PC or Mac?

[Shrike76]

Vulnerabilities are openings for viruses and other malware. I'd much rather have a computer with fewer vulnerabilities.

 

 

No they are not.

Vulnerabilities are vectors for exploitation by either malicious or poorly-written code. This is not even remotely the same thing as a virus, although the nuance may be lost on laymen.

 

A vulnerability could be something as simple as something like the way a web site is coded will make your web browser hang. The point is that the number of vulnerabilities that affects a version of software is not the only marker for that software's safety. Having code with more found security vulnerabilities in a given year does not make it bad code to run, because those security holes can be coded shut very quickly.

 

Malware and viruses coded to run and compromise your computer do not need to exploit a vulnerability in order to infect, and they very rarely do. You can run an operating system that has precisely 0 vulnerabilities (if you can find one) and have it be infected with a virus if you do unsafe things with it. You can't code shut a virus in the OS, you can only run AV software that specifically targets it.

 

As long as Windows is more popular OS than Mac, Windows will be a bigger target for malware and will be harder to keep safe. In the same way, Android has more malware coded for it than IOS does and Blackberry viruses are unheard of.

[Darkness Ascendant]

To me Windows is a gereat operating system. Mac on the other hand is also great for creative arts like music.(I love garage band!!). Linux is also a good operating system to operate side by side with windows. Each have their pros and cons but Windows wins this one. FTW

[Sand Master]

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Cc751383.aspx

 

 

a vulnerability is a security exposure that results from a product weakness that the product developer did not intend to introduce and should fix once it is discovered

So yeah. I never claimed it was a virus, I said it was an opening for malware. Different wording from this definition, same meaning. As for your point of being able to have a computer be infected with a virus if you do unsafe things with it, that applies to all operating systems. We were simply talking about vulnerabilities in different systems.

Edited September 8, 2015 by 550456

[Eerongal]

As long as Windows is more popular OS than Mac, Windows will be a bigger target for malware and will be harder to keep safe. In the same way, Android has more malware coded for it than IOS does and Blackberry viruses are unheard of.

 

Actually, according to symantec's annual reports on malware, there's been a pretty huge shift in platform independent malware in the past few years. They've begun taking advantage of the fact that people are using the same software/browers/etc. on different OS's and are coding their malware to handle any OS. Stuff that runs on a similar/common code base (chrome, firefox, java, flash, etc.) that you can run on different OS's will usually carry with it the same vulnerabilities, and/or will forward to an OS specific version of their exploit. This has been a particularly popular trend among ransomware. This practice is expected to increase in the coming years because it's been particularly effective/lucrative for malware writers. 

[Curious Anamaximder]

mac. 

[Cruxer]

I'm an Apple Certified Technical Consultant, so yeah. . .  But I can work proficiently on any OS or build of machine. I do think that windows 8 was built by steel inquisitors, though. 

[navybrandt]

I have mixed feelings about Windows 10.

 

What I like:

* The upgrade was a snap - far easier than any other OS upgrade in my life. I had to update a few drivers afterward but everything else still worked the same.

* The UI is nice and the search function is incredible.

* Oh, and it was a free upgrade!

* DX12 supposedly makes games run faster.

 

What I don't like:

* I hate, hate, hate the forced updates. I usually update once every few months, but Windows 10 forces me to update the same day the update comes out. I don't want to stop what I'm doing to update/restart my computer, and I don't want to leave my computer on all night to do the update overnight. Plus, if it works for me, I don't want a bug fix for some obscure printer that I don't even own. I've even had my computer restart unexpectedly for a surprise update in the middle of working on my dissertation. Arrrraaahhhh!!!!

* There are the normal slew of bugs that are associated with a new OS, but those should be eventually fixed.

* There is also the normal learning curve associated with a new OS since Microsoft has to move everything around.

* Where is Windows Media Center?

Edited October 28, 2015 by navybrandt

[Charononus]

Windows here but only because of gaming. Otherwise I'd be using linux. Wine doesn't work well enough all the time, and macs have too much of their price based on their logo.

[Meandbooks]

I used to be Windows through and through, simply because the hefty price tag on Macs meant I had never even used one until a month ago. Last month, I started at a new school that requires everyone to have their own Macbook Airs for school use.

 

And I love it.

 

Let me be clear - I already owned a Windows 7 laptop, and that's what I regularly used, and I liked it. I really like Windows 7 overall. However, that laptop is more than 3 years old, and it is so very slow. I constantly worry that it's going to die on me soon. So when I switched to my brand-new Macbook Air, I was so very happy.

 

Having used Macs for about a month, this is what I have to say on the topic: Macs make great laptops. I love the touchpad interface and all the things you can do at a swipe of the fingers. The battery life is actually decent, and it charges amazingly fast. The multiple-windows thing is also really nice for someone like me who likes to have a million things open at once. My old laptop, on the other hand, is a pain to use if you don't have a mouse. It's also a lot bulkier and not nearly as portable as my Mac.

 

There are a few annoying things, like having to change my scroll settings every time I want to use a mouse, and if I wasn't able to enable the right-click feature right off the bat, I would have gone insane because I'm just so used to it. Overall, though, it has been an immensely positive experience.

 

However, I still like Windows PCs, largely because they're so much more affordable, and there are a lot fewer compatibility issues. You also don't have to buy everything from Apple stores.

 

I haven't seen much of Windows 10, but I don't think I'd like it very much. I just don't like change in general. XD I'll stick to Windows 7.

 

My final say: if I were buying a largely stationary computer, I would want a Windows one, due to familiarity and a wider range of options. However, if I needed a laptop to carry around all the time, I would want a Macbook. Though I would probably still get a Windows one because of the price.

[Elenion]

I have grown up with a Windows as my primary computer all of my life, but I have had to learn to use Macs because my elementary school used exclusively Macs. Here's my breakdown of the matchup. (Note: this is for desktop computers)

Price: Windows. With all of the money that a Mac takes you could even upgrade your PC with some new RAM, etc.

Ease of Use: Tie. It really depends on what you're used to.

Virus defense: Mac/Tie. A good antivirus can bring your Windows up to or past Mac level.

Troubleshooting Ease: Windows. No question on this one.

Program accessibility: Windows. Much more software out there runs Windows than Mac.

Dependability: Mac. If you don't want to think about your computer's health, get a Mac.

Customizability: Windows. Macs just aren't made to be modified.

 

Overall, I much prefer Windows compared to any other OS, due to the ease of use (for me), the good prices, and the ease of troubleshooting.

[Eki]

I tend to use Ubuntu (with GNOME), but there are games I want to play (and some other applications) that only work on Windows, so I dual-boot.

[Haelbarde]

15 hours ago, Elenion said:

Dependability: Mac. If you don't want to think about your computer's health, get a Mac.

If you take the time to properly plan/design your own desktop (which is cheaper again, if you were comparing price of buying an OEM assembled desktop to a Mac), it's also going to be about as dependable, I'd say. (Not that I've tons of experience, but the rig is a good 6-7 years old and while has grown noisier with age, hasn't had any hardware issues in that time)

[Elenion]

7 hours ago, Haelbarde said:

If you take the time to properly plan/design your own desktop (which is cheaper again, if you were comparing price of buying an OEM assembled desktop to a Mac), it's also going to be about as dependable, I'd say. (Not that I've tons of experience, but the rig is a good 6-7 years old and while has grown noisier with age, hasn't had any hardware issues in that time)

I've never had any major problems with my PC, but all of my acquaintances seem to have them, so I erred on the side of giving one to the opposition. 

[Wychmire]

I use Windows 7. But with Microsoft doing what they've been doing and then me looking through the EULA I don't really trust them any more. Thus I think I'll be changing. The only thing holding me back is that this isn't my computer so I have to wait until everything is settled. 

I'm thinking Linux Mint or Linux Lite. Any recommendations?

[+Slowswift]

I used to prefer Windows above all else, and then 10 happened. 

I do actually have a computer running Ubuntu, but nothing is really compatible with it. :/ Other than that, it's great.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Slowswift

[Darkness Ascendant]

has swearing in it, but sums this up

[AliasSheep]

Windows can be slow, clunky, restrictive and hard for me to use (as well as lacking a good implementation of bash).  But it does have all the games I want to play.

If GNU/Linux could run said games effectively (I don't trust WINE to keep a decent framerate) then I would switch to GNU/Linux in a heartbeat.  I have GNU/Linux installed on my laptop and it's so much nicer to navigate etc. etc.  That's likely a result of having Gnome as my desktop, but that's as a consequence of having GNU/Linux installed, so, win win.

[Kaymyth]

On 7/16/2016 at 2:14 PM, Slowswift said:

I used to prefer Windows above all else, and then 10 happened. 

I do actually have a computer running Ubuntu, but nothing is really compatible with it. :/ Other than that, it's great.

 

On 9/6/2016 at 0:49 PM, AliasSheep said:

Windows can be slow, clunky, restrictive and hard for me to use (as well as lacking a good implementation of bash).  But it does have all the games I want to play.

If GNU/Linux could run said games effectively (I don't trust WINE to keep a decent framerate) then I would switch to GNU/Linux in a heartbeat.  I have GNU/Linux installed on my laptop and it's so much nicer to navigate etc. etc.  That's likely a result of having Gnome as my desktop, but that's as a consequence of having GNU/Linux installed, so, win win.

Get familiar with VMWare.  Setting up a virtual Windows box on your Linux machine should work just fine.  (Yeah, says the woman whose husband is a Linux sysadmin and does all that stuff for her...)

[Mestiv]

4 hours ago, Kaymyth said:

 

Get familiar with VMWare.  Setting up a virtual Windows box on your Linux machine should work just fine.  (Yeah, says the woman whose husband is a Linux sysadmin and does all that stuff for her...)

There is unfortunately a catch here. The virtual machine will have worse performance than if it run by itself. There is however also the simple option of dual boot simply choose your OS when you turn on the computer. You can easilly harness gaming power of Windows and functionality of Linux

[Oversleep]

23 hours ago, Mestiv said:

There is unfortunately a catch here. The virtual machine will have worse performance than if it run by itself. There is however also the simple option of dual boot simply choose your OS when you turn on the computer. You can easilly harness gaming power of Windows and functionality of Linux

A Twinborn computer, if you will.

[Kaymyth]

On 9/9/2016 at 4:24 PM, Mestiv said:

There is unfortunately a catch here. The virtual machine will have worse performance than if it run by itself. There is however also the simple option of dual boot simply choose your OS when you turn on the computer. You can easilly harness gaming power of Windows and functionality of Linux

So long as you can keep Windows from trying to hide the Linux side.  There are versions that have pulled shenanigans like that on a dual boot setup.

[Eki]

12 hours ago, Kaymyth said:

So long as you can keep Windows from trying to hide the Linux side.  There are versions that have pulled shenanigans like that on a dual boot setup.

Mostly a problem if you install windows last, since it will override the boot. That's easily fixable, but annoying.

[Elenion]

I haven't done this myself, but a programmer friend of mine kept a version of Linux on a flash drive and just booted off of that when he needed Linux.

[asterion137]

On 9/13/2016 at 7:19 PM, Elenion said:

I haven't done this myself, but a programmer friend of mine kept a version of Linux on a flash drive and just booted off of that when he needed Linux.

I do this a lot and it works great. Everything runs pretty much the same as having the OS installed but some tinkering and a large flash drive are needed to install software and stuff.

[mattig89ch]

I'm actually considering this idea for an old piece of crap machine I have lying around.  Dual core, 4 gigs of ram, 200 gig IDE hard drive.  I use it for...*ahem* surfing.  And its gotten loaded down with all manner of unpleasantness over the years.  I was considering using a live disc, to save the data, and just wipe the thing.  Throw XP back onto it, restore the files and go from there.

Hard to belive, but I have a phone more powerful then that thing is.  But it'll probably outlive the phone.

 

Anywho, I have a preferance for windows.  And I'll tell you why.  I'm a PC gamer, its just what I like to do to kill time and have fun.  I can only play 1/3 of my steam library on Linux, and maybe 1/8 of my GOG library.  So its either windows or nothing for me.

I had a dual boot going for a little while, but since I had very little use for linux, I just stuck with windows, and remove the linux partition.