Disclaimer - I run an iPad and have used macs for years, but they do tend to attract fanatical followers who've boasted for years about viruses in PC'S.
Cue Apple stores worldwide refusing to admit that it exists and telling people that the reason their overpriced child's toy is broken is that they're just not cool enough.
TBH I'm way more productive with my current Macbook Pro than I ever have been with a windows box. If you need a *nix desktop machine you can't get a better one than a Mac.
If Ubuntu was good enough I'd be as happy as a dog with two dicks, but it isn't.
That's kinda what I've been thinking for some time, but there's no way I'm spending the extra cash on a MacBook. (I'd end up installing Arch on it some point anyway:tilt
Back on topic, wasn't this actually a Java issue which could've been exploited on all platforms, not just MacOS X? I tried to google some real info about the vulnerability and all I got was a rather vague "Unspecified vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment component in Oracle Java SE JDK and JRE 7 and 6 Update 27 and earlier allows remote untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted Java applets to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors related to Scripting." How's that for a good description?
It's not like it really matters, I just hate it when a [product XYZ] is blamed unjustly.
If your running 10.4 or 10.5 update your OS as your screwed for support.
If your running 10.6 you MAY get the update from Apple, or not......
Sorry macboys, it's been expected for years and I'm surprised it hasn't happened before now.
Apple are slack at security updates, and while it's a java exploit that the software uses and therefore affects all pcs, windoze is more on the ball with security as its a constant issue.
Apple also use their own version of java and so only they can update it ( sound familiar ?)
If you run a Mac I really suggest you take this seriously as you only need to visit an infected site, no install, no user input required.
Or you can just update JRE which takes about 30 seconds, it's completely free and works on every platform supported by Java.
I suppose that's just a matter of perspective. One might also argue that it's much easier to exploit opensource software because you have the entire source you can read to look for possible loopholes.
No, they don't. They merely add the OS-specific glue to OpenJDK
You could still extract the JRE from an up-to-date MacOS X or install a preview JDK which includes JRE if you were for some reason still running an outdated MacOS X version. Apple is simply trying to encourage their users to stay up to date which I think is a good thing, arguably much better than MS zombifying WinXP.
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They do have no less issues than any other OS, that's why there are regular service packs issued for MacOS X.
I'm not particularly fond of Apple and their products either, but if you want to criticize it, please get your facts straight first.
And your average Mac user is going to play with a JDK and install an update ?
Macs don't have virus issues, all my Mac clients struggle with standard updates !
But that's great that everyone on this forum is aware of how to resolve the issue.
And it's great to know how fantastic apple is at their security updates and how they have no security problems, after all they are by far and away the best possible operating system and can never have a virus problem, just tell that to the 600,000 macs users who are infected and clearly don't understand how this fantastic and awesome operating system can ever be wrong or ever have an issue and how brilliantly apple have resolved the whole exploit, I fully expect to see in a week that no apple pcs are infected, seeing how awesomly wonderful they are.
Yeah right !
I do apologies for daring to suggest that there may possibly be a problem with the only perfect operating system in existence.
What the hell does productivity really have to do with your OS? Can you copy pasta faster or something? I do know that you're a musician, so am I, so PLEASE don't tell me you're one of those latte sipping pastel turtle "T" sporting crapple eaters that give technology the sour taste of idiocy? For the love of God Kev they haven't gotten to you have they? Point out on the doll where they stuffed the apple seeds...
This thread is full of scare: First Kev and also Racer X NZ is making sense?! Shit's going downhill.
I'm not a professional musician and to be honest I use a Windows computer for recording/mixing just as much as I use the Mac. I use ProTools and Reaper on both platforms.
I work as a PHP developer. The Mac is great for productivity because the multi-touch pad means less mousing around for stuff, it also means my lousy musician wrist tendons don't get so much aggro at work and I can play more when I get home. Also my favourite editor is a Mac application, Versions is also better than any Windows SVN client (I have no choice but to use SVN at work), various open-source projects I use daily work better and are easier to configure on the Mac than on Windows (Apache, PHP, OpenVPN, etc.), I can also run a development environment on my desktop that is much closer to the production environment, tail console logs on my local box, etc. It's much, much more convenient to use a Mac for my work than a Windows computer, trust me.
For the record my work computer is the only bit of Apple hardware I own. I have an Android phone, no iPads, no iPods, no Airports, no Time Capsule, although I could find a use for an iPad in my studio and I will probably get one this year. So I'm not an Apple fanboy by any stretch I just try to use the best tools for the job and for work that's a Mac.
Oh I have also never been in a Starbucks and refuse to go into one until they offer a product called 'Just normal-sized normal coffee'.
Did you just prefer a Mac because of the multi-touch stuff? Since when is Apple the only company using them in their products?
I'm wondering which SVN you're talking about specifically. Last time I checked everywhere I worked and at most places around the internet proper programmers avoid the Mac...
I guess it's quite logical for a PHP developer to use a Mac. Chances are that his code will run on some kind of LAMP server so developing on a UNIX based system makes sense. The other things like multitouch, fully integrated auto updates etc. are just a bonus.
They were the first to do it and their implementation is really good. Why go looking for other computers that do it when I've already got one that does it really well?
No that wasn't the only draw, but it's one advantage of the same company producing both the hardware and software - it all works quite slickly. I think it's worth paying more for a UI that doesn't get in the way. Time Machine is also really nice to have - never having to think about backups again is a nice feature that saves time. Spotlight works really well and also saves time, smart folders again are very useful and time-saving.
A lot of 'proper' programmers avoid SVN too but the company I'm contracting to use it, so I have to use it.
Have you ever asked them why they avoid Macs? I think that's a better question to ask than asking me why I use one. You might get an answer that makes me look uninformed, or you might find that there's a lot of silly snobbery amongst programmers. Would it be more manly for me to waste a week trying to set up a Linux box to work like this, and failing? Perhaps. But I've got work to do.
Exactly. All my stuff ends up on Linux servers but Linux on the desktop is still rubbish, when you compare it to Mac OS you would have to be stupid to pick Linux. Windows doesn't get considered because I would have to run Linux in a VM to do any work, making Windows a worse choice than simply choosing Linux in the first place.
Honestly it's a simple enough decision for me to use a Mac, and easy to explain, and it's only weird people with tribal behaviour about operating systems who would even bother to argue otherwise.
Shit's going downhill.
I can't tell if you're serious.