Mac Question

[samy]

I was wondering since I am fairly new to Mac and always used Windows in the past if there is a place to empty your cookies, temporary internet files like on Windows. Also on Windows you can defragment to create more space. Does Mac have something like that? Forgive me if these are dumb questions but I have been looking around my macbook and trying to keep it up to date without a lot of excess junk.
Thanks in advance.

[dturner]

Go to safari-reset safari and check the items you want.
No need to defragment on a mac.
Welcome to the mac world. Once you get the hang of it you will never go back to windows again.

[fury]

Defragmenting doesn't create more space. It rearranges the files so each one can be read without jumping around which takes noticeable milliseconds each time it has to change where it's reading from.

On Windows, when a file is written or changed on your computer, the bits of data get placed wherever the nearest free space on the hard drive happens to be, physically, so that it writes faster and returns back to whatever you were doing. After a lot of writing and changing and installing programs and deleting old files and putting on new ones, there are a lot of files scattered across the drive so that it takes longer for the hard drive to read the whole thing. It has to run from one end of the drive to the other, for instance. Defragmenting puts everything in order so that the drive only has to "seek" (switch its head to another cylinder of the drive) once to read any particular file.

Modern file systems like the one used in Mac OS X prevent fragmentation by trying to ensure the file gets written sequentially in the first place, but if not, defragmenting it automatically (transparently) on demand.

[danipoak]

Off the topic of defraging but still a mac question, does anybody here use anti-virus software? I've had my macbook almost a year and never bothered to get any, I came over from the Linux world where I didn't have to use to any either. My University suggests using it, seems unneeded to me, what do all of you do?

[dturner]

Off the topic of defraging but still a mac question, does anybody here use anti-virus software? I've had my macbook almost a year and never bothered to get any, I came over from the Linux world where I didn't have to use to any either. My University suggests using it, seems unneeded to me, what do all of you do?
Never felt the need for one on a mac.:2cool:

[FlwrPwer]

I'm on my third mac and never used anti-virus software either. Neither has my dad or my sister.

[Eragon]

For the most part, viruses affect Windows systems. There are malicious programs out there, but they are few and far between.

If you run a Windows partition, anti virus software will protect that portion of your drive at risk. If like me you share filed between the OSs, anti virus software is an additional layer of protection.

[danipoak]

Never felt the need for one on a mac.:2cool:

That's the same way I've always felt, just wondered if I was alone in that. I feel like I am using a feature rich version of Linux, not that Linux isn't feature rich, you just have to do it all yourself :P

[Lincoln]

Anti-virus software is, as of now, completely unnecessary. Will it be in the future? Maybe, as the Mac's market share increases. but right now, there are zero viruses for the Mac.

If you feel the need to defragment, use iDefrag (http://www.coriolis-systems.com/iDefrag.php). There's an argument over whether or not users need to defrag OS X; one side says the OS automatically defrags files under 20 MB, and because 99% of the files on your system are under this size, it's pointless. The other side says apps like iDefrag not only defrag but also optimize the layout of files on the drive. It has been discovered that while using defragmenting programs on your Mac may make apps open faster, your boot time may be greatly increased.

[ChuckleBrother]

If you believe that you deserve what you get for running without anti-virus.

Just a while back there was talk about the DNS redirect issues, so there ARE viruses out there. Its like trying to cross a 4 lane highway at rushhour versus crossing a quiet towns main street.

http://www.intego.com/news/ism0705.asp

[acosmichippo]

sounds a little biased to me

The best way to protect against this exploit is to run Intego VirusBarrier X4...

About Intego
Intego develops and sells desktop Internet security and privacy software for Macintosh.

the REAL best way to avoid viruses on a mac is common sense. if a porn site is telling you you need to download and install stuff to watch a video, chances are you shouldn't.

[jsntrenkler]

If you believe that you deserve what you get for running without anti-virus.

Just a while back there was talk about the DNS redirect issues, so there ARE viruses out there. Its like trying to cross a 4 lane highway at rushhour versus crossing a quiet towns main street.

http://www.intego.com/news/ism0705.asp

Okay, so be careful which porn sites you go to! .. Never go to the free ones ;-)

[fury]

sounds a little biased to me



the REAL best way to avoid viruses on a mac is common sense. if a porn site is telling you you need to download and install stuff to watch a video, chances are you shouldn't.

Fixed for truth

(I don't use antivirus software on Windows, and I still don't get them)

[ihaveanipod]

Fixed for truth

(I don't use antivirus software on Windows, and I still don't get them)

Aren't email viruses far more prevalent on Windows, tho? Or do those still require some moment of foolishness, like attempting to open up an attachment from an address you don't recognize...?

[fury]

Aren't email viruses far more prevalent on Windows, tho? Or do those still require some moment of foolishness, like attempting to open up an attachment from an address you don't recognize...?

The best way to get viruses through email is to rely on email for file transfer at any moment in time. Those who have evolved to other file transfer methods already know not to open any attachments or even any emails at all from unexpected parties. Using webmail systems, such as Yahoo or Gmail or Hotmail, all of which are naturally sandboxed inside the browser, offer some protection if you are not responsible or considerate of the consequences. But even the safest of webmail systems cannot stop disaster if you are not careful with what you open within.

In other words: file attachments. Desktop clients that automatically download them, or preview panes that automatically read images in an email. Webmail systems that do not scan for viruses before accessing the content. Above all, precisely because of the potential hazards (and the many pitfalls of the decades-old technology), nobody I know uses email to send files anymore. It's all MMS, instant messenger file transfer, network/intranet share, or website upload + http link.

All forms of virus infection (or any other sort of bad stuff) require some moment of foolishness. Playing it safe is best practice on any kind of computer; Mac, Windows, or Linux. I am primarily a Windows user and have not had a virus in some years. The last time I did was because my instant messenger client auto-accepted and auto-opened a file sent to me by someone who was infected. That was the last time I ever left on auto-accept. Convenience does not outweigh system happiness. Minding your P's and Q's when it comes to exchange of information: the best virus protection of all.