Nonsense. A flaw produces unintended behavior by the system. It is not a given that the unintended behavior has anything at all to do with security or the lack thereof.
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Windows has a 17 year old un-patched vulnerability
- Thread starter *LTD*
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I didn't say it was a given and you're assuming I did. But a flaw has the potential of producing a security vulnerability, so it's not meaningless.
And with a good anti-virus on Windows, there is no worry either.
If I wasn't a music producer, I'd be happily on Windows, with no concern for virus's.
And as qualified professionals have stated, that's not true. Your personal experience is worth exactly zip.
How can you speak for every Mac user? I doubt anyone can do that, as not everyone relays information about this. For that matter, it's hard to speak for all Windows users as well.
Macs running OS X are the safest computing platform. Period. Since no OS X user has ever had a virus because nothing exists to infect them, this experience is common to all of them since 2001. Yes, I speak for every Mac user.
Windows has a much older "unpatched vulnerability" ... he's called Bill Gates and should have been "patched" decades ago. 
Don't forget trojans or malware. What source are you using to claim that no OS X user has ever had some sort of infection?
Trojans and malware are different beasts from viruses and are not the same thing. They are classified differently.
LTD is talking about viruses - programs that propagate on their own without user intervention.
Windows 7 is still affected by 70% of the old Windows viruses. And there were over 200,000 of them. Mac OS X still is at zero. Ten years ago, under Mac OS 9, the Mac platform had up to 80 viruses, and Mac OS 9 share was even smaller in market share than is OS X today.
The Windows problems are insurmountable. They can't be fixed. Running any version of Windows requires A/V programs running constantly in the background, tying up CPU cycles and threads. This also costs $. And it can't protect from a zero day flaw it doesn't know about. To see a sample of what can happen, see http://rixstep.com/1/20100201,00.shtml
That anyone can seriously contemplate doing online banking, taxes, transactions, etc. on a MS operating system suggests a level of cluelessness that deserves whatever disaster befalls them.
The Windows problems are insurmountable. They can't be fixed. Running any version of Windows requires A/V programs running constantly in the background, tying up CPU cycles and threads. This also costs $. And it can't protect from a zero day flaw it doesn't know about. To see a sample of what can happen, see http://rixstep.com/1/20100201,00.shtml
That anyone can seriously contemplate doing online banking, taxes, transactions, etc. on a MS operating system suggests a level of cluelessness that deserves whatever disaster befalls them.
Bull.
I, like many other Windows users are happily running without AV programs, without a single problem.
These "many others" might not even know they're infected. It's a very real problem.
http://www.infosecurity-us.com/view...es-blue-screen-of-death-on-infected-machines/
You, like many other Windows users, have an infected system. You labor under the delusion that viruses are intended to destroy your computer's performance. There may be some viruses that hurt your performance. The most dangerous ones, however, are designed to hide themselves and to send your address book to its authors or to setup your computer as a node on a zombie network or some other nefarious purpose.
For fun and valuable prizes, insert a USB thumb drive from your computer into a computer with antivirus software installed. Scan the thumb drive. Explain the results.
Thanks for assuming that I am a complete moron incapable of detecting if my computers were infected.
They're not.
I regularly move files from home (where none of my machines run AV software) to work (where AV software is on every computer) via thumbdrives, email, and FTP and have never had a single problem. I also monitor all my network traffic at home, again nothing that would indicate ghost activity that would be indicative of viruses or malware running in the background.
You certainly don't speak for all Mac users. You simply do not know what you are talking about and are blinded by some crazy devotion to Apple.
Anyone else fear the thread about the 17 year old vulnerability will last 17 years?
You, sir, have not, do not and never will speak for me on any subject, Mac or other wise
That is all
On the subject of Macs being the safest platform, it's a fact. It makes no difference whether you say it or I say it. LOL
Then s/he cannot declare Mac as the safest platform. Choosing to ignore vulnerabilities, regardless of classification, does not make them go away.
You've somehow scanned his system without ever touching or accessing it, yet the other guy is delusional. You're living under the delusion that a Windows system without AV is automatically infected.
It's not a fact. Your personal experience makes it a fact for you, but not for everyone else.
Nine years and not a single virus in the wild. No antivirus software necessary. With the proliferation of Windows, OS X isn't even a target. Safest platform. Hell, it's even safer than Linux!
Windows viruses:
The Microsoft Tax: Windows 7 zero-day flaw enables attackers to cripple PCs; Macintosh unaffected - November 16, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Windows 7 flaw allows attackers to remotely crash PCs; Macintosh unaffected - November 12, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Windows virus delivers child porn to PCs, users go to jail; Mac users unaffected - November 09, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Worms infest Windows PCs worldwide; Mac users unaffected - November 02, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Banking Trojan horse steals money from Windows sufferers; Mac users unaffected - September 30, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Serious Windows security flaw lets hackers to take over PCs; Macintosh unaffected - July 07, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Windows Conficker worm hits hospital devices; Macintosh unaffected - April 29, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Conficker virus begins to attack Windows PCs; Macintosh unaffected - April 27, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Conficker’s estimated economic cost: $9.1 billion - April 24, 2009
Millions of Windows PCs taken over by hackers, including UK and US gov’t machines; Macs unaffected - April 22, 2009
Conficker worm hits University of Utah’s Windows PCs; Apple Macs unaffected - April 13, 2009
Windows Conficker kicks into action, able to steal data from infected PCs; Macintosh unaffected - April 10, 2009
Windows Conficker worm awakens, updates via P2P, begins to drop payload; Macintosh unaffected - April 09, 2009
Millions of infected Windows PCs set to go off on April 1; Macintosh unaffected - March 31, 2009
Millions of infected Microsoft Windows PCs face doomsday on April 1; Macintosh unaffected - March 24, 2009
Windows data-stealing ‘Tigger’ trojan infects stock trading firms; Macintosh users unaffected - March 10, 2009
French navy fighter planes grounded by Windows worm; Mac-based naval systems unaffected - February 25, 2009
Houston courts shut down due to Windows virus; Macs unaffected - February 10, 2009
Windows virus knocks out Vancouver school computers for three weeks and counting; Macs unaffected - January 31, 2009
Massive Windows virus with mystery payload continues to spread rapidly; Macintosh unaffected - January 26, 2009
Massive Windows virus continues rapid spread, also affects Vista, Windows 7; Macintosh unaffected - January 21, 2009
Windows PC worm infection numbers skyrocket; Macintosh unaffected - January 19, 2009
Dangerous new sleeper virus exposes millions of Windows PCs to hijack; Macintosh unaffected - January 16, 2009
Zero-day attack targets all versions of Internet Explorer; Mac users unaffected - December 12, 2008
Windows worm loose on International Space Station; Mac-using astronauts unaffected - August 27, 2008
Microsoft inflicts Internet Explorer 8 Beta; Mac users unaffected - March 05, 2008
Gathering ‘Storm’ superworm poses grave threat to Windows PCs; Apple Macs unaffected - October 19, 2007
Windows virus cripples Florida newspaper; Mac-based publishers unaffected - March 02, 2007
Insidious Windows virus threatens business networks worldwide; Macintosh unaffected - March 01, 2007
Windows ‘Storm Worm’ rages across globe; Apple Macintosh unaffected - January 19, 2007
Sony, Gracenote sound alarm over Microsoft flaw; Macintosh unaffected - September 19, 2006
PowerPoint zero-day attack compromises data in infected Windows PCs; Mac OS X unaffected - July 21, 2006
Windows PC users infected with worm face loss of all Microsoft, Adobe files; Mac users unaffected - January 31, 2006
Microsoft Windows’ Zero-Day WMF flaw threats widespread; Macintosh unaffected - December 29, 2005
Microsoft Windows virus spreads rapidly; Apple Macintosh unaffected - November 28, 2005
Windows users fall victim to huge ID theft ring, 50 banks in danger; Apple Mac users unaffected - August 25, 2005
Quickly spreading Microsoft Windows worm affects CNN, ABC, NY Times; Apple Macintosh unaffected - August 16, 2005
‘Zotob’ worm rapidly infects Microsoft Windows; Macintosh unaffected - August 15, 2005
16-percent of computer users are unaffected by viruses, malware because they use Apple Macs - June 15, 2005
Microsoft warns of critical Windows flaws; unaffected Mac users just continue working - June 15, 2005
Michael Jackson suicide spam hides Windows virus; Macintosh unaffected - June 10, 2005
Windows Sober.p poised to attack this Monday; Macintosh unaffected - May 21, 2005
Microsoft Windows Sober.P worm shows ‘epidemic’ spread; Macintosh unaffected - May 03, 2005
Anzae/Inzae worm affects all Windows versions after 3.1; Macintosh unaffected - December 28, 2004
Windows Mydoom worm variant spreading in the wild; Macintosh unaffected - November 09, 2004
Windows XP worm speaks to users as it deletes their files; Macintosh unaffected - September 13, 2004
Millions of Windows PC’s hijacked by hackers, turned into zombies; Macintosh unaffected - September 08, 2004
Windows ‘Zindos’ virus spreads, attacks Microsoft.com; Macintosh unaffected - July 29, 2004
New Windows Bagle virus variants spread; Macintosh unaffected - July 16, 2004
Windows Lovegate worm variant renders computers useless; Macintosh unaffected - July 08, 2004
Windows Scob virus collects passwords, financial data; Macintosh unaffected - July 05, 2004
Windows ‘Scob’ virus designed to steal financial data, passwords; Macintosh unaffected - June 26, 2004
Windows users warned of infectious Web sites that take over computers; Mac users unaffected - June 25, 2004
Windows Korgo virus ‘aggressively stealing’ credit card numbers; Macintosh unaffected - June 04, 2004
First Windows 64-bit virus appears; Macintosh unaffected - May 27, 2004
Windows Wallon virus wipes out Microsoft Media Player on infected PCs; Macintosh unaffected - May 12, 2004
Windows Sasser worm mutates, knocks out banks, EC; Macintosh unaffected - May 04, 2004
Windows Sasser worm severely disrupts UK coastguard; Mac users remain unaffected - May 04, 2004
Windows Sasser net worm spreading rapidly; Macintosh unaffected - May 03, 2004
Sen. Edward Kennedy’s Apple Mac-based office totally unaffected by viruses - March 22, 2004
Five new Windows Bagle virus variants break nasty new ground; Macintosh unaffected - March 19, 2004
Windows worm, virus outbreaks intensify; Macintosh unaffected - March 03, 2004
Destructive MyDoom.F virus deletes Windows users’ files; Macintosh unaffected - March 01, 2004
Netsky-D Windows worm spreading; Macintosh unaffected - March 01, 2004
Windows users suffer five new Bagle worm variants; Macintosh unaffected - March 01, 2004
New MyDoom Windows worm deletes random files; Macintosh unaffected - February 25, 2004
Windows NetSky e-mail worm spreading; Macintosh unaffected - February 18, 2004
Windows virus ‘Bagle.B’ spreading; Macintosh unaffected - February 17, 2004
‘Doomjuice’ worm emerges, targets Microsoft; Macintosh unaffected - February 10, 2004
New version of Mydoom Windows virus appears, attacks Microsoft; Macintosh unaffected - January 28, 2004
Latest Windows virus ‘MyDoom’ sets new infection records worldwide; Macintosh unaffected - January 27, 2004
‘MyDoom’ Windows virus spreads rapidly; Macintosh unaffected - January 26, 2004
New Windows worm spreading ‘hard and fast’ worldwide; Macintosh unaffected - January 19, 2004
Florida students patch 360 PCs in marathon session due to Blaster virus; their Macs unaffected - October 01, 2003
Pennsylvania school district’s PCs infected with virus; their Macs unaffected - October 01, 2003
New ‘Swen worm’ masquerades as Windows Security Update; Macintosh unaffected - September 19, 2003
University of Illinois still patching all Windows machines; Macintosh unaffected - September 05, 2003
Montana school district’s Windows computers offline due to worm; Macintosh computers unaffected - September 03, 2003
A tale of two school systems: Windows schools crippled while Mac schools unaffected - August 21, 2003
SoBig virus variant rapidly inflecting Windows machines; Macintosh unaffected - August 19, 2003
Windows Blaster worm to attack Microsoft on Saturday; Macintosh unaffected - August 13, 2003
MBlast Worm spreads through flaw in Windows; Macintosh unaffected - August 11, 2003
Hackers hijack Windows PCs for porn serving; Macintosh unaffected - July 11, 2003
Palyh Worm strikes Windows users worldwide; Macintosh unaffected - May 19, 2003
Microsoft bug exposes millions to attack; Macintosh unaffected - November 20, 2002
And that's just a small sample of the hundreds of thousands out there.
OS X viruses:
Zero in nine years.
This is a lie. As I have already said, the best AV software out there is free, it's currently taking 0% cpu cycles on my desktop, and it's called Avast.
Incidentally, this thread isn't called ' Windows has a 17 year old unpatched virus' - it's VULNERABILITIES
And OS X is documented as having a lot more unpatched vulnerabilities than Windows.
That they are not being exploited does NOT make them go away.
You really should go back on my ignore list. It's a pity that ignore lists don't ignore entire threads started by blinkered fanboys like yourself.
Since you wrongly believe the only vulnerabilities are viruses, please explain how many viruses there are for Linux and why OS X is safer than Linux. Oh wait, there are no viruses for Linux, and I've been using it for 17 years, so that makes it the safest computing platform now.