General Mac software discussions forum: Stupid Question from a Windows User

I'm not sure I follow your reasoning. As far as I know, she upgrades regularly, but after the latest one, her computer became very slow.

So if there are no OSX viruses and darned little malware, and she's not interested in improvements in Apple apps, then she could ignore future upgrades and still be safer than a PC user, right?

My impression is that Apple OSes are tougher to crack because they are held more closely to the vest, so to speak, than Windows or *nix. Do you envision the likelihood of a serious breakthrough in the future? If not, what future trouble could my friend see? (I understand that you cannot advocate skipping upgrades. Please feel free to use hypotheticals.)

Thanks.

which would indicate that she no longer performs any updates.

The Anti-Malware portion of OS X is updated via Software updates. No updates = lack of malware protection.

You are correct about OS X being held closer to the chest but, OS X is based on FreeBSD and is a recognized version of UNIX.
UNIX has been around for years and is a very safe OS.

Get your friend to post in the Mac forums and get assistance for this slowdown.

It is certainly possible that a virus will emerge that works on OS X, not some laboratory virus or a "proof of concept" virus, but a real one that replicates and passes itself around. All I'm saying is that it is much more difficult to do that with OS X than it is, possibly was, with Windows.

For your friend to not update, is short sighted. How many of those updates deal with possible security flaws in Applications, not the OS?
Ever notice how often Adobe sends updates for Acrobat Reader? Seems like once a week at least.
Do you need them? Adobe seems to think so.
Same applies with Apple.

Tell your friend to download the combo updater that includes the update she feels slowed down her machine, and reinstall it again.

As for being safer, personally I believe she is already safer than the average Windows user.

P

She would never post to a forum. She believes that she would not understand the answers she got. She complains about how baffled she is by the people at the Apple store(s) she goes to. Do you think a person like that would know how to download the combo updater?

In doing an update, can she cherry-pick which ones she wants, such as just security updates for the apps she uses?

Don't use Acrobat as an example, please. That program is fraught with security holes.

OK, thanks.

but why would she.

The slowdown is no reason and why would you want to use a machine that has out of date software on it?
Especially as the software updates are free.

Here's a suggestion.

You post her problem in the Mac forums and we'll take it from there. Without all the relevant information, like what version of OS X is she using, we are just whistling in the wind.

This thread has changed subject since the original post.

Look forward to seeing the question over on the Mac forums.
http://forums.cnet.com/mac-forums/mac-os-x-forum/

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Well, she has taken umbrage at my "exposing" her problems to "everybody on the net" and we are no longer on speaking terms. Go figure.

Thanks for your help.

and that we have no idea who either of you are.

Given that the forums are international, she could be any one of the billions of females on the planet.

Her secret is safe with us.

P

She's not responding to my emails. I'm forgetting about her -- she wasn't much of a friend in the first place and she is probably certifiable.

Thanks anyway.

I think she has complained in the past about how expensive it was to upgrade memory -- the cost of the chip(s) and the price of the technician.

Can we close this now?

Just for your own satisfaction, RAM for a Mac is no more expensive than RAM for a Windows machine.
Installation charges, if any, (it's a Do it Yourself Job) are exactly the same for both machines.

This thread is now locked

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