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View Full Version : Newbie asks: Virus protection?



sjcaguy
Dec 12, 2003, 11:29 AM
(cringe) Forgive me. I'm switching today from my PC laptop.

I'm embarassed even to ask this question:

Do I need virus protection on my new Mac?

What virus-protection software do you folks recommend?


jxyama
Dec 12, 2003, 11:37 AM
you don't really need any. if you are really worried, you can get one when you sign up for .Mac. i've had my PB since Feb. and haven't had any problems with any virus.

the only minor exception is that you should enable anti-macro virus in Office X because those work across the platform.
gwuMACaddict
Dec 12, 2003, 11:44 AM
nope

sit back and laugh when the news reports about 'worms', 'bugs', and 'viruses'

:D
Gymnut
Dec 12, 2003, 12:20 PM
One of the pleasures of owning a Macintosh...:D
poisonmonkey
Dec 12, 2003, 01:03 PM
If you want, you can get McAffee Virex or Norton Anti-Virus.
Giaguara
Dec 12, 2003, 01:06 PM
norton gives more problems normally than it resolves.

if you don't use M$ office, but e.g. www.openoffice.org (is free and does most of the stuff ms office does) or other editors, no worries for macros either. ... keeping your computer M$-free feels gooood...
spinner
Dec 12, 2003, 01:53 PM
I have had a Mac since 1990, and I have never had a virus. I haven't purchased antivirus software for probably 6 years or better.

Now I have 2 eMacs at my business and have been asked several times by customers "so, did that blaster virus take down your machines too?" I was happy to answer "no, of course not, they're Macs" :D
krimson
Dec 12, 2003, 02:26 PM
i've been infected once since getting my first Mac.. and that was an excel macrovirus or something.. dont remember, it was so long ago.
telecomm
Dec 12, 2003, 02:31 PM
Never had a problem with a virus and I don't use virus protection. I've worked for companies that use Macs exclusively, and they didn't run any virus protection either.

Better to spend you money on a good disk utility rather than anti-virus software.

Oh, and the macro virus "protection" in Word (which is enabled by default), only shows a popup window when you try to open a document that contains macros. Not really much in the way of protection, but you really don't have much to worry about.