MacBook wait or Buy?

I didn't mention it before but I made the switch, XP to Tiger! with an iMac still on power PC though not intel. Tiger is amazing! if you are coming from a windows platform like I did a while back... just imagine not having to update antivirus software! not having antivirus software! you dont need it... hardly any crashes... and if something does crash every other app. that is open just runs smoothly. Also it is very easy to use in my opinion.

I'm also switching from XP to Tiger. I bought a PC last year, but relaized I wanted a Mac. So this Black MacBook is going to be my first Mac. And from playing around with Tiger in the stores a I love it. I love not having to update antivirus software, not scans for problems that slow my PC down. IT'S AWESOME!!!!!!

I switched about theww months ago to the silver MAC Pro. (OS X). I love it. You're right no need for virus software. The only thing I wish were different is the delete button which only works one way as opposed to Windows which works two ways. I am a happy convert though.

It will delete the other way if you hit the "fn" key too.

Thanks!! IO read most of the lit about it and must have overlooked that. Thanks very much
Jon

Well, to tell you the truth, I just saw this tip again recently. I seem to recall being aware of it years ago, but I never got into the habit of using it! I'm going to try to change that, but I'm an old dog...

They wouldn't bother if they didn't think it was a problem.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61798

Point is, don't think you're invulnerable. Anybody who tells you otherwise is preaching FUD

I heard somewhere that Apple held a conference with hackers. It was a challenge to see who could take over a mac via the operating system. They failed. They then allowed them to try to exploit other programs to get to the system. After hours and hours, ONE guy (out of, like, 30) managed to get in through SAFARI. But anyone who uses the internet and actually knows his computer backwards and forwards knows that OEM browsers rarely meet the demand for security and functionality anyway. Go Firefox!

I have no idea about the BS factor, but its from a reliable source that is always right about everything he knows. He even predicted, months ahead, that the Nintendo DS was going to be all over the PSP like a bad itch. Same goes for Wii/XB360 vs. PS3.

If that's the case, then why go to the trouble of releasing them?

A couple of years ago, it was practically unheard of for Apple to release security patches. Now this month, they released a bunch more. Why?

Apple has been releasing security patches ever since OS X came out. Isn't it better to correct shortcomings BEFORE they can be exploited? And, rather than a bunch, they've only had one security patch release this month. It came out on the 19th. Actually, they release one about every month. You can see the release dates here:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61798

I see you were looking at the same page I was. I'm still trying to figure out how you got a "bunch" of updates in the last month out of that. I see one security update and one firmware update for the new Airport Base Station.

Go to this link if you want to see that they've been doing them for years:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25631

There are actually about 60 released since 2005. But I'll let you count them to get an exact number. And yes, you're right there were only two for this month. It was March I was referring to. That's six in the last two months. A record for Apple.

And no, Apple shouldn't need security updates. It's an invulnerable system, at least according to some of you fanboys. I don't remember security patches made for OS9. Now why is that?

(chuckle)

There are actually about 60 released since 2005. But I'll let you count them to get an exact number. And yes, you're right there were only two for this month. It was March I was referring to. That's six in the last two months. A record for Apple.

And no, Apple shouldn't need security updates. It's an invulnerable system, at least according to some of you fanboys. I don't remember security patches made for OS9. Now why is that?

(chuckle)

-

So far, you are the only one calling OS X invulnerable. If you cannot remember any Security Patches for System 9, that can only be because of a faulty memory.

OS X is not invulnerable, but it is much less vulnerable than any Windows Operating System. There is a difference between a vulnerability and an exploit. MS appear to release SP's in response to exploits while the Apple releases them in response to found vulnerabilities.
I realize that sounds like a, as you would put it, fan boy statement but since the release of OS X there has not been one virus or exploit in the wild. Somebody, somewhere, must be doing something right.
At the CanSecWest competition last week, nobody was able to "own" either of the two Macbooks by the end of the first 24 hours. The organizers them lowered the bar which led to the discovery of an exploitable hole in Safari. Currently this is a vulnerability, it has never been exploited in the wild. Apple will fix it with a future Security Patch. Note also that this is not OS X, it is a program that runs on OS X.
Anyway you cut it, and for all your righteous indignation, OS X remains head and shoulders above any MS product when it comes to Security, a fact that its track record shows.

P

I wouldn't call you a "fanboy", mr.macfixit, but I think you know who and what I'm talking about.

Unless somebody discovered an exploit ahead of time, then why is it necessary to create security patches? To create one just for the sake of creating one? Or did an "event" occur and Apple reacted to it? It didn't just pop out of mid air.

I know on my MacBook, I still have to secure the WiFi just like I would any Microsoft product. And when I'm in Finder and I click on the Tiger menu bar and see what software updates are available, they have "security" written all over them. They don't have it in there unless there's a reason.

Don't know everything about the software I wrote. I rely on user feedback to know there is something wrong. I'm not a billions dollar mega count team of developers and have to deliver "working" in short order. In fact there's a fair comparison between my short order software and a short order cook.

-> Let me get to the point. There is a discussion about what it would take to write "perfect" software. I'll skip all the stuff in that discussion save the one thing that would matter to us all. "No one can afford it."

Bob

< I rely on user feedback to know there is something wrong.>

Thanks, Bob.

And that's exactly my point. Something HAD to have happened out there for this to occur. These warnings are man-made. They don't happen out of thin air.
_

This thread seems to be slowly degenerating into M$ vs Mac -- which, in the legal parlance -- is nolo contendr

there are people, organizations that do nothing other than try to find holes in other peoples software. Some are just real whizz kids (not age related) that take great pleasure in taking apart software to look for holes.
Usually, when they find one, they call Apple (in this case) and give them all the information regarding the hole. At this moment, the hole is just a vulnerability, a possible way in through the security wall. As details of the hole are not published by either party, it remains hidden and unused by the "bad guys"
Once a fix has been coded for the hole, an update to the program/service/whatever, is released and the patch applied without this particular hole ever being exploited. So there is not necessarily any "event" other than someone pointing out the problem. Apple encourages and acknowledges these people.
As Bob says, nobody can afford to employ enough people to sift through every inch of code to find any problems, but there are people who do it as a hobby!
BTW, Wifi security is equally important on any OS.
Perhaps if Apple stopped using the word "Security" and just called them Software Updates you would feel better.

That just about covers this subject for this post.

P

We had been waiting to buy (there is never a real rush with Apple products thanks to retail price maintenance, i.e no sales). Finally decided to pull the trigger last week on a White MacBook when we were offered a 14% corporate/bulk purchase discount on everything including the 3yr warranty. Amazing how much BETTER the lowend Mac is vs. my 7 year old Dell Latitude (which I felt was pretty good during its time). Everything JUST WORKS right out of the box1

Personally I would not wait for a software upgrade that may or may not be released in 6 months just to save $100 and change. You could be enjoying your Mac today and getting up to speed on the system features well before school starts. There will always be a reason to wait. Note- my advice would be different for a windows laptop as windows upgrades are notoriously problemati - but Mac OS upgrades are usually pain free. The current Macbook base model includes everything you need (former options like DVD burner are included) so it is hard to imagine that the next version will have some killer app or feature that you want/need