02-08-2007, 12:40 AM
I do think Mac OS X is more secure by design the Windows XP and below. It will take some time to see how Vista will fare. I remember how many publications wrote about how secure and stable XP was over every proceeding version of Windows. I have an article in front of me touting Windows XP for it's increased security, attractive interface, user friendliness, and even better hardware and software compatibility (both of which in my mind should mean an increase of stability). This article dates from Winter 2002 from a FOrtune c/net Tech Review publication.
I believe time has proven that XP is not the most secure platform by design and was not appreciably more stable than Windows 2000. Time has not been kind on the garish Windows XP plastic interface, I usually default to the classic look anyway, and user friendliness is debatable. I have worked with enough people and their XP computers to know they still have no real clue of how their computer works. Regardless of how many "helpful" Wizards pop up.
My long winded narrative began with such an intro because I do not think having clueless users on any platform will help overall security. I do think that an operating system which is secure by design will help mitigate the automatic propagation of such malware throughout computers running a similar OS. However, that does nothing to protect users who practice unsafe hex. Clicking okay at prompts without reading, typing in passwords when prompted without understanding the dialogue box, and other such quick to click computer use will prove detrimental to any user on nay platform. Bad juju.
Nathan
I believe time has proven that XP is not the most secure platform by design and was not appreciably more stable than Windows 2000. Time has not been kind on the garish Windows XP plastic interface, I usually default to the classic look anyway, and user friendliness is debatable. I have worked with enough people and their XP computers to know they still have no real clue of how their computer works. Regardless of how many "helpful" Wizards pop up.
My long winded narrative began with such an intro because I do not think having clueless users on any platform will help overall security. I do think that an operating system which is secure by design will help mitigate the automatic propagation of such malware throughout computers running a similar OS. However, that does nothing to protect users who practice unsafe hex. Clicking okay at prompts without reading, typing in passwords when prompted without understanding the dialogue box, and other such quick to click computer use will prove detrimental to any user on nay platform. Bad juju.
Nathan