Last minute OS X question before I buy a Mac. :)
So I'm getting an iMac tomorrow, and I'd like to ask a couple of last minute questions about Apple's OS.
How is OS X more secure and more advanced than Windows 7? Do I really not need any anti-virus or anti-malware programs for "just in case" situations? What does the fact that OS X is based on a UNIX foundation mean for me? Does the OS do a lot of sandboxing to thwart yet other threats?
With Snow Leopard's going (almost) all 64-bit, is this really going to benefit me more so than Windows 7's 64-bit efforts? For example, Internet Explorer is available in 64-bit but there are virtually no 64-bit plug-ins, so it's fairly useless. Do you guys run almost all 64-bit applications, or is there a similar 32-bit on 64-bit layer as there is on Windows because of that platform's many applications that still run only in 32-bit.
Finally, what's a good source to find some more in-depth sophisticated How-To videos, such as the ones on Apple's site, which are just too basic.
That's all I can think of right now. Thanks so much! I appreciate it. I can't wait to get it.
How is OS X more secure and more advanced than Windows 7? Do I really not need any anti-virus or anti-malware programs for "just in case" situations? What does the fact that OS X is based on a UNIX foundation mean for me? Does the OS do a lot of sandboxing to thwart yet other threats?
With Snow Leopard's going (almost) all 64-bit, is this really going to benefit me more so than Windows 7's 64-bit efforts? For example, Internet Explorer is available in 64-bit but there are virtually no 64-bit plug-ins, so it's fairly useless. Do you guys run almost all 64-bit applications, or is there a similar 32-bit on 64-bit layer as there is on Windows because of that platform's many applications that still run only in 32-bit.
Finally, what's a good source to find some more in-depth sophisticated How-To videos, such as the ones on Apple's site, which are just too basic.
That's all I can think of right now. Thanks so much! I appreciate it. I can't wait to get it.
Comments
So I'm getting an iMac tomorrow.
Cool. Which model? I'd avoid the base model if you have any interest in playing games.
How is OS X more secure and more advanced than Windows 7? Do I really not need any anti-virus or anti-malware programs for "just in case" situations? What does the fact that OS X is based on a UNIX foundation mean for me? Does the OS do a lot of sandboxing to thwart yet other threats?
I have been using Mac OS X since one of the public betas (9-10 years now) and I have never had any problems with viruses. I have never run any software to prevent such things. I am not a hacker, so I do not know which system is more exploitable but both Windows and Mac OS X have their share of security holes which are periodically patched. Mac OS X is generally considered "safer", but there is some debate as to whether Mac OS X is safer due to better security or simply due to smaller market share resulting in less effort being made to crack it. Regardless, there has never been a virus for Mac OS X out in the wild.
Malware is another story. Anybody could write a program that deletes large portions of your hard drive, name it "mac photoshop installer" and put it on a torrent. If a user downloaded that installer, ran it, and put in their password, it would delete their drive. The point here is that you can still destroy your own computer and clever people can trick gullible people into doing so regardless of operating system and security software.
Assuming you won't do anything ridiculous and you keep your software up-to-date, you will be fine.
With Snow Leopard's going (almost) all 64-bit, is this really going to benefit me more so than Windows 7's 64-bit efforts?
It will depend on what you use your computer for, but I don't expect it to matter much for any consumer-level uses.
Finally, what's a good source to find some more in-depth sophisticated How-To videos, such as the ones on Apple's site, which are just too basic.
I'd suggest just diving in and using it. Just be sure to set aside what you know about Windows as a lot of subtle things will be different and trying to use the Mac as if it is running Windows is sure to cause frustration.
Then, if you have any specific questions, find a nice forum and ask.
Don't worry about virus protection. You don't need it, unless you steal software, in which case nothing can protect you.