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Not so brief background: I've always owned pc's and have only limited experience with apple from years ago. Last year my sister in law moved in with us for a few months and her and her kids used our computer for web browsing. In the process I picked up some spyware and had lots of pop-ups. I was able to control/remedy the problem for a while and would occationally have to go to a system restore point or clear out the web history/cookies. I've used webroot spysweeper, spybot search and destroy, and AVG virus protection. One day the computer wouldn't go to a restore point, wouldn't shut down on it's own (had to cut power) and wouldn't install programs or updates (maybe because I couldn't use the shut down feature) I felt I had to use system recovery. I did that and had to reload a lot of programs and lost a lot of data files. Some programs won't install because it tells me I need to first uninstall the program but it won't uninstall either because it says it doesn't exist. Catch 22

In short, I used to like computers but for the last year it's been nothing but a time intensive PIA. Right now I can use the internet and use the MS Word and other existing programs but I cannot install new programs.

I use the computer for word processing, excel spreadsheet, digital photos, mp3 music, internet, kids play sims and other games.

I'm getting tired of problems with drivers, errors, one program effecting another. Would buying a Mac resolve my problems or would I just have another set of problems. Either way I go I'll end up doing a complete reload on this computer hard drive and start new again. (not really looking forward to it) It takes a long time to download updates with dial up.

I currently have a HP Pavilion w/ AMD Athlon XP 3200 2.19 GHz w/512 mb of RAM running Windows XP w/ service pack 2

My choices:

1. Continue to use this computer after reloading hard drive (least expensive)
2. Get another pc and let the kids destory this one with games, mp3's, and internet downloads (more expensive)
3. Get a mac and let the kids destroy this one or use this one for any pc applications that can't be done on a mac (most expensive)

Any input would be appreciated

Personally I've never had a Mac and can't really give you any insight there, but have heard they are a better graphics computer. As far as viruses and spyware, you may have the same problem with a mac except most viruses are written to attack Windows because its more popular. Either way you go, you need a decent firewall and make sure your sister in law stays off those dang porn sites . Good luck with your decision.

I have never owned a mac, but several of my hard-core software developing co-workers have macs at home. Ever since Mac OSX (Operating System 10), the Mac uses a Linux-based OS. This means that geeks who love Linux can now find a Mac to be familiar. Since a lot of code geeks love Linux, they naturally find the Mac attractive, too.

You will definitely have fewer virus and spyware problems on a mac. This is in large part due to what tp_cracker pointed out---simply that most malicious software is written to target Windows.

For Internet browsing, word-processing, music, video, and photos, you will love the Mac and feel at home once you get familiar with the slightly different interfaces.

The Mac has it's own products for word-processing, but you can get Microsoft Office for the Mac. Mac Word and Excel now use the same format as Windows so you can swap files back and forth.

The problem will be games. Of course a lot of games are available for the Mac, but the mass-majority run on Windows. So your kids most beloved games may not be available on Mac.

Ah...but here is the solution to Windows-compatibility. One product is called Base Camp, and I think it is directly from Apple. It allows you to boot both Mac and Windows on one computer. (Not at the same time of course!) When you turn it on, it asks "Windows or Mac?". You are required to purchase WinXP, though, which last I checked I think was $180 or so?

The other product is Parallels and it does not cost much, but you still need a WinXP licensed copy. It runs Windows in a window on your Mac desktop.

I feel your pain. I limit my issues using these techniques (it sounds like you are already doing most of these):

• Private network / Firewall - I use a Linksys router (wired or wireless--either is fine). In my opinion, you HAVE to have this first level of protection. If you connect your computer directly to your cable-modem, your computer has a public IP Address which means hackers can reach your computer to attempt hacks. With the router in between, the Router's external ethernet port has a public IP Address and all the computers have a private IP Address. This means that nobody on the Internet can directly reach your computers. They have to go through the router and only traffic specifically allowed by the router will be sent to your computer(s).
  
  This is, in effect, a firewall. I do not run the built-in Windows Firewall or any other software-based firewall. I want performance and every piece of software your computer has to run leaves less for you to run the things you really want to run.

• Antivirus
  http://www.avast.com/eng/free_virus_protectio.html
  Antivirus is a must. A firewall blocks unwarranted traffic, but it cannot stop a virus that you willingly install by opening a malicious email attachment or installing a bad ActiveX component on a website or simply file-sharing with your buddies--who may have infected systems. Avast has a free version and consistently scores well in the antivirus tests. I find that Avast works well and interrupts my system less than Norton's products. I still hate that I have to run this crap--it does slow your system down, but it's the price we pay for living in a world full of smacktards.

• Anti-Spyware, Anti-Adware
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adware
  Spyware is malicious software designed to spy on your activities and possibly steal passwords and account info. AdWare is malicious software that is designed to spam you with ads that hopefully target things you are interested in. These types of software can be especially damaging to system performance because they usually involve inserting sniffers into your low-level network code to listen to every packet of traffic going across your network. Below are some products I use to defend againt Spyware and Adware.
  
  • Windows Defender
    http://www.microsoft.com/athome/securit ... fault.mspx
    This is a relatively new product from Windows, and it was installed automatically on my system by the Windows Updates I have set to "auto-install all recommended updates". I don't know much about it, but it is supposed to stay aware of the most common threats and block them. I don't know how effective it is, but it does not seem to interrupt my system or cause me any issues. So I allow it to do its thing.
  
  
  • AdAware
    http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
  • Spybot Search & Destroy
    http://www.safer-networking.org/en/home/index.html
    This program is designed to do basically the same thing as AdAware, but no single product gets all this crap off your system. So running several increases your chance of cleaning off all this crap.
    
    Both AdAware and Spybot have modes that allow you to run them all the time to prevent infections. I do not use this feature because, like I said, I don't want MORE crap running when I'm trying to actually USE my computer to do what I WANT to do. Instead, I tend to run these about once a month. Everytime you run them, it is imperative that you first let them do their updates--there are ALWAYS new dat files with new threats to recognize.

Using these technologies, I've faired relatively well. Just 8 years ago, most of these things were hardly anything to worry about. Now, if you put an unprotected computer on a broadband Internet connection, it will probably be compromised within 15 minutes--many times less than that.

Thanks for the input, sounds like I may be weak on the firewall side of things. I have only used the software based windows firewall and I don't know much about it other than it's not good enough.

I live in an area where broadband isn't easily purchased. I'd have to go with a roof mounted microwave antenna and the upfront costs are large as well as the monthly subscription. I have dial up. PIA and I may spring for the high speed if I can get the computer back to normal.

I did rid my house of the sister in law virus. She's a piece of work. Try to help a family member "get back on thier feet" and you only end up feeling used and arguing more with your s/o about the whole affair. Some people with poor habits will never change and will always be poor.

No, I'm not bitter am I?

Windows computers are cheap. Check out MicroCenter online or at 91st and Metcalf in JoCo. A decent machine, with XP (or now with the newer whatever), last fall was $350 with a monitor. Not for gamers, but plenty for internet, MS Office, etc.

This leads to a different solution: Have two computers. One for you that you keep clean. One for the kids and others that can be wiped clean (electronically) for a clean re-install if need be. Thus you aren't having to reinstall programs other than Windows and your secuirty software.

Macs are good / great, but are still more expensive.

As Troy pointed out and to, lots of protection software is out there for free. You don't need to pay for Norton or any other security suite.

Ooh..yeah...what Mike said. Best plan for you, unless you just want a Mac, is to get another computer. Get yours working and configured the way you like and keep it clean. Take a second PC, get it all setup for the kids with the games they like then make an image of the entire HD with a program like Ghost. This allows you at any time to just put the HD back to that point.

The idea is that the kids really wont have any "data" to worry about. And if they do--too bad. They mess up their computer, then it gets restored back to the original state.

Norton Ghost
I think you can get it for about $50 at other retailers.

Let go of the bitterness, man. It'll rot you from the inside out.

I have both a Mac based on the new Intel duo core chip and a new quad core PC. I tried Windows on the Mac using BootCamp from Mac. It didn't copy all of the drivers over, a known problem and one Mac was unwilling to address or help you with. I finally had to wipe it clean after attempting to install XP Pro (which would allow me to address both cores, unlike XP Home) and am using Mac 10.4.9. It is slow and not very impressive. (Try 26 minutes loading a 4.4 GB DVD....)

The new PC is blazingly fast. I protect it with PC-Cillin from Micro Trend. That keeps it clean of viruses, trojans, worms, and other malicious software. The MacBookPro is OK for demonstrating finished files to clients but it is far too slow for production work. With what it wiped out in software and the expense of buying Mac specific software for it the MacBookPro ended up costing me more than my hot-dogger PC. I cannot recommend Macs based on my experience.

Stu

So Stu, you are saying you have the new 525 of PC's (blazing fast)?

Jeff620RXC wrote:So Stu, you are saying you have the new 525 of PC's (blazing fast)?

Nope. More like an F-16. 525 is out of its element here. The PC is about to get faster. I am going back to XP Pro, a smaller kernel, so it will load and operate faster. I am giving up 2 GB of RAM and going back to 4 GB, tho. Guess what with Vista x64? No one manufactures a calibratable monitor for either XP x64 or Vista x64. Since Vista x64 reads files differently the Vista 32 bit OS authenticated files the files are "Not a recognizable file type" under x64. Also, no one makes a high end printer that has been tested under x64 systems. That is a baffler since the graphics industry is RAM & disk intensive and you would think that addressing up to 128 GB of RAM would be better than the 32 bit 4 GB limit. Retarded.

Stu