that it "just works," and that they don't need to be concerned with computer threats of any kind...it's Apple users. Sitting in their offices, wearing their turtlenecks and sipping their lattes, the only thing about phishing they've heard about is that it happens to other people. Uglier people. They're not used to having to defend themselves, not like Windows users. Windows users have a battle-scarred paranoia...they've seen worms that can rewrite their BIOS, steal their credit cards, and kidnap their firstborn. Their 50 yard stares have been earned by fixing their mom's computer for the eighth time this month, and damnit if they're going to lose another computer to some Ethiopian scammer...not after the last time. Their nightmares are the stuff of Steven King novels, the earlier stuff with lovecraftian clowns and superplagues that are the start of apocalyptic battles between good and evil. Their best days on the internet involve life and death struggles against the next pop-up, because it might be their last. Ironically, Mac users have never had to live with the terror that clicking on that "win a free iPod" might just cause their computer to explode, spamming their grandmother with anal tranny porn on its way out. Maybe it's time they should... ...wait, what the hell was I talking about?
Re:a way to make money (Score:2, Funny)
The only computer that is guaranteed to be secure is one that is encased in concrete and dropped to the bottom of the ocean.
Not if it's encased with a large battery and satellite connection to the Internet.