Common sense, yes, but ...

[DYN_DaTa]

I'm a windows user since the Windows 3.1 days, i've been using Microsoft products everyday and everywhere but recently the 'new' security problems that affected, for example, Internet Explorer, has changed my perception about this thingy called 'Internet' and Microsoft's irresponsibility.


A few examples:

(10-Jun-2004) United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team

(24-June-2004) Microsoft Security

(30-June-2004) MSN Slate Magazine


Those are examples of security holes on Internet Explorer (the recent ones affected banking websites) and one starts to think what the hell is doing Microsoft with his programs; i mean, c'mon, Microsoft is the biggest software company on the world, it has the 90% of the personal computer market and it has the money to hire the best programmers, why then each week we have 'another' Microsoft security problem?¿.

I'm starting to think seriously to change to Linux (probably Fedora & FireFox), i'm too tired to patch my laptop every damn week with WindowsUpdate and OfficeUpdate (hell, even there're patchs that give conflicts with other Microsoft patchs!!!) ... if i change i hope that FlashFXP will work with Wine. Anyway what are your thoughts about this subject?.


P.S: this is not a 'Slashdot' flame-war, we're talking about facts and not perceptions and I think this subject is important.

[MxxCon]

well, IE is a pretty big piece of code and it has a huge userbase, so don't expect them to release a fix 5min after some bug is discovered. they need to make sure that each patch works in all possible configs and there are possible issues that might require additional fixes...those fixes won't nessarly affect you but they were warranted enough to be released.
and with MS's policy of releasing bulletins and hotfixes once a month i don't know what's better, having new patch every 2 days or going a month unprotected.

but then again, don't over-hype *nix(or opensource) os. they have security issues as well, and they can release new hotfixes every 2 days just as easy..

personally the only thing that keeps me using windows are games. i can do everything i want to do in either os. but i don't see security as a major reason for ME to switch. i'm not saying security is not important, rather my system would be just as secure w/ win32 or nix

[Tribl]

i thougth about using linux for some time now too, but then i thought, well what do i need my PC for, and came to the conclution that its not really worth it to change to linux and learn how it works(all that command line stuff etc).

i usually use my PC to surf the internet (ok for that i would me reasonable).
to play games linux is of no use, to watch movies and stuff on the tv via my ati card linux again is of no use unless u really know what u are doing or can program some script etc for yourself.
and to do some film editing or converting i dont need linux as well.

so in the end windows is the more reasonable choice for me(and hey i paid for it, so i'm gonna use it until its not supported anymore )

Edit: and for that security issues, i never had problems with them, althoguh i have no antivirus installed,
and lately there have been some security issues with linux as well, i think there are as many problems as in windows but since there are not so many users they are not found so fast on one side, and on the other linux users are mostly freaks who know what they are doin and know how to make a PC save.

[Dumpa]

Linux is just too complicated for me.

I like Mozilla Firefox and use IE for updates only.