Boy I Did It Now

[cherokeechief]

well i took the jump. i got the mac book pro, with leapord.

here is waht i am wondering about.

on the road dogs' loading dock program on sirius radio, there is a so called tech guy, and

he states that you do not need an anti virus program with mac.

so i am wondering do i?

if not, then that is ok. if so, then i am going to get one and also would like to know

which one works best with mac.

second, i have been usse to windows media player, and have been able to create a playlist with vids, and music,

what will do that in mac?

i know this sounds strange, since i do so well with windows, and did ok with linux, but this mac deal is new to me, and i am looking to get the most out of it, with out adding xp to the laptop.

[blim]

:D Oh yeah, I know that helpless feeling!! A whole different can o' worms, eh?? Read this, particularly the second chunk down by iccarros as far as reassuring me about an AV and recommending one that is Mac compatible because I'm such a worrywart.

So far, Daughter likes her new toy and she's figuring things out--she proudly showed me her "perks" on her new Macbook. She discovered she likes iwork's word processor just as well as MSWord, she learned that if there is an automatic update, an icon at the bottom of the screen bounces up and down so you notice it, she did sadly discover her *legal* music download service at College, Ruckus, isn't Mac compatable but she did manage to copy a few of her CDs onto her laptop. She has a webcam!! And there's something that can take webcam pics and add all sorts of special effects to them. She's having a blast playing with her Mac.

She has found Leopard for Dummies very useful--if your library has it, borrow it!!

Liz

Edited January 27, 2008 by blim

[marko_tomas13]

:D Oh yeah, I know that helpless feeling!! A whole different can o' worms, eh?? Read this, particularly the second chunk down by iccarros as far as reassuring me about an AV and recommending one that is Mac compatible because I'm such a worrywart.

So far, Daughter likes her new toy and she's figuring things out--she proudly showed me her "perks" on her new Macbook. She discovered she likes iwork's word processor just as well as MSWord, she learned that if there is an automatic update, an icon at the bottom of the screen bounces up and down so you notice it, she did sadly discover her *legal* music download service at College, Ruckus, isn't Mac compatable but she did manage to copy a few of her CDs onto her laptop. She has a webcam!! And there's something that can take webcam pics and add all sorts of special effects to them. She's having a blast playing with her Mac.

She has found Leopard for Dummies very useful--if your library has it, borrow it!!

Liz

Liz,

Check with the school if they provide an eMusic subscription in addition to Ruckus. Many schools do this and eMusic is available to the Mac and Linux users.

Cherokee, you don't need to use an anti-virus. The OS is fairly bulletproof and anything that goes wrong will either be a direct result of user error (typing your admin password in to install something that isn't on the up and up) or a faulty application.

You can try iTunes for the playlists however i'll see if I can come up with some sort of alternative.

Welcome to the Mac world.

[isteve]

Agree no anti-virus needed at this time. If you create a different user account without admin privileges your golden. There is one worm for os x but you have to download the worm and install it using a password.

iTunes is the way to go, does everything you need to and you can use that remote that came with your mac to control front row that is integrated with itunes and iphoto. Play around with itunes it is very powerful even though it seems simple. Check out the smart playlist feature, someone was really thinking.

And the webcam "isight" works with photo booth and even does a green screen thing with movies/photos for background. You can video ichat with someone and make it look like your somewhere else with the background picture/movie also intergraded with itunes iphoto. With ichat you can also chat with someone and share desktop screens.

And download windows media component for quicktime from Flip4mac. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme...components.mspx

This will let quicktime play most unprotected windows media files and streams.

[isteve]

Oh, almost forgot congratulations on the Macbook Pro, when you jump in you really jump in the deep end

[cherokeechief]

and don't i know it, i know i will find more things as i go along. the WMV add on for the quicktime player will help.

also knowing about the itunes for playback of the mp3s will help also.

still looking for a video player that will allow me to make up a playlist for the videos i have.

i know i will find it.

so far it is taking a little use to not having the shortcuts for closing a web window page adn also for going back to the last page.

i can get use to using the mouse pad alot more, but i did like using the shortcuts for curtain things.

[option-shift-k]

The so called "tech guy" was thinking logically when he told you that you do not need an antivirus program. While there are "viruses for the mac, there are only a couple and they are pretty difficult to get. The one that garners attention now is only obtainable by visiting porn websites and downloading their software. Based on that, you will be fine since you seem to be a fairly frugal browser. One really great way to protect yourself from any problems would be to run as a standard user for day- to day tasks. So, you should have an admin account and a standard user account. If you are browsing and all the sudden it asks for your admin password you will know something is up. Remember, you are your best friend when it comes to security. You can sniff out something fishy before the anti virus can. Quick tip: when you are on a foreign wireless network you should turn on your mac's firewall to be safe.

[isteve]

itunes does video, movies, tv shows, audio, podcast, audio books even PDFs. And lets you put them all in playlist.

[cherokeechief]

itunes does video, movies, tv shows, audio, podcast, audio books even PDFs. And lets you put them all in playlist.

i guess i will have to play with it. i have a large library of MP3s that i transfered from an external hard drive that i use for back up storage.

i tried to load multiple songs at once but i have not found how yet. guess i could try copy and paste multiple files to it. i will play with it more.

[iccaros]

if you select the files and drag them on to Itunes it should import them for you.

Viruses, With out beating up a dead horse, while there are viruses for the OS X they are few and far between, and with the User admin structure on a OS X it will be hard to just write a virus that self installs, unless of course there is vulnerability in an application you are using on the web.

This is what I suggest, And I see Isteve said the same thing, create a non admin user to do almost everything with it. unlike windows no application except system maintenance, will require any thing more, and even that will just ask for a password and not make you log off.

I use Firefox and noscript, this protects me from most of the vulnerability that firefox has had so far.

while javascript should be save on OS X, I still do not trust it, plus it stops a lot of advertisements I do not care to see.

OS X has a built in firewall, but I don't use it as I use MonoWall on the outside to filter all packets.

VNC is a great function built in, just search google to find how to use it.

Good Luck, I love my wifes Mac Book, I use it when I am tired if "using" a computer and just want something to do what I want.

one other note, i use VLC (videolan.org) to do all my video, it not only plays most all types of video with no plug-ins, it also will stream video and audio. and with the web interface you can connect your Mac to a TV and use a browser on a different computer to control the video..

[Stefan]

they have never been a major virus out break on the mac they happen all the time in windows why he never hear about them

[isteve]

Actually there has never been any virus outbreaks on os x. There has been hundreds or holes found and quite a few exploits written. The problem is that to get most of these someone has to have physical access to the mac and have a admin password to install them.

There were buffer overflow exploit that would freeze up your browser if you surfed to them. And there is a trojan that will download automatically and change your DNS settings. But you have to install it then give it a admin password. The last one may have been patched in a recent update.

Like windows if you keep everything up to date and don't give mystery app you password you'll be fine.

I don't like Mac antivirusus software because it is not needed right now. But if you really need something check Secure Mac you can get a free app that checks for the dns trojan and removes it.

[iccaros]

I use ClamAV, not that I need it on the Mac. but to protect Windows users. So that when a windows user gives me a file, I know I will not spread it to more windows users.

also I use the same program on Windows and Linux

http://www.clamxav.com/

also there are a few (not new) Viruses written for UNIX along with Trojans and root kits. Now that OS X is a certified UNIX, some of the POSIX vulnerabilities my exist.

and no matter what OS you are still vulnerable to web jacking. this is where data is taken from your browser, or my Fav, DNS poisoning so that when you type in www.besttechie.net it takes you some where else and gives you a login screen. while to observant users it would throw a flag, most people would just try and log in thinking the site had changed. once you have a user name and password, you would be amazed at how many sites people use the same information.

so my point is, while a Mac with OS X is safer than windows, same could be said of almost all Modern UNIX and UNIX related OS, you still need to watch what you are doing.

some anecdotal evidence. awhile back a Proof of Concept Trojan was created that looked like a picture, and when you clicked on it, it asked for a password and installed its self. We found that a lot of Mac users entered the password, because they thought there was noting to fear on the Mac. I thought it was funny, as in latter discussions with the customer we were testing, found that most were so used to clicking OK in the windows world, they saw little difference in entering a password.

this is why you should not run with and admin account.

[cherokeechief]

well, it has been bout a year now. i have used boot camp, slipstreamed my CORP XP PRO with SP2.

funny thing is i tend to use the mac more now. strange, it is accually easier than i thouhgt it would be. did take a little time to learn all the short cuts, but having to not have an anti virus program running has been the big change.

things are working out alot better. i have heard there will be a version of co pilot which is a mapping and gps program that right now for trucks on a pc will soon be available for mac.

so now that i have used it for a year now, i am thinking of converting my roomy to it and i think i should have gotten her daughter a mac book instead of the dell with xp in it.

thanks all for the help when i first got the mac book pro.

[iccaros]

if you get parallels or Vm Ware, You can run your Bootcamp windows at the same time as yoru Mac OS. And use the GPS software with out rebooting.

Just A thought