Why Mac users are so insufferably smug
 

They don't have to worry about 140,000 viruses, trojan horses and worms.

They also don't have to worry about spyware, which according to this report is present on 1/3 of all PCs:

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New hacker alert
By Mark Prigg, Evening Standard Technology Correspondent
18 June 2004

A new alert was issued today over criminals targeting home computer users.

Figures published this afternoon showed an astonishing one third of all PCs connected to the internet are infected with hacking software.

The software is often used to steal online banking passwords and credit card details.

It works by electronically spying on the user, capturing their passwords whenever they visit a website which requires financial details.

The hacking software is often downloaded onto a computer user's machine without their knowledge when they use a website or download software or music from the internet.

The Police's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit today confirmed it is investigating the problem.

It is believed eastern European crime syndicates behind recent computer virus scams could be responsible.

"This software can be used to steal your identity, including your bank details, and it is something we have seen a big increase in over the last few months. There is definitely criminal activity here, and we will continue to investigate the problem," said Felicity Barr of the NHTCU.

The survey on home computers was carried out by internet service provider EarthLink and email company Webroot.

They scanned more than 420,000 PCs and found nearly 134,000 had the software, known as spyware, on them. The company believes each computer has an average of 30 pieces of spyware on it.

Experts from consultancy firm Gartner warned that almost two million net users have already been the victims of bank fraud because of the hidden software. The spyware can also display annoying pop-up adverts to users.

According to Graham Cluley of anti-virus software company Sophos, home users are particularly at risk.

He said: "Spyware is a wide term, but bank fraud is a real threat. When this software finds you are visiting a banking site, it can record every key you press and send the details to its creator-All this is done in the background, so the user never knows.

"Home users are a particular risk because they have a lot of rubbish on their computers, so wouldn't notice any spyware.

"The biggest problem is that this software is hard to find. The only thing you might notice is that your machine is running a bit slower." Mr Cluley said spyware could even be a bigger problem than viruses.

" Viruses are more destructive than spyware, but people are aware of them.

"There is a far greater likelihood your computer will be infected with spyware than catch a virus."

you excluded the part of the report that goes on to bash reagan ;).

spend 8+ hours a day on a mac then more time at home. it's fun to watch the IT guy at work fix all the office PCs throughout the rest of the shop.

You so smug!

We're not smug, we're right. ;)

My business runs on a network of 5 Macs. No IT department needed. Ever. Macs rock.

Hmmmm...perhaps Mac users, like R Gruppe members, have good reason to feel smug. Seriously... I'm writing this on a bottom line HP, our "learner" computer. When it is time to upgrade or replace? Youbetcherdonkey I'm going to at least take a peek at Mac. Buying our first computer, Cindy & I were babes in the woods. Today? Still babes in the woods, but we do know enough to know that Mac users don't have the virus worries of we who sucked into microsoft programmed machines.

I have to warn you guys that Rush made a veiled suggestion to boycott Apple today.

It was in the context of telling people how to harass theater owners showing "Fahrenheit 911" that he mentioned that 'Apple will never advertise on my show' and 'Steve Jobs won't meet with me.'

I think Rush is -- or at least used to be -- a Mac user.

That should somehow influence my computer buying decision? I mean, I've decided to go to Hunts for catsup...but my computer choice is something else...;)

The thing I find funny about this Mac vs. PC argument is that back in 84-88 -- the early days of the Mac as well as the "semi-affordable" PC -- I was a computer tech and ALL of the viruses and worms we saw were on either the Mac, or UNIX!