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Consumer Reports: '59,940 reasons to reconsider Macs'

updated 03:50 pm EST, Thu November 4, 2004

CR recommends iMac G5

The December issue of magazine features Apple's new iMac G5 on the front cover along with the caption, "Unspectacular results for Intel's new processor. Plus 59,940 reasons to reconsider Macs. "Inside the issue, Consumer Reports writes, " In this atmosphere of low expectations, Apple Computer has actually raised its support satisfaction for desktop computers over the past three years to levels well above all competitors, while offering the most reliable desktop hardware. [...] Another factor working in Apple's favor: Macs are vulnerable to few viruses and little spyware because both target mostly Windows-based users. Symantec, maker of Norton AntiVirus, says approximately 60,000 viruses aim at Windows-based PCs, but about 60 target Macs." Consumer Reports, arguably the most respected consumer ratings publication, recommends the new iMac G5 for "reliability and support." The Dec. issue also highlights Apple's iPod as one of the best holidy gift ideas.

by MacNN Staff

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hart
Senior User

Joined: Sep 2002

0

11/04, 04:48pm | report spam | close Reply |
I'm amazed

CR has always treated Macs as also-rans along the lines of "oh, and if you want a Mac here's one comparable to the PCs we tested." They always seemed to be oblivious to their own results when it came to repair history and customer satisfaction.

macimmortal
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

11/04, 04:55pm | report spam | close Reply |
wth?

60 viruses target Macs? Where have I been all this time? When did this happen? If they mean lame OS9 based viruses, we don't run that OS anymore. Who writes stuff like this?
Would someone PLEASE show me ONE virus that targets the Macs that Consumer Reports is recommending?

cyngus
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 1999

0

11/04, 05:07pm | report spam | close Reply |
Hey, Calm Down

Firstly, come down, they're citing it as a good factor. Secondly almost every Mac does or can run OS 9, its called the Classic environment and you're no safer from a virus in Classic than you are in regular OS 9.

CHILL

Bryson
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2002

0

11/04, 05:12pm | report spam | close Reply |
yeah

Id like to see these 60 they are talking about. If for no other reason that id like to see how far back the list dates. Only one major virus ive known of since 1997. Anyone have any ideas on this. Link perhaps?

TimmyDee51
Mac Elite

Joined: Mar 2000

0

11/04, 05:38pm | report spam | close Reply |
Classic

Actually, Classic isn't installed by default anymore, so CR really shouldn't count OS 9 viruses for a new purchase. The consumer needs to install Classic separately.

However, if they're counting all the Win9x viruses for the Windows total, then I suppose its fair. I mean h***, just look at the number. Sure makes Apple look good.

macimmortal
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

11/04, 05:58pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Hey, Calm down

"Secondly almost every Mac does or can run OS 9, its called the Classic environment and you're no safer from a virus in Classic than you are in regular OS 9."

First, there are zero Macs shipping with OS 9 installed. Second, who the h*** runs Classic? I stopped running it about a year ago. Third, find ANY mention of Classic in the "Hardware" section at Apple's website. I take issue with this article as it only gives ammunition to the ignorant MacHaters that keep telling me that there ARE viruses for OS X.

klinux
Senior User

Joined: Jul 2002

0

11/04, 06:39pm | report spam | close Reply |
U guys need to chill

We all like Apple but please, there is no need to tie your self-worth and emotional well-being to a corporation! Stop drinking the koolaid!

"CR has always treated Macs as also-rans"

L-o-o-k at the cover page. R-e-a-d the article.

"Who the h*** runs Classic? I stopped running it about a year ago."

Right, because the world centers around you and the sun don't rise until you do?

CR was quoting Symantec, who, whether you like it or not, is cosidered a leader in the field of AV. Do I think their figure is right? Not really, but I don't blame CR for going to a leader in that field to get that figure instead of setting up their own NOC and reseach team to monitor viruses.

dennis
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

11/04, 06:46pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: macimmortal

macimmortal wrote:

"Second, who the h*** runs Classic? I stopped running it about a year ago."

Obviously you are the center of the universe, but I'm pretty sure there are a few billion more people on Earth, some of whom surely use Classic.

Horsepoo!!!
Banned

Joined: Jun 2003

0

11/04, 06:50pm | report spam | close Reply |
60 Viruses Target Macs

I think they accidently typed an extra '6'.

outZider
Junior Member

Joined: Sep 1999

0

11/04, 07:00pm | report spam | close Reply |
heh.

I wish their car reviews were as good as this one. :)

bfurtado
Junior Member

Joined: Sep 2003

0

11/04, 07:11pm | report spam | close Reply |
Yet Another

Sigh... Even though this is the umpteenth glowing review and, dare I say, recommendation for switching to a Mac machine, PC fanboys will still find someway to denounce it and legitimize their uninformed opinion.

nagromme
Senior User

Joined: Dec 2000

0

11/04, 07:38pm | report spam | close Reply |
CR

It's simply TRUE that CR has always been hard on Macs... they've recently slammed Macs for lacking floppy drives, and they dodge the issue of OS X vs. Windows entirely.

It's good to see that starting to change, though. (Even if OS X's security is not ONLY due to obscurity.)

Also, you ARE safer from Classic viruses when running Classic, than you were booting OS 9. And even OS 9 viruses were virtually unheard of--assuming you bother to install Classic at all--and assuming you have it actually RUNNING.

MacScientist
Junior Member

Joined: Feb 2000

0

11/04, 09:22pm | report spam | close Reply |
RE: CR

"It's good to see that starting to change, though. (Even if OS X's security is not ONLY due to obscurity.)"

How many times does it have to be said that the Mac is more secure by design. No matter how popular it gets, the Mac will not lose its design advantage over Windows. Do some real research on Windows vulnerbilities. You will find that similar features of the Mac and other operating systems are much more secure.

As for the 60 Mac viruses, some report that only 24 are Mac-specific. At any rate, a high percentage of those date back to System 6. IIRC, no more than one Mac-specific virus has escaped into the wild since the release of MacOS 9.

jbelkin
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2003

0

11/04, 09:45pm | report spam | close Reply |
HUGE STEP FORWARD

For years, Consumer REports has either ignored the Mac or worse, tends to tend the most expensive Mac desktop against the cheapest white box seller at the time - whether it be Gateway, Tandy or Dell so it's a HUGFE STEP FORWARD.

You have to consider who reads Consumer Reports. It's fuddy-duddy people who believe that specs and price trumps all else. They always recommend the cheapest choice based on their skewed specs ... for intance, in a coffee maker, they'll pick one the cheapest one with the best safety plug. WTF? So, for them to recommend a Mac is like them recommending a BMW over a Chevy - hallejuah - they are sure to get a few facts wrong here and there - after all, it's a motley collection of 72-year olds in some tiny NY state town - what do you expect? This means the senior market for the mac will edge up 20% and people will see the headline in bookstores - all good news. Let's not quibble over details.

And of course, the strangest irony is that CR is published on Macs but apprently their production department is not alowed to talk to their testers or writers ... at least that's the evidence but if CR is willing to consider macs, great!

Now, we have CNET. I'm sure there headline will read.

CONSUMER REPORTS and 60 Mac viruses.

JeffHarris
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 1999

0

11/04, 10:52pm | report spam | close Reply |
60 Viruses Sounds Right

I think 60 viruses TOTAL have been found for the entire Macintosh platform over the entire life span of the platform...that's uh, what... 20 YEARS?
The equivalent for Windows is about 60 viruses per DAY, right?

Basically, it all adds up to FREE PUBLICITY targeting the Joe Six-Pack crowd. Y'know, the folks who think that Sears makes high-end appliances.

klinux
Senior User

Joined: Jul 2002

0

11/05, 12:38am | report spam | close Reply |
U must be kiddingme

Funny jbelkin -it is easy to criticize but hard to achieve. CR is more influential than you think it is - it can make and break products. Despite its badmouthing of poor products, it has never lost a lawsuit in this litigious country. So, when the time comes to judge the credibility of CR's opinion and versus that of jbelkin's, there is no contest.

throatmonster
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

11/05, 12:59am | report spam | close Reply |
CS=BS: you can buy them

Suprize, suprize, good reviews in CS can be bought just like any other media outlet. About 30 years ago, I think they had some integrity, but not anymore. Advertising sells - and buys! There wouldn't happen to be any iPod ads in that issue of CS, would there?

I love Macs, but the job market for Mac lovers sure sucks. If I had an MCVR cert (that's Microsoft Certified Virus Remover), I could be raking in the big bucks!

chas_m
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

11/05, 02:27am | report spam | close Reply |
CR = no ads

I cannot factually comment on throatmonster's claim that CR can be "bought," but it should be pointed out that there are no ads -- for iPods or anything else -- in CR (not CS, btw). That's kinda their big point.

Maybe you should actually read the mag to find this out before claiming that their ads make them vulnerable to being "bought?"

testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

11/05, 08:56am | report spam | close Reply |
Bunch of losers

OK, a magazine article comes out and basically states "On the virus front, Macs are better. While there have been over 60,000 viruses for the PC (and more coming every day), Macs have had a total of 60. Sounds like a clear winner..."

So what do the Mac fan-boys do on this site. Cheer CR for pointing out something they've been trying to get out for years? No. Cheer CR for actually understanding a Mac isn't just another Windows machine. Not quite (though you've tried, I'll give you credit for that). No, you all blast CR for somehow stating there have been 60 viruses on the Mac! How dare they include viruses from the 80s and 90s (even though that Windows number includes viruses from the 80s and 90s).

Do you all want to know why people won't switch. Because when someone thinks about it, one of their friends points them to a forum like this and go "Do you want to be one of those kool-aid drinking geek wads who aren't happy enough to have 99.9999% fewer viruses for their computer platform, they start complaining because someone has dared say something that could be interpreted as bad? They actually are angry at a glowing review!!" and the people look and go "No".

And all Macs shipping now still support classic, some still come with it installed, and all come with the ability to install it.

csimon2
Junior Member

Joined: Aug 2000

0

11/05, 10:10am | report spam | close Reply |
Classic

I for one still run classic on a OS X primary machine. Four reasons: LogoMotion 2 (still no 3D app as simple and easy to use for logo animations), Illustrator 8 (because sometimes my previous artwork in AICS can't be opened because it has "too many points"), Quark 5 (to convert to v4 documents, and whenever Quark 6 doesn't like a font I previously used, which happens much more often than I'd like to admit), and ATM 4.6 (to manage such said fonts for Quark 5 to use).

Just because the Classic apps don't have the Aqua gooeyness, doesn't mean they're worthless. In fact, the performance of those mentioned apps is on par with their OS X native counterparts when running in Classic.

Go Bells
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2004

0

11/05, 01:34pm | report spam | close Reply |
Testudo = Yoda ?

I sometimes feel like Luke Skywalker when I read these posts... I want to do rash things like slam Consumer Reports for a "bad" point, or go save Han and Chewy, but there Testudo is, reeling me back in, to face my fears and deal with my own problems, making me a stronger Mac Jedi.... For this, I thank you for your wise and appreciated input Testudo...

(hopefully I don't scarea away any PC converts with this post)..

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Consumer Reports: '59,940 reasons to reconsider Macs'

updated 03:50 pm EST, Thu November 4, 2004

CR recommends iMac G5

I'm amazed

wth?

Hey, Calm Down

yeah

Classic

Re: Hey, Calm down

U guys need to chill

Re: macimmortal

60 Viruses Target Macs

heh.

Yet Another

CR

RE: CR

HUGE STEP FORWARD

60 Viruses Sounds Right

U must be kiddingme

CS=BS: you can buy them

CR = no ads

Bunch of losers

Classic

Testudo = Yoda ?

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Consumer Reports: '59,940 reasons to reconsider Macs'

updated 03:50 pm EST, Thu November 4, 2004

CR recommends iMac G5

Related Articles

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I'm amazed

wth?

Hey, Calm Down

yeah

Classic

Re: Hey, Calm down

U guys need to chill

Re: macimmortal

60 Viruses Target Macs

heh.

Yet Another

CR

RE: CR

HUGE STEP FORWARD

60 Viruses Sounds Right

U must be kiddingme

CS=BS: you can buy them

CR = no ads

Bunch of losers

Classic

Testudo = Yoda ?

Login Here

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