How come there are no viruses/threats for Mac Computers?

[CalBoy]

Sigh, my apologies. Touchy annoying subject.

Apology accepted

There really isn't a nerdy vs. not nerdy thing to this whole thing...that shouldn't even matter right now. What should is how vendors like Apple deal with disclosures, and what end users do to prevent/lessen damage in addition. This shouldn't have anything really to do with windows vs. osx either, because the worst can happen to anyone on any OS.

Completely agree...I was just trying be a little light-hearted.

 

[janey]

Oh and as for hackers not being able to write Mac code. Macs use Java don't they..?

A lot more. Ruby, python, objc/c++, c, c++, php, tcl, applescript... javascript, html, you get the idea.

...only a complete idiot would say yes and type in his/her password to allow an unknown program to install...

I'm fairly sure I previously linked to an unsanity blog post about a shareware developer getting pissed off about piracy and therefore deleting home folders when pirated serials were used. One thing that has a disastrous effect on the system without (much) interaction or passwords.

Everyone is accustomed to typing in admin passwords to install many apps. There is nothing that says something can't be modified covertly and maliciously to do a lot more damage.

Imagine the simple act of adding a new account in adium deleting random files. Imagine the Adobe CS3 installer using your admin password, the one you needed to authenticate the installer to install some of the adobe components, to use it for..anything. Oh sudo, how horrible you can be sometimes. Imagine what you could do with launchd and sudo with an admin password alone. Not just launchd..pretty much...anything.