According to a new Apple Knowledge Base article entitled “Mac Maintenance Quick Assist,” the #6 “Top Tips to Keep Your Mac in Top Form” is unfortunately:
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6) Check for Viruses
Macs are far more less likely to get a computer virus like Windows PCs are prone to but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. If you don’t already have antivirus software, you may want to consider making a purchase. If you have the software installed, be sure to keep your virus definitions up to date—you can find the latest updates on your software manufacturer’s website.”
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Not sure the significance of this statement (are there more Mac viruses around then I think?), but it’s certainly disappointing that Apple would even mention this. Viruses are one of the top reasons people move from PCs to Macs — Macs DON’T get them!
Plus, Macs are supposed to be “maintenance free” — and they are! Why even write a Knowledge Base article about this topic? Or why not just say, “it will take care of itself.”
There aren’t Mac viruses in the wild — or, okay, maybe two? It seems like every time I hear of a Mac virus it’s a hoax or just someone proving it’s possible. They (always?) involve installing software and explicitly entering your admin password.
The only viruses I’ve ever come across on Macs are PC viruses (“macro” I think) in Word Documents. So, viruses may appear on your Mac, but they won’t affect your Mac. I guess I’m just disappointed to see that Apple’s #6 way to keep your Mac in shape is virus scanning — I mean, come on.
BTW… no mention (in an article entitled “Mac Maintenance”) of:
– repair disk permissions
– run maintenance scripts (using something like Onyx)
– empty the trash
– clear browser and/or system caches
– clean desktop/remove unused icons
