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tattooeddragon · 06-03-2010, 12:31 AM

Don't listen to anyone that is a fanboy of any specific OS. I can direct you to 5 different guys I work with with a combined 75 years of IT experience and if you ask them what OS you should use you'll walk away with the answers of MS, Mac OSX, Open Solaris, Enterprise Linux and Slackware.

Instead of asking "What is the best OS", figure out what it is you want to do with the computer, and then find out which OS does that the best. I use MS for desktop application and Linux for computational. My personal thoughts on Apple products is that I prefer to pay for the OS and then choose what hardware to put it on instead of someone else forcing me into a hardware/software platform. I'm also an avid PC gamer, so there is that also.

I'm a personal fan of Symantec, but only if you leave off all that extra crap that comes with it. SEP (Symantec Endpoint Protection) is a good product. Comes with AV, Firewall, Anti-malware/spyware and Intrusion Protection and I don't see it taking up too many resources. Of course I schedule scans for when I am fast asleep.

JRLawrence · 06-03-2010, 02:15 PM

Dear Tatoo...

For you and I, we can choose what system we want to use, and where we want to use it. For the MS user, why should he have to constantly pay and pay and pay to get his system to work right. I really feel like a crook to make some poor guy pay me to fix his system, when I know that if he had a Mac he wouldn't have any problems at all. The one thing about Bill Gates we should remember, he has a lot of computer geeks in his corner because their income depends upon constant fixing MS problems. For the average user I still say: Get a Mac and cut out the expense of constantly calling a geek.

Been there, done that.

JR

tattooeddragon · 06-03-2010, 06:24 PM

I just don't see where the thought that someone has to pay and pay and pay comes from. If that statement is aimed at the fact that the majority of "nasty crap" out there is aimed at MS-based products, that is just due to the fact that MS holds the majority percentage of computers (home and office) in the world. While Apple has taken over the top spot on company earnings/worth from MS, that is mostly due to their multimedia projects. Even you can agree that is the iTunes/ITouch/iPhone/iPad line had never come out, Mac OS would still be languishing at 1 or 2% market share.

Now if everyone were follow your advice to "Get a Mac" and the numbers flipped, the majority of the "nasty crap" out there would be aimed at Apple. You and I both know that there is no way to completely safeguard your system if someone wants to get in, other than unplugging it and never turning it on.

Personally, I feel that teaching people what is safe and what is not safe is the best thing to do, because basic fundamental computer safety is not platform dependent. If you arm people with knowledge of what they are actually doing, you will find that there is no need "pay and pay and pay".

But that is the hard part. Some people are not good at explaining things to the average user (the Linux community in general is the best example of this) and some people will just never get it (my little sister is the best example of this).

But this is one of the oldest debates out there. A few hours younger than the chicken and the egg.

Mokoa · 06-03-2010, 07:41 PM

And that debate is not the topic of this thread.

Please stay on topic.

JRLawrence · 06-06-2010, 11:17 PM

Dear Tattoo,

I enjoy driving a car with either a stick shift or an automatic shift, doesn't matter to me. However, I know some guys and girls with a Ph.D. who can not, or will not, drive a car with a stick shift. A long time ago I used to be a decent car mechanic, but not now; there have been a lot of changes made. I could disassemble and fix a transmission from a car built in the 40's or 50's. I would not think about it now. But, then I don't have to know how to fix an automatic transmission to enjoy having one in the car for my wife. It's the same thing with the Mac, my wife doesn't need to know, or want to know how to fix it. She just wants to use it without a lot of problems.

Basic computer problems are platform dependent, if the platform is Microsoft. True, you can work around them. But my wife doesn't want to bother. I just gave her something to use, and forget. That is why the Mac was selling all of the computers they could make, during the years you cited.

Been there, done that goes back a long way with computers. That includes being on the net in 1977! That was a long time before the idiot Al Gore ever knew the net existed.

If you have half a brain, you now know who I was working for in 1977.

In 1979 I went to work for an international firm who had a few other goodies.

When MS came out; I bought Microsoft stock big time, and sold it about 20 years latter. I also bought Apple, and Intel early. I immediately saw the good things and the problems with MS, and the beauty of the marketing plan. Sell the idiot public a little stripped down system that has to be added to, and added to. Thus, the customer is hooked on a cheap system. Like a drug user, he has to have more, and more. Tie the system to an army of pushers (computer consultants and programers for the MS system) and you have a hooked group of users, and an army of idiots who are only interested in what they can make off of the system and the system dependent programs.

Mac is not the only good system, but it is an easy system for most people, that is cheap to use in the long run (except for the need for expanded programs, storage, and speed).

I use Microsoft, but I know the limits. I have 14 microsoft systems running 24/7; however, they are all one program only machines (not the same programs). MS is a cheap way to go for one program use only, in stand alone applications.

I do not allow the use of Microsoft Word on any machine, including the Mac's, except my own, and then the thing comes on when least expected. I more than don't like Microsoft Word, I hate it. I do not allow anyone else to use it at all, and I have fired two employees who did. To insure this, I translate all MS documents myself, and then pass them on to the individuals who need the documents.

I am not going to change the mind of a fool. Answering your letter is not to change you. Rather, it is to allow other readers to understand that your opinion is just that, it is your opinion and belief. Like any "true believer" you are not going to be changed by the facts because you manufacture your own with each entry you make.

Been there, done that!

JR

JRLawrence · 06-06-2010, 11:35 PM

Tattoo,

Which came first the chicken or the egg, was a question first set forth by Aristotle to promote the type of debate that lawyers use, the logic our courts even have named after Aristotle.

Today, the question is answered by biology. Biologist answer the question without reservation; the egg came first, and there is no discussion about it. It is a classic discussion in Biology to illustrate the problem of the masses who lack scientific training. Hint: try a little reading about the thoughts of Charles Darwin.

The problem with Aristotle was that he did not care to deal with facts, he was only concerned with the attempt to reason thing out without the facts. Aristotle was a fool on many levels and many subjects. A philosopher who knew little, and talked a lot. In the end the penalty for his behavior was death.

Good luck,

JR

tattooeddragon · 06-06-2010, 11:55 PM

I'd comment on your FUD JRLawrence, but that would be off-topic.

Anyway, MS Security Essentials is a good free security suite. If you prefer to purchase security software, Symantec or McAffee is good as each have their camp of followers. Just don't bother installing any of the "extra" crap that comes with it as it is not worth it.

Mokoa · 06-06-2010, 11:56 PM

The topic of this thread is...

Microsoft Anti-virus

If you wish to discuss or debate another topic, start another thread.

Guest070916 · 07-18-2010, 11:51 PM

MS Security Essentials is a good free security suite. Been using MSE on my new PC since last Nov with no problems. It runs lean and scans fast. Was using free Avast for years in the past till going with MSE. My older PCs still use Avast which IMHO is pretty good also.

That said my main OS is Linux which runs better than XP, Vista and Win7 and requires no AV and didn't cost a penny. Been using Linux for years and it's free along with all its associated software.

sky_wire · 07-19-2010, 05:15 AM

I've installed MS Security Essentials on my netbook. Seems to be working fine.

Leah Ireland · 07-21-2010, 01:05 PM

I came into this section because I wanted to ask about the aftermath problems I'm having after a severe issue with viruses.

I want to point out that Avast isn't free after a year, and when I got the virus I went to Office Depost and bought AVG. My laptop didn't even allow it access, I was still stuck.

Curiously the virus was intermittent and I managed to get in at one point and download the Microsoft free security system as previously mentioned. (A client had suggested it to me months previously, I didn't get round to it and paid the price.)

It seems to have cleared up most issues but I'm still stuck with the issue that I can't see various images and videos. I keep getting asked by my laptop to download Adobe Flash Player, after removing the previous version, and I do but then I still can't use Youtube etc.

Any ideas? If I don't hear something I'll post this as another topic, thanks.

Leah xxx

Krunkman · 07-21-2010, 02:16 PM

I run Eset on my work computer and it does a pretty good job. Low system overhead, updates usually at least twice a day. I run Norton on my home pc and McAfee on my laptop. I prefer to stay away from the purely free tools simply because I find that by paying for the features of the full versions I get a good value for my money. As for cost, well, if you watch the sales you can get norton or mcafee for free after rebate (and sometimes as a 3-user license too boot!), so cost really isn't an issue there.

I have not tried MS's new toolset, but since I've been burned before on some of their free tools, I have not stuck my hand back in that fire.

As far as the MS/Apple arguement... pick what you like. I personally like the ability to play around with my stuff, but I'm a gearhead. I go back to the Apple II/III/original Mac days. I did hate the fact taht I needed to buy a physical switch to do programming on my Mac 512... I've always liked the range of software you can get for PC, which is far broader than what comes in the Mac. Plus I'm a gamer, so I like to update my PC with new video cards, etc - something that Mac isn't so friendly with. I do, though, like the stability that comes with the Mac line.

Bottom line is figure out what you wanna do with your PC and go from there. Don't ask people.. .go experiment at the stores and find what YOU like best. Then make an informed decision not based on opinion or bias.

knowshisstuff · 08-02-2010, 01:35 AM

I would rate my computer tech support knowledge at 9.7 out of a possible 10. I'm being honest when I say that, not arrogant I promise. Having said that, MS Security Essentials is the bombdiggity. I have people fixing their desktops and laptops on average of 5 times a week (not my profession ironically enough). I always go with the following attack. I get the free copy of Malwarebytes (one of the best ALL time for removing undesireable programs). Make sure it's updated, run it once. Disable System Restore until the last step. Reboot in Safe Mode (hold F8 before the Windows logo appears), and run it again. Restart normally and download MS Security Essientials (must be a valid copy of windows to install). Viola!

The one time that didn't completely remove all viruses from a laptop I worked on, the laptop had a rootkit virus (very rare to find). You can PM on how I removed that.

So why have both? Malwarebytes picks up so many undesireable programs that all the major ones do not catch and cannot full repair. BUT unless you buy the full version it's not actively updating and scanning files or checking webpages. MSSE does a tremendous job of catching and cleaning trojans you pick up just visiting websites. I have tried all the big name ones, and most of the free ones. MSSE may not look as 'leet' as Norton or kill you with 10,000 configurable options, but it does an excellent job protecting your PC and doesn't hog your CPU like Norton and some of the others.