Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 08 September 2008 16:39
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 6
David then says the second reason is because Linux is “the safest operating system ever.”
Well, I’m sure Mac OS X advocates would like to argue about that. However, given that the real security flaw in most computers is actually the user, often being fooled by a “social engineering” trick to open up malware, Linux and Mac OS X will always be just as vulnerable to these kinds of tricks as Windows users.
In addition, a fact of life for Windows users is the need for an Internet security suite of some kind.
Windows users can easily craft their own free security suites, from AVG or Avast Free editions, the ZoneAlarm Free firewall and free anti-malware software (such as Spybot Search and Destroy, and AdAware), or they can buy an Internet security suite that protects them automatically.
The best example of a modern Internet security suite is Norton Internet Security Suite 2009, due to be released sometime in September. It claims to deliver (and in my own personal tests, delivers on the promise of) “zero impact performance” – ensuring that your Internet security suite doesn’t get in the way.
Yes, Windows should have been written better to avoid the need for Internet security suites in the first place, but we live in a world where crime is rife. Do you have locks on your doors, your car, and passwords for all your online accounts – even your computer itself? Of course you do.
Windows is the OS market leader, so it’s natural that the “bad guys” are trying to break in. Keeping yourself protected is a simple matter of education and the right protective software.
There are also other security packages for Windows that complement and augment whatever Internet security suite you're using which just aren't available on other systems, such as TrustDefender and ZoneAlarm Forcefield.
Reason number 3 to switch to Linux is because “Your PC can look after itself”. Well, your Windows Vista PC can look after itself, too! Defragmentation of the hard drive is set up to run automatically on Vista, and you can run it yourself at any time.
Sure, Linux and the Mac OS are supposed to have hard disks that require no defragmentation, but it’s a process that can certainly be run automatically on Vista PCs. Vista also automatically updates itself with the latest security updates and all Internet security suites update themselves automatically, too.
You can even set your computer up to make automatic backups to an external hard drive, or an online storage space, with backups something that Linux and Mac OS X users need to perform as well (whether manually or automatically).
Yes, you might need the help of a knowledgeable computer friend or a commercial computer help-desk service to set this up, but chances are if you need that assistance to begin with, you’ll need help moving to Linux in the first place!
What are all the other reasons why Vista is the best OS, and arguments for Linux just don’t stack up? Please read on to page 3.
