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[tara]

Hi,

I'm a regular reader of the site. Thank you! This is also my first post in the forum so hopefully I put it in the right place.

So I want to buy a computer for my daughter. She's in the 9th grade this year. Before i get her an apple because everyone says it's better and more secure I would love some advice. They are so much more expensive than a dell and other brands so any help would be great!

thanks!

tara

[Austin]

Hi tara,

That's actually quite the controversial question.
Windows, Linux (Ubuntu), and Mac all have their strengths and weaknesses. As far as security is concerned, each operating system if sitting standalone is essentially completely secure. In a hacking contest done this same time last year, they put each system to the test. Hackers were unable to hack into any of the systems if they were just sitting idle without any programs running.

The weak points that make a computer less secure are actually the programs running on them. Internet browsers are the most often attacked out of any of them. Apple uses Safari by default, and in the contest it was the first to be hacked using a weakness in the browser. However since then they have updated it and fixed the security leak. [click to read about the contest] So it isn't really a substantial hit against Mac.

Honestly as long as you always keep your computer system AND the programs on it fully updated you'll be relatively safe. A good anti-virus program is a must-have if you have Windows, there are a few free options or you can purchase one but you'll definitely need one with Windows.

A lot of people claim that a Mac is "virus-free" which is mostly true, the only reported cases of infections were from directly downloading infected files or inheriting them from a Windows machine on the network.

So if you ask me, a 9th grade girl that will probably just be using the machine for schoolwork.. well I'd say a Mac is your winning bet.

Hope that helps out a little, keep us posted if you have any more questions.

[Steve]

Hi,

I'm a regular reader of the site. Thank you! This is also my first post in the forum so hopefully I put it in the right place.
tara

Hi Tara and Welcome to the site!

When it comes down to "Which is more secure - MAC Vs. Windows". I personally say Windows in general is more secure. Let me explain:

When it comes to the statistics, I belive Windows owns about 80% of the market share of personal computers. With that in mind, if you want to write a malicious piece of software (virus) which group are you going to target? Windows which owns 80% or the MAC which owns (10-15%)?

Because of this the majority of Malicious applications are written for Windows. Does this mean that the guys at Microsoft are writing crappy code? Well no. EVERYONE writes crappy code.

After all, it's not like APPLE doesn't have Security Exploits they clean up regularly: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

It's just that if you write code to take advantage of Windows, your going to get more bang for your buck since hundreds of millions of people run windows. This is why Windows always gets bad press. They are a victim of their own success.

Here's a few posts which will help gain some perspective on Apple Security:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/02 ... av_advice/
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-187305.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/20 ... pple_bugs/

grooveDexter made many valid points and I agree with all of them. Either choice you make you should be sure to install Anti-Virus.

The next consideration will be price. Honestly, for a young teen who needs a computer for school, I would recommend a very inexpensive computer. Most likely you will get the most bang for your buck with a cheap DELL or HP running windows.

[jadeli89]

it is really controversial because for me, the judgment entirely depends on the user itself..but try competing windows 7 to the apple OS and see the reaction of the people..hmm i guess just chose the best one that works for you eh?

[shockersh]

it is really controversial because for me, the judgment entirely depends on the user itself..but try competing windows 7 to the apple OS and see the reaction of the people..hmm i guess just chose the best one that works for you eh?

Apple Vs. Windows 7.... That's what mrgroove did above. Personally, I think windows 7 wins. Each of the last hack-a-thons, Windows lasted longer than MAC.. Sorry

[Quafe24]

I've only run Windows, the only Apple product I've ever owned is an iPod Touch.

From my experience, Windows is just as secure as Mac. If you download a Mac virus, Mac will get infected. If you download a WIndows virus, Windows will get infected. There really isn't much of a difference other than that hackers tend to target Windows more since nobody in the "real" computer world uses Mac.

[thomaspiter]

Hi,
If you believe the hype and the flashy commercials the answer would be Mac. But if you take a look at the two platforms, and the mindsets of the companies behind them then the PC wins hands down.”
The Mac platform is also generally built with more exploitable vulnerabilities already on a system when it is delivered.

[Steve]

What makes me nervous Thomas is the millions of MAC users out there who think the system is secure out of the box and doesn't need any AV.... Talk about a monstrous attack surface!