<p>Question is, is it true that virus protection is self contained and you do not have to install antivirus software?
Giving some minor thoughts about purchasing one.
Thank you.</p>
<p>It seems to be true… but there are always reports that things are changing. I have one, my D has one, and I work at a school where all the faculty have been given them (long-term loaners). I was a Windows person for a long time, and it took me a while to switch my brain, but now that I have (it’s been over a year now), I really like it. It is definitely different from a Windows system, but no big deal. Installing programs is very easy, and it is true that you don’t have to do stuff like anti-virus, anti-spyware, scan the disk, defragment the drive. I wouldn’t get too complacent, though, because the news media have articles from time to time saying that Mac viruses do exist and are possible.</p>
<p>So then, if it gets a virus, you mail it to the ‘Great Apple Cave’ on the West Coast and the wizards work on it?</p>
<p>It’s true. I have a Mac and don’t have any anti-virus software or the like installed.</p>
<p>But that’s not to say there aren’t viruses out there for Macs. People seem to have the misconception that Macs are 100% virus-resistant. They’re resistant to Windows-based viruses, but there are some viruses that people have made towards Macs. The population of Mac users worldwide is tiny compared to the number of Windows users, so most hackers and virus-makers don’t even bother scheming up a virus to attack Mac users.</p>
<p>I have had Macs for 20 years & I do have Norton antivirus installed because I often use free wireless at coffee shops and school & while I haven’t had any problems with worms or viruses, I can pass them along to windows owners without even knowing I have been exposed.</p>
<p>Switched to Mac about a year ago because my 2 Ds recommended it. I have no virus software, and have finally adjusted to the differences.</p>
<p>I have a question about MacBooks that some of you may be able to answer. Have any of you used the feature where you can create your own book with your own personal photos? My niece has created three or four from pictures she’s taken on vacations, special occasions, etc. They are awesome.</p>
<p>One of my daughters has a MacBook, and is going somewhere fun for spring break with a couple of college friends (and one’s parents), and I was thinking for her birthday of getting her either a gift certificate or whatever to pay for her book. She’s already said she’s going to make a book when she returns, so I thought it’d make a nice birthday present (actually the trip is the real birthday present, but I always like to send something in the mail for them to unwrap).</p>
<p>I don’t think that feature would be unique to macbooks- wouldn’t it just be an application?</p>
<p>There is [iphoto](<a href=“Photos - Official Apple Support”>Mac - Apple)</p>
<p>but if you have a digital camera, its possible that the software for it would allow you to do something similar.</p>
<p>I’ve used Macs exclusively since getting my first computer in 1989. I’ve never dealt with anti-virus software and never had a virus. Meanwhile, H and S have used PCs exclusively here at home and H is always having to update the virus protection and has even had to do some major troubleshooting due to viruses gone wild. I’ll pay a little more for the Mac and just leave the virus-diagnosis for people who understand such things.</p>
<p>I just purchased a new MacBook two weeks ago and it is faster than ever. The screen’s picture is crystal clear and the colors pop out like mad. One cool feature that comes bundled with it, that 17-year-old D loves, is called PhotoBooth. There’s an iSight camera embedded above the screen, and PhotoBooth lets you do special effects with the photos you take, effects like sepia, thermal, etc… Plus, she will go to college next year with a MacBook and we plan to video chat online using iChat (as long as I don’t see the state of her dorm room, I’ll be happy).</p>
<p>Here’s a link to iChat and PhotoBooth features: <a href=“http://www.apple.com/imac/technology/isight.html[/url]”>http://www.apple.com/imac/technology/isight.html</a></p>
<p>I just purchased a Macbook in November. My first time using a Mac, I’m still adjusting. I loved it at first, but now I find that it is not perfect, and just like windows there are things about this computer that irritate me - it’s just different things than windows.</p>
<p>I do not have anti-virus, the salesman at the Apple store told me that the unique way Apple designs its software means you don’t need anti-virus, there are protections built in. He tried to explain to me that it’s like an upside down tree, with the roots at the top, and there are so many built-in layers that need “permissions”… I just smiled and nodded.</p>
<p>Macbooks come with IPhoto, which allows you to do all kinds of neat projects. Then you link with up with Apple online to print them. I don’t think you can get a gift certificate for it; you could just tell your daughter you’ll give her x dollars toward making a book, or tell her to do the book and you’ll pay for it.
<a href=“Mac - Apple”>Mac - Apple; is the website, you can look at options and prices there so you’ll have some idea what a picture book would cost.</p>
<p>Lafalum84, THANKS so much for the link; that’s exactly the information I was looking for! I had spent about 30 minute on the apple web site last week, but didn’t know what this feature was called, nor any idea how much it cost. Such a cool idea. It’s the hardcover books that my niece has made, one of her wedding (small, private), her niece’s first birthday, and her trip to Chile last fall.</p>
<p>I made a Mac book for my daughter for graduation last year – it was very easy and turned out great! It’s all done right in iphoto, then you upload it to the Apple site.</p>
<p>Thanks for all this chatter. It’s very informative. Yes, the Photo Booth is really interesting and fun. And you 're absolutely right Momof2inca (Gosh, you gotta get an icon for that handle!) the hus. is alway dealing with something on the family desktop PC. You are so right, this is such a better option for us non techie types. </p>
<p>So what are the ‘annoying features’? </p>
<p>My husband says if I go ‘to the other side’ he won’t help me with it when disasters strike. What kind of disaster can happen?</p>
<p>Also, Emerald was it difficult to install the antivirus program? And is that true, you could pass on a virus to a pc?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’ve always used Apple/Macs and would never use anything else.</p>
<p>If you buy one, though, I STRONGLY encourage you to purchase the 3 year AppleCare Plan. You’ll need it. Here are the problems I’ve had with my MACs over the years:</p>
<p>(1) The backlight just stops working-- when that happens, the whole screen has to be replaced. That’s expensive, so get the AppleCare plan.</p>
<p>(2) My hard drive in my 2 year old MacBook crashed for no good reason. I had to have it replaced. That’s expensive, so get the AppleCare plan.</p>
<p>(3) The energy supply cords have improved greatly from what they were initially, but in the last 4 years, I’ve replaced 3, including one for my 2 year old MacBook. They’re about $80 apiece, so get the AppleCare plan.</p>
<p>(4) Whatever you do, don’t install Leopard. Go with Tiger. Leopard still has some serious problems. Why Apple released updates without ensuring they had removed all bugs, is beyond me. Frankly, I don’t like to be used as a guinea pig (or a tester) for Apple, unless I’m being paid to do so. Not only does Leopard have problems, some of the printers (like Epson) don’t have fully functional drivers to support it; they promise they will by March 2008.</p>
<p>Those are all the potential problems I can think of right now. On the upside, I’ve never had a virus problem.</p>
<p>Oh, and don’t forget to purchase the 3 year AppleCare plan. :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yes, they’re not bad, though I think the color images turn out better than b&w.</p>
<p>I religiously maintain my computers. I use TechTool pro as well as a few other shareware programs to keep tabs on memory/temp etc.</p>
<p>It isn’t hard to install a program- I just downloaded it and double clicked.</p>
<p>If your memory is fragmented- that can eventually cause problems- good to do maintainance so little problems dont get big.</p>
<p>For OS I would use what ever the computer comes with, but I agree, it isn’t worth upgrading to Leopard for most people yet- there are still lots of features in Tiger I haven’t explored yet.</p>
<p>I would also suggest MacLife magazine it is a pretty userfriendly view of how to find your way around.</p>
<p>I am horribly computer unsavvy, but know enough to do my job , e-mail the kid, do Quicken, and shop at Sephora online-the basics. Contemplating switching from my Dell to the Apple side of life. So, for you computer literate folks a few questions: will I still be able to do my Quicken and Turbo-tax with the Apple system ( I know I will need to buy new software-but are the major titles available?) If I work on a Powerpoint presentation on my Apple at home, can I put it on one of those stick things and take it to my job which uses Windows, and have the Tech/Art folks make my presentation boards etc like before? Basically, can you hop around from Apple to Windows if you have one at home, and the other at work? Thanks ( I HATE Dell and Windows Vista and that blasted Norton Anti-virus mess!)</p>
<p>1) Yes, Quicken & Turbotax are available for the Mac.
2) Yes, you can run Apple’s Powerpoint presentation on Windows Powerpoint. Same for Word, Excel, Access.</p>
<p>As for the Mac-viruses question: there are so few viruses written for Macs, and they are so rare, that just the fact that somebody (who has worked for Apple and knows the innards of those computers intimately) <em>thinks</em> he has found a way to write a new virus for Macs is newsworthy. Compare that to the incalculable number of Windows viruses, and I think it speaks for itself.</p>
<p>aggiemom: I don’t know Mac software very well, but you can always use a Mac program called Boot Camp which allows you to boot your computer up using Windows instead of OS X. That way, you can use your Windows programs without fear of incompatibility (again, I’m not too clear on the specifics, but I would assume that using Windows compromises the security features of OS X, but you should be fine if you are using offline programs like Quicken). Alternatively, you could get a Mac program called Parallels which allows you to run the Windows OS inside of a program-window while the computer is mainly running on OS X.</p>
<p>However, you may not even need that, as I’m told Apple has a lot of (usually free) equivalents to Microsoft programs. For example, you can download a set called Open Office, which is essentially Microsoft Office with slightly altered formatting. The best way to find out whether Microsoft and Apple programs are compatible is to ask your IT guy at work or to Google something like “opening Powerpoint files on Macs/OS X.”</p>
<p>My Macbook came with Leopard. The free HP printer that came with it works fine as a Printer and a copier, but it won’t scan. I guess that’s one of the bugs with the Leopard drivers.</p>
<p>I got AppleCare, and it came in handy for a free 2 1/2 hour phone call when my .Mac email account got messed up. I also got the 1 to 1 tutoring, which I haven’t used yet, but I plan to go and learn how to use Time Machine, as well as how to use this darned .Mac thingy that I am paying for.</p>
<p>Does anyone have a Macbook Air? It looks very cool, with some innovative features.</p>