Meanwhile, in Windows World...

[BWhaler]

MEANWHILE, Microsoft also had a big announcement of their own today:

Unpatched flaw found in Microsoft software

By Ina Fried

Microsoft is investigating the report of a flaw that could open systems up to attack.

The vulnerability, which was not one of eight patched by Microsoft on Tuesday, is in the Jet database engine component, according to an advisory posted the same day by security company Secunia. It could enable an intruder to remotely execute malicious code on a vulnerable PC, Secunia said.

Secunia rated the problem "highly critical," noting that exploit code for the flaw had been shared on a public mailing list.

A Microsoft representative said on Tuesday that the company has not heard of any attacks on customers' systems using the unpatched security hole.

"We are aware of the exploit code that has been released," the Microsoft representative said, adding that the software maker would take appropriate action once it has completed its investigation of the problem.

Word of the problem comes on the same day Microsoft released fixes for eight other flaws, several of them critical, and some of them revealed publicly for the first time in its monthly security bulletin.

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I know I am going to be an AppleFanBoy® when I say this, but I just don't get why the masses don't make the switch.

Companies, I get, it's about cheap.

But why would someone risk their personal files and deny themselves all the fun technology can provide.

 

[sorryiwasdreami]

It's a great day to be a mac user!

 

[tangerineyum]

It's a great day to be a mac user!

Every day is a great day to be a mac user.

 

[vouder17]

Wow and i thought that today was a good day..now i hear this....Apple did u know about this???? Coincidence i think not..hehe

 

[Daveway]

I can't believe MS still does not have all of it's holes patched up! They've been patching Windows an IE for years and it's their own software!
I'm so glad I left Windows before it got really bad.

 

[OryHara]

not as much as a great day for mac users as another bad one for windows users.

we gain nothing from this but more bragging rights

 

[daveL]

I know I am going to be an AppleFanBoy® when I say this, but I just don't get why the masses don't make the switch.

Companies, I get, it's about cheap.

But why would someone risk their personal files and deny themselves all the fun technology can provide.

As far as companies go, penny wise, pound foolish. Basically, the IT guys don't want to admit what deep pooh-poo they're in, so they just incrementally bump the budget each year to cover the expense of applying this continuing litany of patches, which always amount to a fire drill. The difference between MS and other platforms is that this stuff just comes out of the woodwork; it's nearly spontaneous. With Unix/Linux based platforms, someone usually finds the problem in a lab setting, initially, and the hole is closed before anyone knows it's open. I think Unix/Linux admins are also more versed in applying a disciplined patch update methodology.

Would you enjoy being an IT guy in an MS shop and going to your senior management and saying: Look, we're going down the wrong path; it's taking all of our budget to keep these zillion 2-cpu systems secure; we need to junk most of it and move on to something intelligent (Unix/Linux). Right.

 

[MisterMe]

As far as companies go, penny wise, pound foolish. Basically, the IT guys don't want to admit what deep pooh-poo they're in, so they just incrementally bump the budget each year to cover the expense of applying this continuing litany of patches, which always amount to a fire drill. The difference between MS and other platforms is that this stuff just comes out of the woodwork; it's nearly spontaneous. With Unix/Linux based platforms, someone usually finds the problem in a lab setting, initially, and the hole is closed before anyone knows it's open. I think Unix/Linux admins are also more versed in applying a disciplined patch update methodology.

Would you enjoy being an IT guy in an MS shop and going to your senior management and saying: Look, we're going down the wrong path; it's taking all of our budget to keep these zillion 2-cpu systems secure; we need to junk most of it and move on to something intelligent (Unix/Linux). Right.

It doesn't work that way. All of the problems in Windows are a boon to IT. They keep large IT staffs in business.

 

[TigerPRO]

It's a great day to be a mac user!

That sure puts things in perspective. Thanks Whaler for posting that article, the timing couldn't be more hilarious.

 

[wheezy]

The Home IT Guy

I was finally able to leave Windows about a year ago, and have become all the more fanatical about Macs everyday since then. My parents have a Decent 2400 Athlon PC with XP Pro, that gets used for Solitaire and Free Cell, my brother surfing GlockTalk, and my sister uploading pictures. Of course there is email as well. Nonetheless, NO hardcore downloading, or curious webistes, or anything that is "bad" at all, but yet it seems that every stinkin' time I go home, I get to play IT and fix the dumb thing. I installed some updates last week, and had to reconfigure the Cable Modem to work with it...Good old MS Security kickin' me off my own network.

Back on my PB, which gets used several hours a day for all sorts of things, and I've had to play IT....uhh...uhh...shoot. NEVER?

Just like someone said, MS is a boon to the IT world. The IT dept at my job is busy, replacing Dells (about 25 "thermal events" in the last 3 months) and reimaging boxes...without MS and Dell, they'd have no job.

 

[BWhaler]

I'm so glad I left Windows before it got really bad.

I feel the same way. I was early on the virus/spam/spyware paranoia and was good at keeping my machine locked down.

But this was before the big wave of virus and spyware hit and it became a huge industry.

Back then, you could fight off the tide, but now it seems pretty impossible.

Glad to be a Mac guy now...

 

[BWhaler]

It doesn't work that way. All of the problems in Windows are a boon to IT. They keep large IT staffs in business.

No truer words have been written.

 

[solvs]

not as much as a great day for mac users as another bad one for windows users.

we gain nothing from this but more bragging rights

I believe the term is schadenfreude.

 

[mcadam]

I believe the term is schadenfreude.

Yes - and isn't it nice... to be able to slam it right in the face of that or those pc-wise-guys-know-it-alls that there are so suprisingly many of

...longhorn?!?...mmmmuuuuuuuu....

A

 

[crap freakboy]

Sad thing is the IT guys are the main reason more companies dont ditch Windows. Only last week I was out drinking with a senior IT manager for a large Blue-chip and obviously I couldn't resist starting a Xp vs OSX 'debate'.
After almost 50 minutes 'discussing' we came to this horrible conclusion-
me- 'So its a team of twenty plus who basically try and make a crash prone system stay up and running, keep loads of trojans/keyloggers/etc etc from bringing down the system?'
him- 'Thats about it yeah. Oh and our all expenses paid seminars- ranging from network issues, new tech and...(he laughed) Microsoft security. The main stay is keeping the system clean, undoing the damage caused by Joe Bloggs stumbling across something he shouldn't."
me- 'If you switched to OSX would you loose your job'
him- 'I'd go OSX tomorrow...but...yeah I'd loose my job, so naw its not gonna happen'
me- 'Damn shame- you bleedin' IT guys'
him- 'yeah...damn shame (laughs)'
me- 'another pint?'

Apples biggest problem imho.

 

[iGary]

I spent an hour yesterday trying to get a new Dell to recognize a freaking network printer. When I got my new iMac as Steve would say "boom" it saw it, and had the driver for it, too.

If I have to go through one more "Wizard" I'll puke.

Windows is the absolute ugliest, insecure, bloated, difficult to use, obtuse piece of crap OS out there, bar none.

 

[edesignuk]

Apples biggest problem imho.

That and the fact that Apple don't offer anything to the LARGE blue-chip companies in terms of large scale manageability of thousands of systems.

 

[iGary]

That and the fact that Apple don't offer anything to the LARGE blue-chip companies in terms of large scale manageability of thousands of systems.

Yup.

I've tried to get our office totally converted over to Macs (we only have a few PeeCees™ left). Obviously with the new Dell from Hell™, I'm not winning.

Even tried to get an XServe in here, but we still use this crappy Snap POS.

Mind you we publish 4 500-page glossy books a year, and they buy crap to do it with, and then spend hundreds of dollars to keep it running.

 

[crap freakboy]

That and the fact that Apple don't offer anything to the LARGE blue-chip companies in terms of large scale manageability of thousands of systems.

Didnt know that....stupid Apple then, more fool them.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Dashboard for Windows

If Windows had Dashboard, they probably would have a ton of widgets on virus checking status, Windows Updates checker and downloader, spyware counter, critical patch notifier, Longhorn countdown widget, Todo list of patches you have to download today, etc.

 

[mkrishnan]

If Windows had Dashboard, they probably would have a ton of widgets on virus checking status, Windows Updates checker and downloader, spyware counter, critical patch notifier, Longhorn countdown widget, Todo list of patches you have to download today, etc.

One of the newest annoying ones seems to be this widget in the tray for Office. It keeps popping up a bubble asking you to "Help make Microsoft Office better" at the most inappropriate times, like during a full screen presentation. At least, I've seen this recently on Windows computers at school. Maybe it's old. But it's *annoying*.

 

[mkrishnan]

My parents have a Decent 2400 Athlon PC with XP Pro, that gets used for Solitaire and Free Cell, my brother surfing GlockTalk, and my sister uploading pictures.

Ummm, Wheezy, I'm sorry, but GlockTalk is just disturbing. We do not need Windows users surfing a website about Glocks....

 

[James Philp]

All compters let you down, macs just let you down a lot less!

I had a little giggle the other day when i went to microsoft.com and the main window was filled with "The top 10 reasons why you should install SP2". hehehe.
I love not having one single reason to install it!

 

[Yvan256]

Would you enjoy being an IT guy in an MS shop and going to your senior management and saying: Look, we're going down the wrong path; it's taking all of our budget to keep these zillion 2-cpu systems secure; we need to junk most of it and move on to something intelligent (Unix/Linux). Right.

Even worst, the stores just LOVE to sell those unsecure, easily infected Windows boxes. I had a talk with the owner of a small computer store and he told me he didn't want to sell Macs for two reasons:

1. not enough profit margin (I've seen the numbers and he's right, the margins are ridiculous)

2. no service market. You sell the box and the customer never comes back for problems, which means less profits.

If the roads were full of crappy cars that always needed 10 hours of servicing a week, do you really think they'd try to sell you something else?

I can't wait to hear how many Mac mini Apple sold in 2005 (yeah, we're months away, but still).

 

[Yvan256]

Just like someone said, MS is a boon to the IT world. The IT dept at my job is busy, replacing Dells (about 25 "thermal events" in the last 3 months) and reimaging boxes...without MS and Dell, they'd have no job.

However, something wrong that gives people jobs isn't right in itself. It's like saying "making electricity with coal is alright because it gives people jobs". It may give jobs but it still polutes for absolutely nothing.

Lots of people lost jobs (horses, carriages) when cars became mainstream (Ford Model T), but those people could then work assembling the cars that made them lose their job in the first place.

If everyone switched to Macs, IT staffs would simply have to find new jobs or adapt and make themselves needed for some reason (network configurations, mail servers maintenance, spam filtering setups, etc).