Latest thoughts on AV for Macs please.
 

I'm aware of some of the older claims about freedom from viruses and malware, but I suppose I could say I'm interested in this year's thinking.

Like a lot of people, I'm seriously considering shying away from Windows but are Mac computers really that immune?

LR,are you trying to entice 'mixture' back to this forum ? :)

No computer can be completely free from malware and Trojans. But, to date, there has never been a self propagating virus for OS X.

There are, like on PCs, some simple steps one can take to reduce the risks. Not normally run with administrators permissions, for example and always think twice when presented with a dialogue box.

I have never used an anti-virus programme on my 7 year old iMac. I have never been affected, or infected.

Thinking of going the apple route after many years as a Windows user? Like some sort of manufacturer and software support? I now have an iMac an 2 iPads all used in a domestic environment.

I wanted to know how to share some information between all these devices but couldn't quite work out how to do it. I initiated a web chat with the apple experts, they simply guided me through how to do what I needed to do. It took 15 minutes. This was at 6.30 in the evening. Oh, and did I mention it was a Sunday evening. Microsoft eat your heart out.

It took a while to get used to the Apple way of doing things, but it is not difficult just different. I love the way I switch it on and it all just works.

I'm still very much in the learning phase and there is some great help and advice around the www to assist in this, including of course this very forum where contributors have given me some really useful help and advice. Apple costs more, but you get more for your money, in my opinion anyway.

If nothing else Windows is a much bigger target and as the default OS choice it probably caters for more users who could be characterised as "easy marks" - why would the malware writers bother working harder when there is so much low hanging fruit?

That said we use a Mac as the family desktop and run AV on it, partly because there's no real reason not to (overhead isn't a concern) and partly because of the users (young kids with clicky fingers and a missus prone to the occasional lapse in judgement). Probably more belts and braces than absolutely necessary but as I'm the one who would be fixing the mess it works for me.

FWIW I'm using Avira, although reading recent reviews it's slipped so I might need to review my choice.

Thanks for the replies. I'm not totally committed yet but rather taken with some of the kit. One popped up on our local buy/sell FB site the other day, but haven't been able to tie the seller down to serious dialogue.

A pal tells me he's going to use the free (with I think, a MacBook Air duo i5 from a big name store.) After years with Word he's going to try to master this freebie. I'm not that brave. I have no idea what the freebie is. It seems unlikely they would install Open office.

Somehow he's managed to get McAffee paid version! Snow and Eskimos, comes to mind.

I have not had any virus issues in five years of intensive Mac use. And that is without any installed AV software, just using common sense when clicking on links and such.

I think that if you buy a Mac these days, you get free copies of Numbers, Keynote and Pages which are the Excel, Powerpoint and Word of the Mac world. They all read and write Microsoft compatible files if needed.

Apple is likely to announce new hardware on 7 September. Existing stocks could be reduced in price. Or you might be attracted to the new kit. Now is not the time to buy, wait a week or so m

Just been looking. One thing, as a lifelong electronics enthusiast, is the USB C which is also used for charging. The reviewer is concerned about tugging the thing off a table if one falls over the cord, but I'm more concerned with pumping charging currents through a wisp-of-metal connector. Just so unnecessary. Daft in fact. If they can do that, what else is there that I'd frown at - if I ever got to see it before it dissolved.


Here's a roundup of Apple MacBook Pro 2016 rumors - Business Insider

From the reports I've read of USB-C it has a chip in the cable that decides of your device should get 5V.....or up to 20V at 5A I think.... Some of Samsung's latest tablets have melted due to cheap converters for USB-C apparently.....

Huh! Some of Samsung's kit is melting without any help. Major setback for that launch.

As you say the connectors on these things are getting thinner and the current requirements higher.....looks like the limits might have been reached!