A Quick Question

[Noodles]

Hi

My friend has just bought a AppleMac laptop from Singapore, and

I am going to install spybot, adaware and zonealarm for him.

Maybe a stupid question, but are these programs compatible with

the Mac operating system?

Thanks

Noodles

[buadhai]

I doubt they are. And, since the Mac's are not so vulnerable to those sorts of exploits, such things are probably not necessary.

Been running Mac's for 20 years, including a web server with an exposed IP address and have never had a virus or any other successful mal-ware exploit.

(Fingers crossed)

The Mac OS does come with a built-in firewall that ought to be used if he's going to have a fixed or exposed IP address. And, there are a number of virus detection programs out there for Mac's.

I use Virex as it came free with a Dot Mac subscription.

[Abandon]

None of those programs are mac compatible. In fact very few Windows programs are. That's why Mac users feel so superior. As the above post said, Macs do not need the kind of protection that Windows does, because there are so few of them virus and ad-spammers do not target macs like they do with windows.

My advise is to steer well clear, because he will have a huge learning curve of things to learn with the mac - it is very unlike windows. If you get involved at the start he will keep calling asking questions.

My friend used to call me weekly to sort out his pc notebook problems, but when he got the mac, I was able to just keep clear, as I never used one. He sorts himself out one way or another. The few forays I did make to try and help him were a disaster, I couldn't even set up his dial up internet.

If he sticks with it though, Macs are user friendly and have good forum support sites he can use. They are still the best (though not the fastest with notebooks) for graphics and video editing.

By the way, if he uses TRUE internet and has the free modem, TRUE will tell him the modem will not work with the Mac. I haven't tried it, but understand that the free usb modem WILL work with the mac, but there is a particular setting that needs to be changed (the vpi value). PM me if you get this problem, and I'll try and find the references to it.

[buadhai]

My advise is to steer well clear, because he will have a huge learning curve of things to learn with the mac - it is very unlike windows. If you get involved at the start he will keep calling asking questions.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Huge learning curve? I don't think so. Sure, things are laid out a little differently, but the Mac interface is intuitive enough (in most cases) that people learn it right away. As I've mentioned before, my GF dumped her Sony VAIO for a Mac PowerBook and picked up on using it immediately with very little help from me.

As you went on to say:

Macs are user friendly and have good forum support sites

If you need any help assisting him, PM me and I'll give it a shot.

[Noodles]

Thanks for the info guys