HarryTheSpider

I have Symantec anti virus something or other on my Mac - it has to be there for work purposes.

I'm not sure it does anything other than get in the way from time to time - a minor irritant...

so I have 2 questions...

Does it actually do anything, and

What potentially useless sh*t have you got on your PC - any flavour - Mac, Windows, Linux, ZX-80 - what ever...?

willmore

Might be more productive if you asked a mod to move this to the lab. In the meantime, Ive been on a Mac for years and have never had a need for any anti-virus software.......but then Im not a expert....

cowtowntaff

Very hard to get infected on a Mac. Usually anything legit or malicious will ask before installing itself. OSX has a very good firewall, typically it will be turned off. If you feel like a bit of extra security turn that on.

fatbrit

It stops you passing viruses on to Windows users.

HarryTheSpider

Now where is the fun in THAT?!

sir_eccles

Strictly speaking, most Windows viruses ask before installing themselves too and people gladly click "OK".

PEBCAK

CherryPi

We just use MacScan, seems to work fine for us, we very rarely run it, and when we do it never finds anything.

HarryTheSpider

Good point - easy to forget.

Bob

You still manage to fpluck it up on an almost daily basis though!

KetteringEnglandRocks2005

I would say it is a good idea especially if you send a lot of stuff to Windows users.

Anian

There are increasingly more mac viruses that can bypass the controls built in to iOS, usually via another program such as Acrobat or Flash. Not quite as prevalent as Windows, but not immune.

fatbrit

Macs ran OSX last time I looked.

And iOS doesn't do Flash.

Anian

Oops, yeah that's what I meant, OSX. I have TMA syndrome: too many acronyms.

KetteringEnglandRocks2005

So I guess it is time for me go and buy an anti Virus for my I mac and spend 48 hours a week for a virus scan. This is what I hate about anti Virus software but I guess I will have to deal with it. Well that and every time I hook up my external hard drive and or Aa DVD or CD it wants to do a scan and slows my computer down trying to get the scan to stop. I will just have to deal with it. Oh well.

What is a good anti virus for Mac OS 10.5.8 anyway? Help would be much appreciate it.

fatbrit

Use the standard FOSS *nix AV -- clamav. I believe there's an OSX variant.