<p>I never used a Mac and still I never had problems with viruses. I don't know much about Computers either...I just have a anti Virus program, a Spyware program, and turn the firewall on...I stay away from p2p, but I download a lot of programs from download.com...Either I was just lucky, or my little computer knowledge was enough to protect me from viruses.</p>
<p>you guys can use</p>
<p><a href="http://www.microwinx.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.microwinx.com/</a></p>
<p>Go to: <a href="http://www.techbargains.com%5B/url%5D">www.techbargains.com</a> and put in an e-mail request search for the Dell 620 (or whichever one you want) within a few weeks at the most you will be sent notice of a sale or coupon for the Dell laptop which will allow you to buy one configured as well or better than the one sold at your school bookstore and also allow you to get the 3 year Dell onsite warranty for less than the one at your school bookstore.</p>
<p>The warranty is amazing. Anything happens to it, they will dispatch a repair person to you the next day to repair or replace anything.</p>
<p>This spring my daughter's laptop was attacked and totally trashed by a 75 pound dog. (must not have liked the screensaver?). It looked like it had been chomped on by a velociraptor. Next day they replaced the screen and motherboard, no questions asked.</p>
<p>id get an apple. </p>
<p>vinny: bragging about how good you are with virus's doesnt always make sense cause sometimes your just unlucky and the hacker targets you, and theres nothing you can do.</p>
<p>No, Im not bragging, Im trying to explain to you that nobody is trageting you, they are Tageting the Idiots.</p>
<p>I dont use idiot in a bad way, I well just dont know another word or words that can incorporate its meaning. Im not calling you guys idiots personnaly and am not trying to be harsh.</p>
<p>No person who you guys Consider to be a Hacker is sitting there trying to get into your computer. Nobody is sitting there with the sole intention of taking advantage of John Doe. They dont even need to gave people do it because well the, people are to dumb and the methoods dont even need to be dynamic, they can be static and still work perfectly.</p>
<p>You are all petty people, like myself, all of us I can garentee make well under 500K each and does not hold any information worth any resonable amount of Money. For this reason like I have said in my other posts, these so called hackers tend to Target Business and gov't transactions and services.</p>
<p>You guys tend to as with the rest of America like things broken down For EASE of USE. Everything needs to be done for you, Nobody cares how things work and why they work the way they do? There are very few people left who actually like to truly know how things Work. These people take advantage of your not being educated in the subjects.</p>
<p>What Im trying to get to is that you should want to know how computers work and why they can do what they do. The reasons why you get Viruses and why some people dont. Its not Microsofts fault that there OS can get Viruses and other malware. Its the users fault, the user is at 100% fault in this type of situation.</p>
<p>Companies like Symantec, McAfee, GriSoft, Eset, CA make Billions of one thing, and thats Peoples lack of Interest in the mechanics of the tools we use everyday.</p>
<p>Learn the stuff and protect yourself, you should want to know what a Data Structure is and how to use Algorithms. because without them your Poor Myspace and AIm wouldent be around.</p>
<p>I don't really give a damn about clothes... It's perfectly fine when people don't give a damn about computers other for their use. Not everyone's an computer geek, people have different hobbies. Ease of use matters, y'know, saving time is important. Some people really don't want to spend hours learning algorithms, and that's fine. </p>
<p>Call us uninformed, but even I would rather not learn how to program. (and I've tried, it's boring)...</p>
<p>why is it Boring, Because well I find nothing Boring. i kinda like to know how everything works.</p>
<p>yesterday i was reading on how they design womens shoes(high heels) and before that i was interested in the Migration of whales to Australia. Next semester I am taking a class in Cartography, Just because I want to learn how to make maps. But My major has Zero to do with that.</p>
<p>I like knowing how everything works and it is never an excuse not to know how stuff works.</p>
<p>Ease of use doesnt matter, it only matters to those who dont care how stuff works.</p>
<p>Like I said earlier this is why we have people the size of Manatees and kids & teenages who couldent even run a few miles if asked. its not because its boring its because you dont make it somthing interesting because your lazy.</p>
<p>you dont need to be a Computer geek to learn some stuff like this, its common education.</p>
<p>and you mention Time</p>
<p>whats a waste of time. Checking your facebook or myspace and using Aim or learning how somthing works?</p>
<p>
[quote]
While I'm no expert, I think the reason Mac has had fewer viruses is that they are a much smaller market share.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>There is a dearth of viruses on the Macintosh because any code, whether malicious or not, can only do so much as the user can. Since the user, as an administrator, does not have the ability to alter essential system files, and thus ruin his or her computer, and virus he or she downloads will not have that ability either.</p>
<p>Now if the user were using "root" on the Macintosh, he/she would have much more privileges, and so would viruses if they somehow made it on the machine.</p>
<p>By default, users on the Macintosh have limited privileges. These limitations protect users from themselves.</p>
<p>Oh, thanks nspeds. I didn't know that!</p>
<p>Sometimes the creator needs to be protected from itself by the created.</p>
<p>"If You all Were Not Computer idiots then you would never have to worry about Viruses.</p>
<p>Only Idiot users get Viruses, same way only idiot users get lung and mouth cancer."- UB-Vinny77</p>
<p>That's an incorrect statement vinny. Working at a computer repair shop, I will agree the people who lack knowledge in computers (not idiots), will get more viruses because their lack of understanding with computer security. However, you can be a computer guru and will still get a virus or two just because some viruses are so advanced, the windows os, adaware, spybot, etc, won't catch it at at first because the programs were not programmed for those types of viruses. Even when you update window, and have virus and spyware protection, your still vulnerable, the pc isn't bullet proof.</p>
<p>My Pc is bomb proof. and you are wrong. How did you get this job?</p>
<p>really?</p>
<p>and belive me no "Computer Guru" would be using windows os, adaware, spybot,</p>
<p>more programs made for the uneducated consumer.</p>
<p>My take is, you cant shoot me if you gun does not work.</p>
<p>no "computer guru" is using windows? please, if you're anything in the computer industry you HAVE to know windows because of the prevalence of the OS. Sure you may have a dual boot with linux, but even most linux users have the windows OS as well. As for adaware and spybot why do you say computer people wouldn't use them? sure they're idiot proof and any moron could use it, but they're still useful and effective to all users, advanced or novice.</p>
<p>my dell inspiron 5150 from march 2004 is still running strong. even though it's 8 lbs, it gets around 3 hrs of battery life. it got ~4 hrs when i first got it. and this with a Pentium 4 processor, not those Mobile Pentium processors.</p>
<p>Now that is damn impressive.</p>
<p>back to the OP. Think about how will you be using your cmputer. If you are just typing papers, downloading some music , managing your photos and sending e-mails your need are going to be different from some one who is doing heavy duty graphics, into gaming, engineering , complex math equations, etc.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My dad wants to get a Dell because we have a desktop Dell at home that is very reliable, but I have heard that Macs are often less virus prone, more user friendly, lighter weight, better quality, etc. Is this true? What would you recommend?
[/quote]
I have 3 dell computers in my home (2 desktop and a laptop) I agree with the posters who stated that their customer service is on point and they handle their business in very quickly and efficiently.</p>
<p>My D has a Mac 12 in G-4 powerbook and has never looked back. She is joined at the hip to that thing. It is totally light weight it fits into almost everybag she has, she takes it to class an types notes in class. She has had no problem with it. (If Williams is recommendig both of these computers it is very likely that they have authorized service centers on campus should you run into problems).</p>
<p>I have to also give props to apple because they also provide excellent customer service for their products (I have purchased 3 ipods, 2- ipod minis, and 2 nanos) shoudl a problem arise you simply call apple care, If you are in a city that has a genius bar, you make an appoinment on line, take it over they fix it (it they can't fix it, they will swap it out and replace it).</p>
<p>While I would give the over all thumbs up to the 12 inch G-4 powerbook, the net-net is first making sure you get the computer that meets your needs. As far a service, you will get good service from either one.</p>