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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - New Windows ad takes jab at Macs

Wrong.......if the Open firmware password is set you can not simply use the OS X install disc to boot the machine and change the password......not without knowing the existing password first.  Now how is that less secure then a BIOS password that requires you to know the existing BIOS password before you can change it?

 

Ok so this Open Firmware password must be set to prevent me from using the OS X disc, then.  How many average, uninformed Mac purchasers do you think knows to set this up?  All I am saying, which you two keep missing, is that the Mac is much more vulnerable to a very simple attack.  You cannot simply use a Windows OS disc to break into any Windows PC like I can do with a Mac (unless Open Firmware password is set).

 



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arsenicazure said:
come on guys.. didnt the mac platform shift to the PC platform when mac jumped into bed with intel with core duo and then again with wintel with bootcamp.

Overall M$ is still smarter here.. PC's can do more stuff than mac. Its nice that macs have a more stable/virus free OS, but compared to windows they have horridly expensive hardware(why the hell use proprietary RAM), limited 3rd party support. In fact I choose ubuntu over OSX anyday..

why dont mac ads show macs running web servers, or playing cool 1080p higher games? well coz very very few macs do that..

Im not a huge vista supporter either, even though it runs on my rig fine, but paying 2-3 even 4x for the same shit is ridiculous.

You are living in the past my friend.  Macs use all industry standards parts- hard drives, memory, graphics cards, processors.   They do use custom designed mother boards and fan systems (which is why they are so quiet),  which supports Apple's corporate interest in unique design and creating attractive form factors.  

 

 



nightsurge said:

Wrong.......if the Open firmware password is set you can not simply use the OS X install disc to boot the machine and change the password......not without knowing the existing password first.  Now how is that less secure then a BIOS password that requires you to know the existing BIOS password before you can change it?

 

Ok so this Open Firmware password must be set to prevent me from using the OS X disc, then.  How many average, uninformed Mac purchasers do you think knows to set this up?  All I am saying, which you two keep missing, is that the Mac is much more vulnerable to a very simple attack.  You cannot simply use a Windows OS disc to break into any Windows PC like I can do with a Mac (unless Open Firmware password is set).

 

And what we are saying that you keep missing is that just because the technique is slightly different doesn't mean the capability isn't there and isn't as secure.   

 



StarrGazer said:
arsenicazure said:
come on guys.. didnt the mac platform shift to the PC platform when mac jumped into bed with intel with core duo and then again with wintel with bootcamp.

Overall M$ is still smarter here.. PC's can do more stuff than mac. Its nice that macs have a more stable/virus free OS, but compared to windows they have horridly expensive hardware(why the hell use proprietary RAM), limited 3rd party support. In fact I choose ubuntu over OSX anyday..

why dont mac ads show macs running web servers, or playing cool 1080p higher games? well coz very very few macs do that..

Im not a huge vista supporter either, even though it runs on my rig fine, but paying 2-3 even 4x for the same shit is ridiculous.

You are living in the past my friend.  Macs use all industry standards parts- hard drives, memory, graphics cards, processors.   They do use custom designed mother boards and fan systems (which is why they are so quiet),  which supports Apple's corporate interest in unique design and creating attractive form factors.  

 

 

So basically they are overcharging a ton for the same hardware.  The OS is only $100, and if the hardware is the same as that of a PC, why the extra $500+ cost?

And what we are saying that you keep missing is that just because the technique is slightly different doesn't mean the capability isn't there and isn't as secure.

But it is NOT as secure.  Windows requires nothing to be setup to protect it from password reset by using the OS disc.   Sure Macs may have different techniques to make them secure, but right out of the box, for the general user setup, they will be vulnerable and will remain much more vulnerable.  You still haven't seemed to grasp that was my point.  Instead you insist on trying to give examples of how the Mac "can" be secure, but only after editing certain aspects using methods unknown to the general public.



I wouldn't be Suprised if Bill Gates, and the rest of his company uses a Mac.



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lolita said:
I find this quite pathetic. Why does MS need to make those ads when they still have the biggest marketshare anyway? Are they starting to feel threatened or something?

They could simply ignore it and focus on making their OS better instead of spending all that money into making useless ads like this.

Microsoft is ALL about marketing.  Have a product, even flawed, that does the job, and then work out deals of bundling plus marketing, to gain marketshare.  Of course the PC market is threatened.  Linux is coming on, and the Mac ads have been effective.  If the ads don't matter, why does Apple have to run Mac vs PC spots?

A better OS isn't why you make money.  It is the alliances and distribution that counts.

 



CaptainDJ said:
I wouldn't be Suprised if Bill Gates, and the rest of his company uses a Mac.

I would be.  They could get much more productivity and cost effectiveness out of a PC.  Oh and Bill Gates doesn't even allow Apple products in his own home, so why would he allow them at work?



nightsurge said:

Wrong.......if the Open firmware password is set you can not simply use the OS X install disc to boot the machine and change the password......not without knowing the existing password first. Now how is that less secure then a BIOS password that requires you to know the existing BIOS password before you can change it?

 

Ok so this Open Firmware password must be set to prevent me from using the OS X disc, then. How many average, uninformed Mac purchasers do you think knows to set this up? All I am saying, which you two keep missing, is that the Mac is much more vulnerable to a very simple attack. You cannot simply use a Windows OS disc to break into any Windows PC like I can do with a Mac (unless Open Firmware password is set).

 

 

You're right. If an intelligent and informed IT professional like yourself has no clue how to securely lock down a Mac, Joe Blow isn't going to be able to figure it out either.

Of course, if we asked Joe Blow how concerned he was about somebody putting a boot disc into his PC and changing his password, he'd probably be more concerned about the intruder breaking into his home/office than which operating system he was running.



"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event."  — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
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vlad321 said:
ssj12 said:

Windows 7 = XP > Vista

And

Linux distros > Mac > Windows

 

 

That is ridiculously false.

It's Linux > WIndows > Mac

Why?

Because as I stated earlier, the Mac has the downfalls of both Linux and Windows, and none of the benefits.

It is fun when the Linux crew chimes in on the power of OSes.  When they talk, it causes the Mac side to not to be able to say anything, because chiming in about "well, you don't have software" to them ends up with the PC crowd laughing at them.  And they can't discuss price either.  But hey, just like the case of fanboys in consoles (like the case of the Wii not being shot at because it takes shot at Sony and Microsoft), Mac fanatics would be happy that it isn't a PC being bought.

But Macs are warm and fuzzy and preferred for some application areas.



famousringo said:
nightsurge said:

Wrong.......if the Open firmware password is set you can not simply use the OS X install disc to boot the machine and change the password......not without knowing the existing password first. Now how is that less secure then a BIOS password that requires you to know the existing BIOS password before you can change it?

 

Ok so this Open Firmware password must be set to prevent me from using the OS X disc, then. How many average, uninformed Mac purchasers do you think knows to set this up? All I am saying, which you two keep missing, is that the Mac is much more vulnerable to a very simple attack. You cannot simply use a Windows OS disc to break into any Windows PC like I can do with a Mac (unless Open Firmware password is set).

 

 

You're right. If an intelligent and informed IT professional like yourself has no clue how to securely lock down a Mac, Joe Blow isn't going to be able to figure it out either.

Of course, if we asked Joe Blow how concerned he was about somebody putting a boot disc into his PC and changing his password, he'd probably be more concerned about the intruder breaking into his home/office than which operating system he was running.

Luckily... and yes I mean luckily... my experiences with Macs in the work force as an IT professional has been very limited.  It seems most places I have worked for has realized the lack of benefits from using Macs, and thus only a handful of them exist in our department.  Actually, with the Macs we have reaching about 3-6 years old now, they are looking at being replaced with PC's now, since they discovered there was no benefits to purchasing a new Mac.