Mac vs PC: Windows 7 Edition

Reason #1013 not to Pirate software

There are many reasons NOT to pirate software: ethics, legal issues, inevitable corrupted files, lack of tech support, denying developers the money they need to continue the software, etc. But we have a reminder of perhaps the best reason not to download software off of the internet: it is very likely to be infected with a virus or trojan horse. A pirated version of iWork is infecting naive and unethical users with a back door into their Macs.

Security firm Intego identified the trojan in question late yesterday. Dubbed "OSX.Trojan.iServices.A," the trojan is hidden as an extra package—iWorkServices.pkg—in an otherwise fully-functional iWork '09 installer. Once you authenticate with your password to install the software, the trojan installs as a startup item in /System/Library/StartupItems/iWorkServices, an area normally reserved for Apple-only files, giving it read, write, and execute permissions as root. It then connects to a remote server, essentially creating a wide open back door for malicious attackers to do just about anything they want.

Overview of iWork.Com

When Apple announced iWork.Com on Tuesday, the internet was instantly alight with a single question, "Why bother creating a Google Docs competitor?" After all, many businesses and individuals already find Google Docs to provide all the function they need for FREE (iWork is free as Beta, but will be paid eventually). AppleInsider has up a good overview of the new service and explains how it fits into Apple's iWork strategy.

For Apple, online services are a way to enhance its desktop apps rather than to replace them. MobileMe enhances Mac OS X's Mail, Contacts, and Address Book by making their data available online and to mobile devices, or at least the iPhone and iPod touch. The new iWork.com does the same thing for Keynote, Pages, and Numbers: it makes it super easy to sync documents up to the cloud for access from the iPhone, as well as making it trivial to present documents to Windows PC and Office users, with no translation required.

I was originally quite excited about iWork. I bought the original and upgrades thru iWork 08. But I have honestly almost never used the software - opting for Google Docs, NeoOffice, and OpenOffice instead - and do not plan to upgrade to iWork 09. Perhaps iWork.Com can change the mind of others like me.

New "Get a Mac" Ads

There are three new ads up here, but the one below is by far my favorite.

Oh, the irony!!

Oh, the irony!!
Originally uploaded by Veronica BelmontNever personally seen this, but it's funny in its own way.

Mac vs PC Newswire

Virtualization on the cheap

As a Mac user something that really irritates me is when I go to a website and the service it provides is only for Internet Explorer on Windows. Or when a piece of software is Windows only. Fortunately when Apple went to using Intel processors for the Mac a new line of virtualization programs came along. The two best in this field are Parallels and VMWare Fusion. Both of these programs are excellent, but they cost $60-$100 depending on when and where you buy them. If you are like me and need to use Windows on a daily basis for something (in my case I have to check to make sure pages render correctly in 3 [yes 3] versions of IE), then it makes sense to dole out the cash for one of these programs. I use VMWare Fusion and I'm very happy with it. But if it's just an occasional thing where you want to try something then putting out the cash might not be worth it. Enter Virtual Box (vbox). Vbox works much like the other pieces of software mentioned here with one difference, it's open source and as such it's free. From the review it sounds like it works well or at least well enough for the casual user. If you're looking for a virtualization program, this may be the ticket for you.

Note: You probably have to own a copy of Windows to install it on vbox, so that would be a cost for you to consider.

The more things change, the more they remain the same

US Military Buys More Macs

Forbes magazine has up an article on how the US Military is buying more Macs in order to try and diversify their platforms in case of cyber-attacks. This was brought on because of increased attempts this last year by hackers to infiltrate the governments computer systems. Less programs are designed to infiltrate a Mac, so at least for now, they are safer for the government to use.

HandBrake is back from the dead!

After being abandoned by its original developer, I am pleased to see that the best DVD ripper in the world is an active and developing project again! HandBrake is he best DVD ripper I am aware of for any operating system. You simply insert a DVD into your Mac (protected or unprotected), select the format you want and click "Convert". That is all there is to it. Compare this to Windows programs which may you first rip the DVD, then remove copy protection, then convert it to your chosen video format.

Long live the new HandBrake!