Google: For security, choose a Mac

[*LTD*]

http://thenextweb.com/google/2011/06/01/schmidt-if-you-care-about-security-get-a-mac-not-a-pc/

Google’s Eric Schmidt: If you care about security, get a Mac, not a PC.

At the D9 conference today, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt backed Apple in the Mac versus PC debate.

“You could use a Mac instead of a PC,” said Schmidt. He said viruses are far less likely to affect Mac users.

Schmidt backed the Mac after giving advice about security with Google services. That includes using Google Chrome over other browsers and activating two-factor authentication in Gmail.

Schmidt did mention that he was a former board member at Apple, so one might want to take his advice with a grain of salt — though it’s hard to argue with the facts.

Even with recent malware problems plaguing Mac OS X, it still comes out far ahead of Windows machines in terms of computers compromised and viruses contracted.

Schmidt has recently gone on the record to say that Facebook and Apple aren’t major competitors for Google, and that Microsoft is their main concern. But at today’s conference, he said that Microsoft wasn’t doing enough to revolutionize consumer platforms to be a key player.

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Eric Schmidt. Smarter than the average bear, now isn't he?

First with the clever iPhone copying. And now with the straight goods about computing platform safety.

His maps aint half bad, either. At least according to Apple.

 

[iWinning]

Schmidt was on the Apple board.
Microsoft is a threat to Google, Apple isnt.

I think we can see his priorities.

 

[*LTD*]

Schmidt was on the Apple board.
Microsoft is a threat to Google, Apple isnt.

I think we can see his priorities.

Possibly good news in terms of Apple-Google relations. Or is Schmidt just a loose cannon these days?

 

[maflynn]

Possibly good news in terms of Apple-Google relations. Or is Schmidt just a loose cannon these days?

Schmidt was and is a loose cannon.

 

[iWinning]

Schmidt was and is a loose cannon.

There's a reason he was booted as CEO of Google.

 

[maflynn]

There's a reason he was booted as CEO of Google.

Yup but they put him in a position that highlights his weakness. Being Google's chief evangelist means he gets plenty of opportunity to shoot his mouth off.

 

[ChazUK]

Im not surprised by his statement really as Google do seem to be very pro "Mac".

Is it just me or are there far less "Apple vs Google" news lately? The
Press seem to be concentrating on the Microsoft side lately.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

sorry but he was on the board of Apple. Not exactly worth much.
This is just headline grabbing and standard LTD BS.

 

[rdowns]

sorry but he was on the board of Apple. Not exactly worth much.
This is just headline grabbing and standard LTD BS.

Your replies to his every thread is tiresome. If you don't like what he posts, why are you reading and posting in the threads? Maybe we should refer to your replies as standard RP BS??

 

[MacDawg]

I guess some folks can't get past the fact that Eric Schmidt said it and *LTD* posted it

Taking both of those items out of the equation, I think what was actually said was dead on

 

[Steve121178]

More propaganda BS from *LTD*. Snore.

 

[iWinning]

I guess some folks can't get past the fact that Eric Schmidt said it and *LTD* posted it

Taking both of those items out of the equation, I think what was actually said was dead on

Ye,s viruses are less likely to affect Mac (OS X)
But viruses aren't the problem anyways

 

[RawBert]

Your replies to his every thread is tiresome.
...standard RP BS

Thank you.
_________
Mac is safer than Windows. That's why I switched eight years ago.

 

[neiltc13]

Mac is safer than Windows. That's why I switched eight years ago.

And if you haven't been using Windows for eight years then I'd say you're not qualified to make a statement like "Mac is safer than Windows".

Personally, I can't remember the last time I used something made by Microsoft and thought I was getting a sub-par experience. They are making some truly fantastic software right now.

 

[RawBert]

And if you haven't been using Windows for eight years then I'd say you're not qualified to make a statement like "Mac is safer than Windows".

Personally, I can't remember the last time I used something made by Microsoft and thought I was getting a sub-par experience. They are making some truly fantastic software right now.

Who said I don't use Windows? I use two Windows computers at work M-F. My company has about 50 IT people but still we get viruses and malware all the time. I know for a fact that Macs are way safer. MS software is all right but it damn sure isn't safer than Mac.

 

[ChazUK]

My company has about 50 IT people but still we get viruses and malware all the time.

Wow... I really would question your IT department if this is true as that isn't normal at all.

 

[RawBert]

Wow... I really would question your IT department if this is true as that isn't normal at all.

Well, we have anti virus software and light surf control but a lot of the attacks come from popular sites that our employees visit like the Kim Kardashian site and stuff like that, from what I've heard and seen.

Production completely stopped at our company early last year when the "Here you have" Outlook email virus totally took over our system.

 

[roadbloc]

Not sure which is more secure, but we all know which is more vunerable to viruses/malware/whateveryouwanttocallit.

However we are currently witnessing some real effort of malware designers for Macs. And I think the whole big "hoo-har" over the Mac Defender all spans down to the fact that if it was a Windows malware program for Windows, the user's antivirus would have picked it up and nothing more would have been said. Unfortunately, OS X systems rarely have anti-viruses installed on them, and the Mac Defender was able to slip through OS X's rather dire malware detecting system and infect systems.

As much as I hate to admit it (I always love saying smugly that Macs don't get viruses to my Windows using friends,) we are seeing a large interest in OS X and malware. Even Apple are panicking slightly, hence the quick update enhancing OS X's malware detecting system. What we have now, essentially, is an Antivirus integrated in the OS. I think we will be seeing a lot more of this malware for OS X in the future. It's happened. This is what I'd call widespread, and I don't think it's going to stop anytime soon.

Apple now have a choice. Admit that OS X isn't as squeaky clean as they like to, or lock down OS X like iOS (but run the risk of upsetting a lot of X users.)

DISCLAIMER: By virus, I mean all types of malware. I know OS X cannot get a true virus, but such occurrence is also rare on Windows now. I was using virus in the generic sense, like a layman would.

 

[Melrose]

For true security, don't use Google.

 

[maflynn]

For true security, don't use Google.

The best advice in this thread

 

[KingCrimson]

Who said I don't use Windows? I use two Windows computers at work M-F. My company has about 50 IT people but still we get viruses and malware all the time. I know for a fact that Macs are way safer. MS software is all right but it damn sure isn't safer than Mac.

Funny doesn't happen at my company, but then again IT runs a filter on any questionable websites. Really people should not be viewing porn sites at work.

 

[InuNacho]

For true security, don't use Google.

True that. The last thing I want is the world knowing what type of porn I look at.

 

[*LTD*]

More propaganda BS from *LTD*. Snore.

I didn't make it up. He said it, not me. It's news.

You can read it here or you can read it elsewhere.

If you have any grievances, direct them at Eric.

 

[Consultant]

Your replies to his every thread is tiresome. If you don't like what he posts, why are you reading and posting in the threads? Maybe we should refer to your replies as standard RP BS??

Exactly. Shouldn't MS shills should go to windows rumors?

 

[Mousse]

Well, we have anti virus software and light surf control but a lot of the attacks come from popular sites that our employees visit like the Kim Kardashian site and stuff like that, from what I've heard and seen.

Sounds like the company needs to educate* its employees. We have all Windows machines where I work (mostly Vista and 7, and me with the lone XP) with no antivirus or surf controlling. No malware so far--knock on my mother-in-law's head. I would know, since I pull double duty as the IT dept. The best anti-malware is an educated user, IMO.

*By educate, I mean getting a goon squad set up to break the fingers of employees who violate the no Kim Kardashian site policy. Look what she did to the career of the #2 overall pick from the 2006 NFL Draft.