Pornographic Eggs
However, my parents tell me to get a Mac only because it it virus-free and it lasts longer.
Inform your parents that Macs are
not virus-free. In fact, there has been a recent problem with viruses on Macs that started due to bugs in Java. A few other viruses and other malware exist.
Pornographic Eggs
I have had more experience with Windows computers and I even know how to build one completely from scratch. The stuff I do on Windows is much more flexible and I can't really do ANYTHING on a Mac.
I keep on telling my parents that Windows is better because you can build one completely from scratch and more programs are compatible with Windows. My parents still don't agree with me because they are afraid of viruses getting on my computer and whatnot.
I still want to purchase a Windows because I've had more experience with it, it's cheaper, and I don't have to purchase a whole new computer if it breaks down or something.
You can run Windows on Macs, if you weren't already aware. And Macs are the same hardware - and generally the same price - as any high-end big-brand Windows system.
Your parents' concerns are unfounded. Yes, Windows has a problem with viruses. But when the system is properly maintained, it's kept updated with security patches as they come out, and it has one good antivirus suite (and one malware package) installed and running, and as long as you keep Adobe Flash Player and Java and your browser and all your other software updated, you're extremely unlikely to get a virus.
But the same is true of any other system, whether it's running Mac OS X or Linux: Keep everything updated, and you won't have a problem.
People get viruses because they surf illicit sites like porn galleries and warez sites and public torrent sites and the other dark backalleys of the Internet, and they don't keep their software updated.
Adobe Flash Player is one of the ways viruses get in.
Another is Adobe Reader (which you should
never install).
Another is Java's browser plugin for running applets (which you should
disable in all your browsers). (The rest of Java is fine, it's just the applets browser plugin that is a problem.)
Another is Internet Explorer (which you should keep updated to the latest version and never use).
As long as you do that, and keep everything else updated, and keep your virus software caught up on virus definitions, and don't spend time in the seedy part of the web, you'll be fine.
And what about all of those things that make people say, "I've got a virus!1!" Well,
almost none of those issues are actually caused by a virus. They're more often driver problems, buggy software, crappy websites, intrusive online advertisements, or a simple case of using the software wrong. Real viruses cause Windows Explorer (the file browser) to crash. Real malware causes browser popups from Internet Explorer when you're using Firefox. Real trojans are completely invisible until someone in another country starts taking over your computer. Real worms start using up all your network bandwidth to start sending emails for some spammer somewhere, without ever actually being apparent. But what your parents call a virus is probably just them not understanding their computer.
And frankly, your parents should not be using computers.
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