Need Apple advice

regulus · 10 Dec 2006 at 13:50

My girlfriend keep getting spyware and viruses on her laptop and it's always down to me to struggle to get rid of them. She doesn't download anything or really install anything. They just seem to appear from nowhere.

Anyway. I'm fed up with it now so I'm going down the Apple store to get her a Mac tomorrow. I've never used a Mac before and was wondering if it's totally different than using a PC. Also, do I need to buy any additional software? She's just your typical Ipod, email and news user.

Edit: Does Skype work on Macs?

dirtydog · 10 Dec 2006 at 13:54

Wrong forum

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=10

solitude · 10 Dec 2006 at 14:31

Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just teach her how to install and update anti virus and spyware protection software. In fact mine does it automatically, and scans automatically. Couldn't be simpler really.

MarcLister · 10 Dec 2006 at 14:39

solitude said:
Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just teach her how to install and update anti virus and spyware protection software. In fact mine does it automatically, and scans automatically. Couldn't be simpler really.

I agree with this. Going to a Mac is quite a drastic course of action. Install Firefox on her PC and get it to only accept cookies from the sites she regularly uses then perhaps install the Adblock extension with Filterset G as well.

Then install and run Spybot, Ad-aware and AVG's Anti-Spyware progs and get them to run once a week using scheduled tasks. Make sure she has a decent AV and FW and set them up properly. You could also give that Spywareblaster thing a go. And depending on what kind of email provider she has, give Thunderbird a try. That should block a fair amount of spam if not most of it.

PinkPig · 10 Dec 2006 at 15:02

regulus said:
My girlfriend keep getting spyware and viruses on her laptop and it's always down to me to struggle to get rid of them. She doesn't download anything or really install anything. They just seem to appear from nowhere.

They don't appear from nowhere, if she has up-to-date Virus and Firewall software installed there wouldn't be a problem, and you could set it up properly in about 10 minutes, seems very drastic to buy a new computer for no good reason.