Macs…Are they Invulnerable?

“I’M A MAC!  I DON’T HAVE PROBLEMS, VIRUSES, OR HARDWARE CRASHES LIKE PC’S DO!!”  Would someone like to tell me who the hell made Justin Long the spokesperson for Mac?  It’s a rhetorical question and I didn’t expect you to say “Steve Jobs did!” I understand what Jobs is doing by putting a celebrity as the new face of Apple, he’s quite the businessman.  If he wasn’t, then I don’t think Apple would have asked him to come back and run the company after they fired him in the 80s. Back to Long, the concern I have is, why him? Why a comedian? Aside from some of his extremely funny movies, what else has the guy done?  Let me rephrase that.  What else has he done to prove that he is savvy enough to comment on whether or not a Mac is better than a PC besides read from a script? I understand what it means when Michael Jordan was promoting a new line of Air Jordans in his playing days.  That is a basketball player promoting a baskeball shoe.  That makes total sense to me, but a comedian qualified to endorse a computer?

Now that I’ve gotten that little tantrum out of the way, I can focus on my opinion for all of you readers out there.   For those of you who read one of my previous articles “Is Vista Really All That Bad?” you will know why I’ve written this follow up article in reference to some of the comments I made about Macs and some of the problems that can occur with them.  My goal here is to pierce the veil of delusion that all of you die hard Mac fans have been shrouded in. 

This is not a history lesson discussing the company. What I will tell you that in the 80s and 90s there were two main computer giants, IBM and Apple.  When a consumer purchased software, they always had to read the box and see if it was Apple or IBM Compatible.  These two platforms were not interchangeable, which means what worked for one would not work for the other.  Presently, Big Blue (IBM) has somewhat disappeared from the consumer market and have been focusing on the corporate/enterprise side of things.   Apple however, remained in both markets and with a little help from an unexpected friend (Bill Gates)*, they were able stay afloat and become the powerhouse they are today (the stock price is over $180 as of the day this article was written).

Don’t get me wrong, I love some of Apple’s products.  I currently own a Macbook, two iPods, and an Apple Airport Wireless-N router with a built in 1.0Gbps Ethernet port and USB print server.  I have over 4,000 songs in my iTunes library as well as many digital copies of movies.  The fact that I can print from anywhere in my house wirelessly is also a huge bonus.  I just need to explain something to all of you about Macs just so you all are not caught with your pants down when you get your first virus. 

Before Apple allowed Intel and Microsoft to be a part of their computer design process, they used a type of hardware infrastructure with firmware/software that was impervious to viruses.  The G series processors were either too complicated to crack or weren’t cared enough about for viruses to be written specifically to infect them.  That is why Macs never needed any type of antivirus/anti-spyware software.  Present day, Macs use an Intel Processor.  As we all know, Intel processors are typically used to power PCs that have a Windows operating system (OS).  Everyone knows that Windows is susceptible to viruses because everyone has had one at some point in their lifetime of using computers.  When Mac adopted Intel, they have left themselves wide open for malicious software.  Before all of you die hard Mac enthusiasts scoff at me and say “Doesn’t matter, still won’t get infected! It’s a Mac!” I think you should know that if Apple was so confident that their machines couldn’t get viruses, why are they allowing vendors to release security programs for their operating systems? Norton, Intego, and several other manufacturers are releasing anti-virus/anti-spyware programs geared specifically towards Mac computers.  Apple has actually made it worse for themselves by sponsoring programs like Parallels and BootCamp that allow Windows enthusiasts to load Windows XP/Vista/7 on their Mac and use it just like they would any normal PC.  This software even allows “sharing” of programs and files between the OS’s.  As a matter of fact, Intego actually released a dual-protection anti-virus/spyware program geared towards the Parallels users to protect both operating systems.  Oh, and those of you computer geeks who will also smirk at me and say “You can’t infect a virtual machine (VM) on Parallels”  I have more news that will tick you off…there are programs out there that specifically attack VMs.  Are you in denial? Ever hear of the “Red Pill” or “Scooby Doo” attacks? They are attacks specifically designed to attack a virtual machine and reveal and infect the host OS.

Listen.  I have nothing personal against Apple Computer Corp. The graphics capabilities of Macs are un-beatable in my opinion. I just want all of you to take your proverbial heads out of the sand.  Technology has problems…it’s almost as certain as death and taxes.  If technology wasn’t made to break, then why are there so many repair shops out there?

*In 1997 Microsoft and Apple formed a partnership where Bill Gates and MS conditionally invested $150 million into Apple. 

“If we want to move forward and see Apple healthy and prospering again, we have to let go of a few things here. We have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose. We have to embrace a notion that for Apple to win, Apple has to do a really good job. And if others are going to help us that’s great, because we need all the help we can get, and if we screw up and we don’t do a good job, it’s not somebody else’s fault, it’s our fault. So I think that is a very important perspective. If we want Microsoft Office on the Mac, we better treat the company that puts it out with a little bit of gratitude; we like their software. So, the era of setting this up as a competition between Apple and Microsoft is over as far as I’m concerned. This is about getting Apple healthy, this is about Apple being able to make incredibly great contributions to the industry and to get healthy and prosper again.”__Steve Jobs

Focus: Microsoft OS Products, Computer Hardware
Credentials: MCP, A+, Network+, DCSE
MBA from Point Park University
BS from La Roche College