Apple makes Macs run Windows XP

Randall Ainsworth wrote:

In article , G.T.
wrote:



Sounds like you're confusing hardware with software. If I buy an Intel Mac
and only run Windows on it does that make me a Mac user or a Windows user or
both?



It makes you a loser.


Naww..it makes you ripe for conversion to Free and Open Source Software.

Bill, see the one-two punch?:... or ever played Risk with "Friends"?

"G.T." wrote in message
...

"C J Southern" wrote in message
...

"William Davis" wrote in message
...

Well, the primary point seems to be that in a year or so, Macs will be
able to run virtually ANY software. While Windows users will still
only
be able to run Windows Apps.

Having said that, why would I want to run anything other than WinXP on
my
computers when it continues to perform flawlessly?


Count your blessings and be happy, you're one of the very few.

"Blessings" have nothing to do with it. I simply run it on certified
hardware (as recommended by Microsoft), keep updates up to date, and stay
away from sex (and other malicious) sites.

And I have several hundred of my clients with PCs I've supplied and setup
the same way - they don't have any issues either.

"Tom" wrote in message
...

Hi Rita, who said:

My XP box stays on 24/7/365 without a hiccup.

I can answer for my machines ...

Yes, Great! And, interested to know if it has:

a direct connection to the net,
is behind a hardware firewall (or at least a NAT router),

Are all connected to the net via a NAT & firewalled router.

is running a software firewall other then the built in one,
No.

is used for email (with any form of outlook)
Every last one of them.

and, could you guess how many security patches you load per month?
None - the PC loads and installs them itself - and has done for many years.

"Randall Ainsworth" wrote in message
...
In article , Rita Ä Berkowitz
@aol.com wrote:

This great news has brought Apple's stock up 10% today! Finally, Apple
has
seen the light and is coming over to the Intel/Windows camp.

As for XP, I never thought there was another OS out there since it's the
most secure and stable OS known to mankind. My XP box stays on 24/7/365
without a hiccup.

Sure, if all you do is let it sit there and run. Try to do something
with it and watch it crap out.

No, for many years that would be the Macs. We've had stable business
platforms since around 1995 when Windows NT 4.0 was released. - remember
those days - when you had to reboot a Mac at least once a day?

"Randall Ainsworth" wrote in message
...
In article , C J Southern
wrote:

Having said that, why would I want to run anything other than WinXP on
my
computers when it continues to perform flawlessly?

Because XP sucks donkey dick?

I rest my case.

So, I run an old Mac, a win 95 box (never quits, also the print server),
and two win2k boxes, and sometimes (increasing) Linux. I use a
NAT/Router, and ZoneAlarm software firewall, AVG, and never patch the OS
- why add new bugs on to the old ones...pretty soon some app or driver
won't work.


I use Mozilla or Firefox for browsing with safety settings, and Mozilla
will pretend to be IE for picky sites. I use Thunderbird for email and
turn off auto-loading of pictures and turn off Java script for email.

So, my browser and my email clients are not risk-vectors.

The most critical flaw for Win2k SP2 and XP (and anything newer) is the
EULA. Microsoft grants itself permission to interact with YOUR
computer, including disabling other software on YOUR machine.

The second most critical flaw is the software's built in capabilities.
Their software firewall can be programmatically turned off!
Full socket support is a DDoD risk.
"Features" in IE are proven highly risky, even without bugs.
Default settings turn on way too many services,
The default user has full permissions.

The typical time for an unconfigured/patched box hooked directly to the
net is something like 15 minutes. So, how does the new user get their
patches?
(Google for: unprotected windows internet minutes )

This is unacceptable.

I could really see triple booting a Mac laptop:
OSX for most of the time
WinWhatEverIsTheOldest that will work, for the one app I have to have
(of the month/client), and turn off all net access.
And Linux as I move more and more operations to Open Source.

Tom



C J Southern wrote:

"Tom" wrote in message
...



Hi Rita, who said:





My XP box stays on 24/7/365 without a hiccup.



I can answer for my machines ...



Yes, Great! And, interested to know if it has:





a direct connection to the net,
is behind a hardware firewall (or at least a NAT router),



Are all connected to the net via a NAT & firewalled router.



is running a software firewall other then the built in one,


No.



is used for email (with any form of outlook)


Every last one of them.



and, could you guess how many security patches you load per month?


None - the PC loads and installs them itself - and has done for many years.

C J Southern wrote:
"G.T." wrote in message
...

"C J Southern" wrote in message
...

"William Davis" wrote in message
...


Well, the primary point seems to be that in a year or so, Macs will be
able to run virtually ANY software. While Windows users will still

only

be able to run Windows Apps.

Having said that, why would I want to run anything other than WinXP on

my

computers when it continues to perform flawlessly?


Count your blessings and be happy, you're one of the very few.


"Blessings" have nothing to do with it. I simply run it on certified
hardware (as recommended by Microsoft), keep updates up to date, and stay
away from sex (and other malicious) sites.

And I have several hundred of my clients with PCs I've supplied and setup
the same way - they don't have any issues either.


Like I said, count your blessings. We have 12 full time deskside techs
for 600 PC users backed by a team of 6 deskside engineers at HQ backed
by a team of dedicated TAMS at Microsoft and Dell. And we have only one
full time deskside tech for 80 Mac users, and he ends up helping with
the PCs, and we have no deskside engineers at HQ for Macs, and no
special deals with Apple.

You're very lucky, or your users aren't networked and don't run anything
other than Notepad.

Greg

--
"All my time I spent in heaven
Revelries of dance and wine
Waking to the sound of laughter
Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons

"G.T." wrote in message
...

You're very lucky, or your users aren't networked and don't run anything
other than Notepad.

What a load of ********. Every last one of them is networked and every last
one of them is left on 24/7 and used for a variety of tasks (including eMail
/ wordprocessing / spreaksheet / dos programs / proprietary software, and
more) from 8am to 5pm

"Rita Ä Berkowitz" ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote in message
...
C J Southern wrote:

"Blessings" have nothing to do with it. I simply run it on certified
hardware (as recommended by Microsoft), keep updates up to date, and
stay away from sex (and other malicious) sites.

BINGO!!! We have a winner! That's why picking the *PROPER* hardware and
paying a small premium upfront is key for any OS to run properly and
reliably. The people that use Supermicro and Intel based systems are
immune
to the majority of these problems we hear whined about.

And I have several hundred of my clients with PCs I've supplied and
setup the same way - they don't have any issues either.

Again, the key here is you know what you are doing and have each system
configured properly to avoid these perceived pitfalls that the clueless
worry so much about.

Couldn't agree more - what's so hard to understand about "if you run ANY
software on flaky / non-compliant hardware then it's going to be unstable?"

"Tom" wrote in message
...
So, I run an old Mac, a win 95 box (never quits, also the print server),
and two win2k boxes, and sometimes (increasing) Linux. I use a
NAT/Router, and ZoneAlarm software firewall, AVG, and never patch the OS
- why add new bugs on to the old ones...pretty soon some app or driver
won't work.


I use Mozilla or Firefox for browsing with safety settings, and Mozilla
will pretend to be IE for picky sites. I use Thunderbird for email and
turn off auto-loading of pictures and turn off Java script for email.

So, my browser and my email clients are not risk-vectors.

The most critical flaw for Win2k SP2 and XP (and anything newer) is the
EULA. Microsoft grants itself permission to interact with YOUR
computer, including disabling other software on YOUR machine.

The second most critical flaw is the software's built in capabilities.
Their software firewall can be programmatically turned off!
Full socket support is a DDoD risk.
"Features" in IE are proven highly risky, even without bugs.
Default settings turn on way too many services,
The default user has full permissions.

The typical time for an unconfigured/patched box hooked directly to the
net is something like 15 minutes. So, how does the new user get their
patches?
(Google for: unprotected windows internet minutes )

This is unacceptable.

I could really see triple booting a Mac laptop:
OSX for most of the time
WinWhatEverIsTheOldest that will work, for the one app I have to have
(of the month/client), and turn off all net access.
And Linux as I move more and more operations to Open Source.

Tom

I just wish I had a dollar for every piece misleading / alarmist /
end-of-the-world dribble that people write. With all these "dangers" and
"security holes", why is it that neither myself or any of my customers are
being affected by them? Never. It just doesn't happen. The worst it's ever
been is on the odd occasion someone opens an infected attachment.

Personally I think in the vast majority of cases it's scaremongering drummed
up by IT theorists to boost their egos and in many cases sell more copy.