http://clusty.com/search?query=osx+v...Mozilla-search

But if you take reasonable steps, like not surfing with admin privileges, not clicking on every single link in every spam message, and not purposely visiting every porn/warez site, your risk is pretty low.

There's a much bigger pond of windows / IE users to go fishing in, with plenty of them to catch.

Yes they do, ClamX is good protection, I use it. Although I have found two viruses in one year, also use Firefox with the NoScript add on.

In other words, purchase an external backup such as firefox. Back up your sys regularly and if you do get infected, you at least have a date reference to restore prior to the date of infection.

There has been no viruses on Mac. They can get a virus in theory but as long as you keep it updated and use a user account, not the administartor account it seems virtually impossible to get a virus.

There are people selling anti-virus software for Macs which "find" viruses on Macs but if they are reporting correctly they are finding windows viruses which cannot operate on a Mac.

I have been using Mac for 7 yrs and have tested my macbook recently by using it to go into the dodgiest sites I could find just to see what would happen. No viruses at all.

Mac keep ahead of any weaknesses in their system with updates and there are very few viruses written for Mac as there is such a small user base. Also Unix is a way more stable system than microsoft.

Keep browsing and don't waste money on any software.

I can agree on that. Basically every computer can get a virus (which is nothing else than a normal programme). Theoretically you can crash your computer by installing good software (Photoshop, Cinema, iLife, etc). But who buys viruses on CD? You can get them only within spam-mails or unserious server. With normal respect and healthy distance to programmes that you don't know you shouldn't get in trouble.

Any changes on the Mac OS environment has to be accepted by the user with the admin-password. Application cannot be started on its own by simply loading them in you browser cache (as it works in Outlook an IE for some very strange reasons). So as long as you don't loin as admin or simply install everything you find in a spam-email there shouldn't be a problem with your system at all.

In my opinion MacOS is the most stable and save OS that is currently available. The problems it had in version 7&8 are totaly banned. Apple has the quickest Update-Service (Linux unfortunately the poorest one). So as soom as a problem is reported the work on a patch begins - in normal case you shouldn't even get in touch with the bug at all.

Greetings
Simon

thx alot.. well i dont even read any spam mail. my only worry is the pendrive.. i use it at school where all my friends been using there pendrive too, dunno if one of them might be infected.. well i actually got an OS X macbook.. i use it only for my assignments and research..

Apples' Operating System gets viruses becuase of unix. All higher level hackers use and are very confortable with it. OSX is based off of FreeBSD 64-Bit....

Mac Viruses are not as nearly common as PC viruses for the simple fact that up until the past few years, Mac users were quite minimal. People simply have yet to sit down and develop a malicious piece of code aimed solely at Macs as they have done with PCs. There was a great write up on this on CNET.com the other day, here is the link to two separate pieces:

http://news.cnet.com/Mac-OS-X-in-hac...3-5630481.html

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10318972-245.html

Well i myself m a new mac-owner and i was confused too as to whether a mac requires an anti-virus software as i frequently used to explore them in my PC before. Well the Mac OSX is quite robust and it requires little to no protection, but if virus are still bugging u, u can try to download IAnti-virus, it is freeware, well last time i checked. Hope that helps!