OS X: It's not for everyone

OS X (pronounced Oh Ess Ten) is Apple's new operating system. It's a technological marvel, and may eventually bring Apple back into the mainstream of the computer world, but it may not yet be for you. It definitely *is* for you if:

  • You need to run programs that are only available in "native" osX versions (e.g., iPhoto, Maya) or,
  • You absolutely have to have the newest thing or,
  • You bought a new Macintosh computer since Jan. 1, 2003, and it will only boot OS X

It's probably *not* for you if:

  • You rely on Quark XPress or,
  • You don't want to spend a lot of money updating your software to native osX versions

OsX is very different from the Mac OS 7, 8 and 9 that you are accustomed to. Be aware that you'll need to spend from several hours to many days familiarizing yourself with new ways of doing things, like how to print, where your fonts go, what happened to the Apple Menu, etc. Having a book like David Pogue's "Mac OS X: the Missing Manual" is essential when learning to use this new operating system.

Viruses: Macs miss out on the virus plagues of the last 12 months
Another good reason to love your Mac is its immunity to the nasty viruses that are glutting the internet. None of those email viruses of last year directly affected (or infected) the Mac. Mac users *are* victims of reams of bogus emails in their inboxes, generated by virus-infected PC's and by virus hoaxes. None of these viruses can infect the Mac and make it send bogus emails. There are viruses out there that can infect a PC, grab a Mac user's email address from the PC users address book, and send an email that looks like it came from the Mac.

Resist forwarding messages sent from your friends warning of the latest virus scourge, confirmed by IBM, Microsoft and Pope John Paul II. 99% of these are hoaxes, which are intended to be internet-clogging jokes between malicious geeks. If in doubt, check a reputable web site like

Macs can still fall prey to Microsoft Word and Excel Macro viruses. These are little programs that piggyback onto Word and Excel documents. They are easy to thwart: just enable the "macro virus protection" feature in the preferences of both of these programs, and keep Word and Excel updated ("updates" are free bug fixes, "upgrades" are newer versions with new features that require payment). Check Microsoft's Mac software website: http://www.mactopia.com.

Should you buy and install an anti-virus program? I don't generally advise it. These programs need to be undated monthly to remain effective, and they cause the computer to run slower and often less reliably. And the threat isn't great, especially if you take the above-described macro virus precautions.

Again, feel free to call or email me with any questions.

Modern Mac Repair Inc.
PO Box 563
Belmont, MA 02478
(617) 484-9185
(617) 507-6644 (fax)
Email: brian@modernmacrepair.com