Free Versions of Snow Leopard Have Malware

For $29 for the os upgrade i would pay instead of downloading from the net.

WHAT?!?!? VIRUS'S ON A MAC!!!

That's obviously impossible... Macs don't have problems...

Mac's are more susceptible to viruses than 64-bit Windows Vista. Hackers just haven't made any serious attempts to infect Mac's yet.

Yeah its not like the OS costs something criminally ridiculous like $300 for a retail copy...

Trojans aren't technically viruses.

come on (techguy378), it's sarcasm...

i just bought a new macbook and am quite unfamiliar withe the macs, do you guys think that i should upgrade.

yes!! malware on macs!! oh i have dreamed of this day!

You should upgrade, buy a pc!

Keep the computer and load win 7. Why waste the cool looking computer.

sounds like when my friend used the windows update function....and it deleted some of the code for his log-on scripts. malware on ILLEGAL copies of the new OS...who would of thought that one cough *microsoft genuine advantage*

that should be called genuine disadvante since pirated ones don't have that problem and those that are caught see degraded usability.

Its Bill Gates' plot to DESTROY apple!!!!! OH NO!!! Whatever, no one really cares right? Fruit eventually spoil, even in the fridge.

The really sad part about this whole thing is that most mac users (gotta be somewhere close to 80%) don't run any type of malware protection software or firewalls (aside from a basic router, i.e. Airport Extreme), and a lot of this has to do with the Apple's "I'm a Mac" and other ads about how this sorta thing just doesn't happen to Macs. I've been in many schools that have rooms full of Macs that aren't protected, and they say that's why they bought them instead of PC's. They didn't want to have to spend the extra time and money on security and malware protection.

Crazy people... ..

Mac OS X doesn't have retail copies, all copies are upgrades under the EULA, and logically as each Mac comes with a copy of OS X preinstalled.

Retail copies of Windows are for system builders who can't upgrade from a previous version, and prefer to not be limited by the licensing of an OEM copy.

And on the heels of those new Mac commercials

wifiwolf i hear what u are saying, dont need to convert me i am an somewhat of an avid gamer on my desktop and love my bluescreens. One of the biggest reason that i bought the mac was that i wanted the free ipod touch, even then apple is screwing you over because they are going to release new ipods this september or something so they probably needed to liquidate inventory or something

Not until 10.6.1 or 10.6.2. You never want to be one of the first to install the first release of a major piece of software, at least not on the primary machine you use. I don't care if it's from Apple, MS, or anyone else (except me, my software always* works correctly the first time).

* - when used in the exact conditions under which it was tested.

Maybe this is divine retribution, maybe a French virus writer had a iPhone explode in his face and he decided that Windows isn't the real enemy. Thank you virus writers for proving that something based on Unix isn't all "holier-than-thou"

When I say virus I mean trojans, malware, shitware, etc before you all get arsey..

Apple usres, im afraid to say, seem to be ignorant when it comes to viruses. flat out ignoring that tghey can get them. Apple pcs are always the first to get hacked at those conventions. the iphone has pathetic protection iv heard lol. As for installing a new OS, Windows 7 has been running on peoples PCs for months now and hasnt seen any issues as far as i am aware, and its not even due out until october. seems like theyve done a great job.

How to avoid unsavory software:
Don't download illegal stuff
Don't look at porn OR have a hard drive with os that you can plug in for watching porn.

well if they get infected its their fault for downloading it, its only £25 just pay for it, I also have antivirus and a firewall setup on both my mac and on my network you can never take anything for granted when it comes to security.

OMG and the sky is blue!! lol, youre gonna take a big chance by downloading an OS off of BT or and sharing type service.

@ techguy378
Your right Macs don't have viruses and this article is about a Trojan horse that the user must install to get it to work for the bad guys.

@ betrayer_ Yes, buy a copy of Snow Leopard, good improvement over Leopard and for $29 it's well worth it. Don't listen to the MS trolls on this site, they are just jealous. Let them pay hundreds of $$ for their Windows 7, your Snow Leopard is superior to it because it is not built on a Swiss Cheese foundation, one of reasons Macs don't get viruses. The file system does not require defrag because it actually is designed well and not crap layered on top of old crap.

@ megamanx00 It is not an upgrade. If you buy the $29 Snow Leopard DVD it is the full version of the OS. You can put it in any intel Mac with a new or wiped drive and it will format the drive and install without any problems. It will not ask you for your old OS disk to verify you have one like Windose does.

Ah the Mac haters will surly flame me now, I can take it as I sit here typing under Ubuntu.

I use a Mac and I am still careful since I used Windows for over 8 years.

Correction @ megamanx00 was intended for @ manjyomethunder in the above post, sorry dude.

That's rather like saying "I'm ignorant of police booking procedures because I've never been arrested". You think that's a negative? Yes, Mac users have been fortunate to not have to deal with viruses or a significant number of trojans or other malware. That will end at time time, but it's not a negative that they haven't had to learn the hard way.

They Will learn the hard way, that's the beauty of it. Some people may be smart enough to actually be careful what they do and download on the web and install antivirus software. The truth is that most people will just prance along with their "I'm a Mac, we don't have viruses!" and eventually get infected with tons of spyware, malware and trojans.

Regulas, you prove my point exactly. In 2 out of 3 rebuttals you used "Mac's don't get viruses" as argument. Doesn't matter what you call it, if its virus, trojan, spyware, or malware... The end result is the same, your Mac is infected with something that it's technically immune to, according to Apple ads. Say what you want, but a normal person doesn't care that a trojan is not a virus, all they remember is that Macs are supposed to be trouble free.

FYI, even viruses need to be "installed" in some manner, they don't just magically appear on PCs. User interaction is always required on some level. That's why I always tell my clients that the best antivirus is their own judgment.

I new it would only be a matter of time before the naughty boys heard enough about how 'bulit proof' the apple platform is and proved them wrong.

I wish virus writers would just BOMB Mac for like a year and show everyone that has one how stupid they are.

Shame on you Tom's for the misleading title... You purposely insinuated that there's malware in the upgrade version of the OS, whereas this is not the case at all...the issue is that silly computer users who fall for tricks get what they deserve, but at no fault of Apple's. I am not an Apple fanboy, but I feel that your title was entirely misleading.