A few questions for the Mac Users

[WhiteyMacD]

1. Do you run any form of an anti-spy/spam/virus/malware software, if so which one? Yes I know there are no known major virus for OS X currently.

2. For those of you that run windows on your Mac how do you do it? Boot camp, parallels, VMware, other? I am looking at running windows 7 ultimate x64.

3. Have you ever done a boot camp install and then used one of the virtulization programs to load the install?

Thanks for all the relative input.

I am really trying not to be anto-mac, so take my questions serious.

Why Mac? Why virtualizing windows?

Again, I am not being sarcastic or asking sarcastic rhetorical questions. I would like to know the reason for both as there is likely better options out there depending on the answer.

 

[Neil]

If you believe you need anti-malware on your Mac, then you are right.

 

[1shot(bob)]

To each his own, but I've been using Macs exclusively in both a professional and personal means since 1996 and have NEVER seen or heard of an actual worm, trojan, or piece of malware that affected any of them. I've heard reports of them, especially from PC techs that are only looking for ammo to use against Macs in general, but they are always incorrect or exaggerated claims. I have supported many Mac users (and still do at times) and have never seen any sort of malware on any machine I have supported. Ever. Anecdotal, I know, so feel free to ignore that if you want.
The threat of 'eventually there will be some for Macs' doesn't bother me. When it finally happens then I'll start running AV software. Until then, they are just bad news for Macs and completely unnecessary.
If you put Norton on your Mac be prepared to start seeing slower performance and more problems. I've removed or had it removed from several client machines and the majority of their problems went away. It's well known in my career field that Norton is NOT made for Macs.

Call me stupid if you want, but 14 years of experience says otherwise.

BTW, I never let anything made by MS be put on my computer. I always use a Mac alternative or choose not to open it if there is no alternative.

 

[1shot(bob)]

I am really trying not to be anto-mac, so take my questions serious.

Why Mac? Why virtualizing windows?

Again, I am not being sarcastic or asking sarcastic rhetorical questions. I would like to know the reason for both as there is likely better options out there depending on the answer.

I've never understood this either Whitey. If you need a 'windows-only' program then get a windows machine. If you don't 'need' it then why screw up your mac by emulating a windows architecture?
You've got the better machine. Use it like a better machine and don't 'dumb it down'.

Why Mac? Because I'd rather spend my computer time working than trying to get my computer to do what it's supposed to do.
In the end it's just a tool though. Use whichever one is better for you.

 

[Jschatz]

As for your third question, I'm not sure I understand the question, so I can't accurately answer.

Barike,

Look to the post above yours. It is explained. Basically you do the install using boot camp and then you can have the option of booting windows upon restart or if you need something while inside os x you can boot the partition from the virtual machine.

I am really trying not to be anto-mac, so take my questions serious.

Why Mac? Why virtualizing windows?

Again, I am not being sarcastic or asking sarcastic rhetorical questions. I would like to know the reason for both as there is likely better options out there depending on the answer.

WhiteyMacD,

Why Mac?
First a little information about myself and my computer uses. I am still a college student, getting a masters, but do work in my industry part time. The company I work for provides a windows box for me to work on in the office and if i need to work from home they have windows boxes I may checkout. For what I do a windows box is required. I am a 3D printer technician and an Engineering Intern. We use the design software SolidWorks and the processing software Catalyst, both windows only softwares. So when I come home at night 95% of the time it doesnt matter what os I use. My wife has a macbook, I have a slimeline that I uses as a media computer that has vista on it, I have a netbook with w7 for when I am going places and I have an almost dead laptop that has xp and ubuntu on it. I decided to get a iMac for a couple of reasons. I like the ergos of the machine/ the overall design. I like the appearance and styling of os x. It is a joint computer for my wife and I and she now is in love with os x and doesnt think she will buy another computer brand/os again. I have a perpetual license for office 2008 mac from when I got my undergrad at OSU but have never had a use for. An iMac seemed like a good fit for a long lasting computer that I would not have to upgrade physically. So I bought one.

Why virtualizing windows?
I havent decided whether I am going to virtualize it or run it natively yet but I will answer the why windows question.

1. I have an unused legal w7 x64 ultimate copy and my iMac is the only 64bit machine I own, so I figure why not.
2. One of my classes I am currently in has the ability to use different software packages outside of excel and additional addins for excel. LINGO is a windows or linux software only. The TreePlan addin does have a mac version but it is only for office 2004 or office 2011. I can move my copy of office 2007 and use TreePlan that way.

Currently these are the only things I need to run in windows. I could buy a copy of office 2011 but why when i have a free copy of 2008. but that still leaves me in the dark for lingo, unless I install a linux os, which is free but so is windows.

There are always going to be minor applications that are available for windows but not os x or linux. Currently my favorite multi chat client, Digsby, is windows only. I have found a sudo replacement for os x, Adium, but it still doesnt not include the email and social networking capabilities of Digsby.

In conclusion I dont have to run a copy of windows on my iMac, I was just going to because I can.

I am sorry for the long response but I was trying to answer your question in its entirety.

Ray,

ps. posted from my iMac navigated by a Magic Trackpad, these things are awesome.

 

[poopgiggle]

Call me stupid if you want, but 14 years of experience says otherwise.

Appealing to your own authority isn't a great argument.

Also, if there's one field where saying "it's been like this for x years," isn't really meaningful it's this one.

 

[1shot(bob)]

Appealing to your own authority isn't a great argument.

Which is why I said:
To each his own, but I've been using Macs . . . .
and:
Anecdotal, I know, so feel free to ignore that if you want.

Also, if there's one field where saying "it's been like this for x years," isn't really meaningful it's this one.

If we can't use anecdotal evidence, or historical and statistical data, what else is there?

 

[poopgiggle]

If we can't use anecdotal evidence, or historical and statistical data, what else is there?

No you can use these. I'm saying that the argument, "it has been this way for a long time and therefore it will stay that way for a significant amount longer," doesn't generally hold in anything computer-related unless you get into the more math-y stuff or if you say something very general like "the computer field has been rapidly changing since John von Neumann so it's safe to assume that it still will for quite some time."

 

[1shot(bob)]

I stated my experience (anecdotal), then gave historical data. I could give statistical data if need be.
I never said it would stay this way for a long time. I don't pretend to know the future, but I do base my present on historical information.

 

[poopgiggle]

I don't pretend to know the future, but I do base my present on historical information.

Right but the analysis could be more nuanced.

Mac has been "secure" for some time, but increasing marketshare means that attackers will have more to gain by targeting it and so the likelihood of a dangerous virus rises. This risk is compounded by the blind faith that Mac users seem to have in their security; that false sense of security is useful for a malicious person. Combine that with technical flaws in Mac OS, especially the Safari browser, and it's a ticking time bomb. (E: Safari isn't really part of Mac OS but I'm using "Mac OS" to mean "software that comes with your Mac." Mac OS itself left something to be desired w/r/t security last I checked too)

Big sites like Gawker have had their users' information compromised; is it so hard to believe that someone could break in and tweak a big website to trigger a client-side vulnerability in Safari and install something nasty? Not to me.

Running AV software on Mac isn't a pain at all; it's not even a pain for me, and I get a ton of false positives because of tools I use for work. The cost is low enough that there's no reason not to get the benefit.