Macs will take over the world!!!! MUAHAHAHAH!!!! [Archive]

Natsuke Takeda

09-20-2006, 09:30 AM

True or False? After using a mac OS X for my graphic art projects, I am finding myself hating PC sometimes. That, and those new Mac commercials are seriously funny yet literally convincing, especially virus and program-wise.

It's just so freakin user-friendly, lol.

So, do you believe that in ten years, Macs will be found everywhere in place of PCs? Hell, they have right-clicking now I heard, lmao.

While I do like playing around with the regedit, that's pretty much all that can be done with a PC.

Another question: I wonder how hackers can hack Macs... I never knew how lol.

soundchazer

09-20-2006, 09:34 AM

Emeraldas

09-20-2006, 09:36 AM

The only reason why I see macs becoming more popular is because, oh the irony!, they can now run windows in their Intel platforms.

Yeah. The only reason I'd ever get one would be because they're pretty.

Corpse

09-20-2006, 09:55 AM

While most of my Mac experience has been limited to school computers, I've developed quite the disdain for them. I don't really like how the OS is laid out, I find the dock intrusive as all hell when.. *gasp* I'm doing graphical work on them. Though I guess that ties in with my generally minimalist approach to how i want my computer to look, as I also run WinXP in the classic win95/98 layout cause i can't stand the pretty shit. I also like the customization you can do with a PC physically(I built my machine). As far as the virus thing, yea what SC said, it's possible for a Mac to get a virus, it's just nobody cares enough to make one for them. Also covered by SC somewhat, they were crippled by software selection until they could run windows :P

I do find those Mac Vs. PC commercials funny though, but only because they're so obviously ignorant and biased :P

Edit: Also my favorite all time bug ive run into on a Mac(this was like 5 or 6 years ago mind you) I managed to crash the entire OS by downloading a file at 600k per second, three times in a row.

Ninja Realist

09-20-2006, 10:44 AM

After years of hearing this debate I've decided that the best OS is...the one you prefer.

Yes there are big differences between how Macs and PCs operate, but what really matter is which one you like. A lot of people who just like one aren't very willing to switch to the other even if it suits their needs better.

Ritalin

09-20-2006, 11:04 AM

No, macs won't take over the world.

While I love OS X, there is no way in hell you'd make me pay for it since I don't care for the hardware. LB got OS X running on his computer, and when I upgrade mine I'll do the same.

OS debates are along the same as Console Wars. Use the OS that suits your needs or tastes. I use FreeBSD as my desktop because it doesn't have the dickery with virus/spyware and is a logical OS (it makes sense to me). I use Windows when I want to play Eve Online and SCO. I use OS X when I feel like I want a toy.

Neo-Hunter

09-20-2006, 01:46 PM

I really never Liked Macs at first but their getting to me, I found them to be so cool, I have to get one as soon as i stop using my old one

Tyrdium

09-20-2006, 02:31 PM

The virus and security thing is just BS. The only reason macs do not have the same problem is because there are far fewer and therefore the hackers and virus makers do not focus on them because the minimal amount of damage they would cause. If they really wanted to, they could get them infected.Um. No, actually. Yes, it is possible to infect Macs. There have been a couple proof-of-concept programs, but the last virus to do damage on a Mac was in 1995 or so. Macs are more secure than Windows, though. Windows users run by admin as default; note how you never need to enter a password or anything. Macs, on the other hand, require you to make a password. Why? Because you need it to use root via sudo. Plus they have less services open, no ActiveX, etc. Windows has been getting better, but it's far from perfect.

I'd post a more detailed reply, but I need to run.

Oh, and Corpse: you can turn Dock hiding on, magnification off, etc.

Corpse

09-20-2006, 03:12 PM

i do have those options set, it's still intrusive to me :P

Tyrdium

09-20-2006, 03:27 PM

You're just nutters, then. ;)

I'm sure there's a hack to disable the Dock entirely.

Mana

09-20-2006, 03:32 PM

Macs are alright; I got used to using one for a while, but I don't know if I'd buy one or not. When I end up switching OSes, it will probably be to some form of Linux or the like.

7Raven7

09-20-2006, 03:55 PM

So, do you believe that in ten years, Macs will be found everywhere in place of PCs? Hell, they have right-clicking now I heard, lmao.

I could go into a very long-winded discussion in regards to computer market and technology but I think the words "not a chance in hell" will suffice.

soundchazer

09-20-2006, 04:06 PM

Um. No, actually. Yes, it is possible to infect Macs. There have been a couple proof-of-concept programs, but the last virus to do damage on a Mac was in 1995 or so.

Oh really?

Then this must be a hoax...

http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2006/02/macosxleap.html

KiraraKim

09-20-2006, 04:48 PM

I agree with Soundchazer here. If Macs ever did become more popular than PCs you can bet that you would see a huge increase in viruses attacking the Mac operating system.

GWS923

09-20-2006, 04:56 PM

Tyrdium

09-20-2006, 04:59 PM

Oh really?

Then this must be a hoax...

http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2006/02/macosxleap.htmlEh. Yeah, I suppose you're right. That one requires significant user interaction, though. Plus Apple released a fix for it rather quickly. How many known open security issues does Windows have, again?

Not to mention said first ever OS X virus hit the wild in 2006. OS X came out in March 2001.

soundchazer

09-20-2006, 05:17 PM

Again... who would dedicate the manpower to create a virus 20 people will get?

I'm pretty sure they have more holes than that, but no one has even bothered... yet.

Tyrdium

09-20-2006, 05:34 PM

Wait. Are you saying there are barely any viruses for Macs because of the low userbase, or because the holes are harder to exploit?

7Raven7

09-20-2006, 09:01 PM

Don't believe everything you see on TV.

First off, viruses are intended for larger audiences and businesses. The number of users has risen but is still less than PCs by a wide margin and almost no businesses (except maybe a local mom and pop shop) run off Macs.

Second is the concept. Windows is designed for flexibility and customization but because of that it isn't very reliable (I.E. users can screw it up and the code is easy for viruses to write to). Macs are extremely reliable but you can't do ANYTHING with them as far as customization (don't tell me you can change the background, that’s not what I mean). A Mac's protection is in stopping users from doing stupid things, not necessarily because their software is more virus-proof (more reliable than Windows OS maybe, but they are more similar than you would think). Because they lock out a lot of functionality it also makes it harder for viruses to write to any particular data sector (harder, not impossible.)

MacOS is basically a rewrite of Unix, which is very hackable. Unix servers used to be very prevalent and were hacked quite often. Microsoft has also implemented some of Unix code as well as some from Linux (same horrible Kernel tho). Let's not fail to mention that some of the more popular anti viruses also have a Mac version. Trust me, it is very possible to hac a Mac.

If you are a hacker, which would you choose? You don't get paid, all you get is the prestige and acknowledgement from your peers with the risk of doing 5-10. Are you going to spend the extra time it takes to program a virus that will make a smaller impact? I suppose I might just to keep people from using those atrocious paper weights.

If you are looking for a hack-proof OS, try OS400, the IBM one. Recognizing all data as objects is really the only way to significantly limit viruses and your puny little Mac-in-the-box simply does not have the horsepower to do so.

Ritalin

09-21-2006, 03:53 AM

OS X won't suffer nearly as much as Windows does with virus and spyware because of it's design. No, not GUI design. :XD: There are viruses for all Operating Systems, but the damage possible is a lot less and easier to remedy on OS X/Linux/BSD because of how they are structured.

Unix/Linux servers are everywhere and you don't hear much about viruses for them. Either because they get stopped cold because they can't gain root, or because it just isn't easy to exploit them. The exploits you do hear are because of programs the OS is running. Apache can be exploited, and worms are born. But the OS itself is a much harder task. Unix and BSD have been around longer than Windows and Mac so they've been able to mature greatly.

I'd like to see someone exploit OpenBSD. o_o

f1rst children

09-21-2006, 11:35 AM

You know what Mac commercial I'd like to see?

Mac: Hey, I'm a Mac.
PC: And I'm a PC.
Mac: I'm all about doing fun stuff.
PC: Oh, like playing video games, right?
Mac: Well... no... but you can take pictures of yourself!
PC: Mmhmm.
Mac: ... We have a few games.
PC: I see.
Mac: ... You can take pictures of yourself!

I'd like to see any Apple commercial that isn't 100% smug condescension. It IS possible to sell the benefits of your product without having to crap all over the other guy's. Apple commercials just reek of the kind of fanboyism usually reserved for video game consoles.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2002/20020712l.gif

DarkKanti

09-21-2006, 02:57 PM

7Raven7

09-21-2006, 08:54 PM

I am a big PC user and I find the Mac commercials funny. I think it is healthy to laugh at yourself from time to time. Especially that one where they are both in the box and the Mac says he's ready to go but the PC says "nope, I have a lot of manuels to read first, then I have to delete the trial software." I thought that was hilarious, man that takes me back...

Course it is equally funny thinking of what the PC versions of those commercials would be, and of course you remember that Mac's are only those shiny cult boxes everyone drools over because they're... well... they're shiny!

Senshi

09-22-2006, 06:26 AM

I don't know enough about Macs to tell whether they are better/worse than PC...

but I will say that is one damn effective advertising campaign.

You know what Mac commercial I'd like to see?

Mac: Hey, I'm a Mac.
PC: And I'm a PC.
Mac: I'm all about doing fun stuff.
PC: Oh, like playing video games, right?
Mac: Well... no... but you can take pictures of yourself!
PC: Mmhmm.
Mac: ... We have a few games.
PC: I see.
Mac: ... You can take pictures of yourself!

pwnt.

Roark

09-22-2006, 06:59 AM

Macs are a great "It just WORKS!" solution. You plug it in, boot it up, and you have a functional computer. OS X includes some very nice pack-in programs. The hardware/software vertical integration model works well for Apple, since they can program to their hardware as opposed to the wealth of configurations on Windows (just browse through Newegg to see what I mean.) Macs are definately worth it, right now, for casual users - people who just want to browse and send email.

That said, imo, how secure the OS is isn't the real issue in spyware/viruses. A secure OS will limit the damage, definately. But, it won't prevent you from getting the virus/spyware, since a good majority nowadays rely on social engineering techniques (at least, in part) to propogate. There's no controlling user stupidity.

"New fish screensaver? Sure!!! Hmm... need root password to install it? Susie?" "yeah dad?" "What's that password you always tell me not to use?"

GWS923

09-22-2006, 10:34 AM

I'd like to see any Apple commercial that isn't 100% smug condescension. It IS possible to sell the benefits of your product without having to crap all over the other guy's. Apple commercials just reek of the kind of fanboyism usually reserved for video game consoles.
Agreed.

Mac Gamer (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xiAgrrwL_mk) (Probably old, but still relative). Well, someone beat me to it. Good video though.

soundchazer

09-26-2006, 06:01 AM

Eh. Yeah, I suppose you're right. That one requires significant user interaction, though. Plus Apple released a fix for it rather quickly. How many known open security issues does Windows have, again?

Not to mention said first ever OS X virus hit the wild in 2006. OS X came out in March 2001.

Here is an actual study done by symantec, in which it is stated that Apple presented 12 vulnerabilities in the first 6 months of this year alone:

http://www.betanews.com/article/Symantec_Says_Theres_No_Safe_Browser/1159217023

Zelkiiro

09-26-2006, 06:19 AM

If Macs take over the world, that'll be the day I cease using a computer.

Tyrdium

09-26-2006, 06:37 AM

Here is an actual study done by symantec, in which it is stated that Apple presented 12 vulnerabilities in the first 6 months of this year alone:

http://www.betanews.com/article/Symantec_Says_Theres_No_Safe_Browser/1159217023And 38 were discovered for IE. Now, let's compare total uncorrected vulnerabilities between browsers. Microsoft's window of vulnerability is way longer, for one thing.

How about OS X (http://secunia.com/product/96/) versus XP Pro (http://secunia.com/product/22/)? Or even Safari 2 (http://secunia.com/product/5289/) versus IE 6 (http://secunia.com/product/11/). Apple isn't perfect, but it definitely beats Microsoft.

PsychoSaiya-jin

09-26-2006, 09:41 PM

The onlu Mac I would ever be interested in is probably a Mac-mini because it's a sodding cheap mahcine that's small and works, but I'd have to use it in conjunction with a PC, leaving the Mac to simple tasks like irc and music playing.

The worst thing I hate about macs and mac-users. I note 3 different types of mac-user:
1) The Basic User
An pretty average person that doesn't care about numbers and details but wants something that works to do simple low-power tasks. They probably like the asthetics and/or use an iPod. Not bad people.
[1b) Media student: Basic user but at the same time, pretencious asshat. Nothing to do with their machine choice, they just have an overwheling sense of self-importance]

2) The Apple-Ranger!
Annoying geek-type user that loves nothing more than to sing the praises of the ever flawless Fruit-Machine and to take digs at the evil Bill Gates conspiracy. Still owns a high-spec PC anyways but that doesn't stop them.

3) The Power-User
A person that needs to be at the cutting-edge of technology. Maybe their job calls for it, maybe they just want it. To be at the cutting edge, the PU is willing to amass large amounts of credit to purchase the lastest Intel Powerbook before their pay-check comes in.
They will also have the most powerful of PC's for the same reason, but that won't stop them trying to run windows on their Intel-Apple either.

I don't have a problem with most Macalites, alot of friends of mine are probably type-3, but the Media-students and the Apple-Rangers are quite irratating.

soundchazer

09-26-2006, 10:00 PM

In defense of apple, Garage Band and iLife in general ownz. You do have similar choices on the PC, but some are expensive and not as integrated.

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=405510&seqNum=5&rl=1

Ojisan

09-27-2006, 10:29 PM

soundchazer

09-27-2006, 11:19 PM

What I think will save Apple is cutting their proprietary hardware and joining with Intel. Intel <3's teh Apple apparently too. Huge shot in the arm.

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/09/27/rob_enderle_view_on_idf/

From IDF:

"Microsoft, on the other hand, was simply mentioned in passing like they were a relatively minor vendor in the overall scheme of things and not a particularly important one at that. It felt like, somehow, Apple had pulled Intel all the way into their camp. That is an incredibly amazing thing to see happen. I'm still a little dazzled."

Obviously, the fact that Intel wants to have some leverage on Microsoft for future negotiations has nothing to do with this, just like Microsoft will not use AMD as leverage to deal with Intel.

Once Intel realizes that Apple won't be more than 15% of the computer market market at any given time, they will start singing praises to Microsoft again.

Microsoft in reality is in the driver's seat on this. Worse case scenario, their operating system will be installed on macs through boot camp and they will have additional customers who may use Mac for design and music creation and Windows for gaming and some office capabilities.

Tyrdium

09-27-2006, 11:33 PM

Uh. You realize Enderle is very much a Microsoft and SCO shill, yes? He has no technical background and doesn't particularly know what he's talking about. He is not well regarded. For more info, click (http://enderle.iwethey.org/).

I highly doubt Intel or AMD care much about Microsoft. Microsoft sells software, not hardware. Apple, on the other hand, does sell hardware. 4-5% of the market may be small, but it's not at all insignificant.

soundchazer

09-27-2006, 11:41 PM

I'm not so sure intel doesn't care about them. They were probably not too thrilled with the idea of losing the Xbox market to the power PC chips, and they must feel threatened at the posibility of microsoft pulling an apple and making a version of windows for a different hardware platform (unlikely? Sure. Possible? you bet).

Ojisan

09-27-2006, 11:47 PM

My main point was the switch to the mainstream x86 system is going to open up A LOT of people to OS X. Microsoft being a player or not, the switch to Intel has a huge part in "Macs taking over the world", if anything as a more competitive OEM to Dell and whoever. Dual-booting Windows and OS X in a pretty Mac box > having two computers. Huge Intel backing can't hurt.