a computer warning..

[RVNUTTY]

Theo, what kind of laptap are you going to buy? After reading quite a few threads here, it seems a lot of "riveters" are happy with the Apple Mac.....I think I am going that route next.
Good Luck
rvnutty

[85MH325]

Theo, I've heard of viruses that re-write your hard drive causing you to have to reformat and re-install. I've even heard of viruses attacking your flash-bios potentially rendering it unuseable. More likely, though, your problems have been caused by dirty power while you're doing updates. A brown-out is the most likely cause. I've seen that happen on two occasions. In the middle of updating files and the registry, your computer briefly stops, then can't remember what it was doing. Then you've got half-written files that don't work and your system is trashed.

I've never seen or heard of software actually causing physical damage to hardware (except for flash memory). I'm not sure how an entire network could be taken out from a PC either, unless the router is attacked; and unless that's done maliciously somehow, it almost has to be a power issue as well.

Do you have a power conditioner (surge-supressor/battery backup) in-line? The inexpensive ones aren't actual power conditioners, but if you spend a few dollars for a good one, it may alleviate your 'fried' equipment problems.

[Theo]

I wish it were so simple.. I have a couple of surge protection units in line with everything.

The damage to my network is ALWAYS malicious - we are targeted specifically, because of the work we do. We have resident geeks who run most things on it, and explain to me how the computer can be fried by malicious packages.

I really wish I could grasp this better, but my brain is too old..

I am going with a mac, unless someone here tells me horror stories about them.

Theo

[markdoane]

Theo,

You're lucky to have resident geeks. In my experience its the non-resident (contract) geeks that cause a lot of problems. They use scare tactics to get you to upgrade to software that only they know how to operate. Failing that, they might just sneak in a little 'suprise'. Like any field, there are a few bad apples in every barrel.

I've been using Windows for 10 years without ever being attacked. I use a router firewall and keep a low profile.

My kids have been employed as govt and private sector contract software/network engineers and some of the stories they tell would curl your eyebrows.

[troubleskeep]

I have to say that I update regularly from Microsoft and have not had too many difficulties with them. However, what was described sounds like IP Spoofing. This is where a malicious hacker *pretends* to be Microsoft and sends his little present along the way to your willing workstation. This is even more likely if you are regularly hacked. It seems that someone is very interested in what you have.

I'd suggest talking to your local geek, I like guru better though, and suggest a TECHNET subscription. It's about $300.00 / year, and they kindly send monthly CD's that contain a searchable database on product problems, and all the service patches. No need to download them this way and you can disable your Microsoft trust.

MAC's are cool, too expensive, but very cool. I used to support them at an ad agency years ago. And my first 'pc' was an Apple.

LINUX is nice, but I'm not sure I'd risk the Fedora installation. Grab a copy of Red Hat 9. It's the last free, stable installation from Red Hat. Fedora will be the BETA for Enterprise, but has no support.

ANTI-VIRUS! No matter what operating system, PLEASE install an anti-virus product. There are good paid for products, McAfee, Symantec (Norton), and free one's as well. SourceForge

Well, I really didn't intend to write a book, but a guru's gotta do, what guru's gotta do! And besides, I can chat all day about computers, however, I have tons of questions about my AS.

Thanks in advance for the assistance.

[Davydd]

Macs are not necessarily more expensive. We just priced out Dell's latest offering that was comparable to Apples 15" Powerbook. By the time we got an "apples" to Apple comparison the Dell cost about $300 more. Of course Dell came in cheaper by the pound since it weighed a whopping 9.2 pounds.