Alleycat169 wrote:Yes but worth every penny considering all the 'hidden costs' asscociated with inexpensive PC's.- - - - - -

Well, assuming one has a whole lot of those pennies to spend on Mac versions (or Mac-based equivalents) of the software one requires at work and/or at home--- assuming a Mac version/equivalent exists. Depending on one's needs or requirements, one could end up spending thousands acquiring such apps and/or licenses. Switching to a whole new platform and operating system is a big undertaking and not without its own set of risks and complications. I certainly wouldn't classify a platform switch to be a "simple solution" for avoiding e-mail viruses. Also, suggesting that viruses can be avoided by migrating to the Mac is a little misleading as well. Robert Franklin, Senior Product Specialist for Symantec Corp. had this to say: "Mac users have, to some extent, been lulled into thinking they don't need to be protected," Franklin said. "It's not really a case of one operating system being more susceptible than another by the very nature of the OS. Rather, it's the fact that there have been, by volume, more viruses written to affect Windows machines than Macs." The motivation here is that virus writers want their viruses to spread to as many users as possible. Since the Windows platform has the greatest worldwide reach, for both home and office computer users, more viruses are written for that platform, Franklin explained. "This doesn't mean that Macs are free from virus concerns, or if a Mac gets a virus that the payload will be less significant," he explained. "There are a number of Mac specific viruses out there, and they can cause varying degrees of problems for Mac users." One might get the impression I'm anti-Mac, which is furthest from the truth. I've got nothing against Macs or Mac users. My sister has a Mac. I've used it, I like it and I love the industrial design behind the hardware. If I had the money, I'd have both systems on my desk. Indeed, the case may be for some that switching to the Mac would prove to be the ideal and perhaps trouble-free soluiton. But I thought there was the need to play devil's advocate here to provide a more rounded view. The reality of it is that there'll always be viruses on whatever platforms the virus authors wish to "support." Now there are cross-platform viruses (e.g. "Simile" virus for Linux/Windows) and there are no real indications that virus creation and propagation will slow down in the near future. Regardless of the platform you run, taking precautions and as you suggested, exercising a bit of common sense, goes a long way. I think that's the true, far reaching solution... Alleycat169 wrote:SoftMac for PC is less than $200, that is not that expensive considering that you will be able to stop buying new anti-virus software every six months. ;-)- - - - - -

Were you not able to take advantage of the free virus definition updates that came with your anti-virus application(s)? Buying completely new anti-virus applications with any frequency seems a bit extreme.