Mac for inept user?
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From: Gavin on 20 Mar 2010 07:47 Hi all, I have got the dubious pleasure of introducing a new user to a MacBook in a week or so. He is a great guy but is a bit of a clot when it comes to computers - his Windows laptop has just come into the office for the 5th time riddled with Virus's due to his going to TV streaming sites [1] and downloading whatever content comes his way. The reason for the Mac is that it should be a little safer for him as of course, most web based virus payloads (ActiveX and executables) simply wont do anything on his Mac. I assume that best practice for him will be to set up an admin account, and then set up a user account for him to use and dont tell him the admin password? That way one assumes the attack surface (I love that expression) will be quite low for him. But if he needs to ever do anything like install stuff we can validate the contant and then allow it if appropriate. [1] I went to one such site on a sandbox machine that immediatly spawned about 7 or 8 browser windows as soon as it connected. -- Gavin. ACSP 10.5 http://www.stoof.co.uk http://www.twitter.com/gavin_wilby
From: T i m on 20 Mar 2010 08:02 On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:47:44 +0000, Gavin <gwilbyREMOVE(a)stoof.co.uk> wrote: >Hi all, > >I have got the dubious pleasure of introducing a new user to a MacBook >in a week or so. > >He is a great guy but is a bit of a clot when it comes to computers - >his Windows laptop has just come into the office for the 5th time >riddled with Virus's due to his going to TV streaming sites [1] and >downloading whatever content comes his way. > >The reason for the Mac is that it should be a little safer for him as >of course, most web based virus payloads (ActiveX and executables) >simply wont do anything on his Mac. > OT as such here I know but as an aside, have you tried him with Ubuntu on his existing laptop? You could set it up dual boot with Ubuntu as the primary OS and Windows when he has to for some reason (or put his existing Windows on a VM under Ubuntu)? I ask because I am interested re how well people get on with it as an everyday desktop? Cheers, T i m
From: Jim on 20 Mar 2010 08:22 T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote: > I ask because I am interested re how well people get on with it as an > everyday desktop? I've recently tried a recent SuSE build using a current KDE Desktop. Linux still has a way to go in my opinion, at least as far as the easy-to-use-for-newcomers aspect goes. Jim -- "Microsoft admitted its Vista operating system was a 'less good product' in what IT experts have described as the most ambitious understatement since the captain of the Titanic reported some slightly damp tablecloths." http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/
From: Chris Ridd on 20 Mar 2010 08:24 On 2010-03-20 11:47:44 +0000, Gavin said: > Hi all, > > I have got the dubious pleasure of introducing a new user to a MacBook > in a week or so. > > He is a great guy but is a bit of a clot when it comes to computers - > his Windows laptop has just come into the office for the 5th time > riddled with Virus's due to his going to TV streaming sites [1] and > downloading whatever content comes his way. > > The reason for the Mac is that it should be a little safer for him as > of course, most web based virus payloads (ActiveX and executables) > simply wont do anything on his Mac. > > I assume that best practice for him will be to set up an admin account, > and then set up a user account for him to use and dont tell him the > admin Yeah. I'd also configure his Safari to not automatically open "safe" files. -- Chris
From: T i m on 20 Mar 2010 09:00
On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:22:05 +0000, jim(a)magrathea.plus.com (Jim) wrote: >T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote: > >> I ask because I am interested re how well people get on with it as an >> everyday desktop? > >I've recently tried a recent SuSE build using a current KDE Desktop. > >Linux still has a way to go in my opinion, at least as far as the >easy-to-use-for-newcomers aspect goes. > Hmm, I guess it depends on what sort of things you would expect a newcomer to be want to be able to do? If I install Ubuntu (as that's the distro I've managed to get on best with so far) I'll make it do the best it can on the platform. Like, if it has a DVD player and is up to playing DVDs (CPU, RAM, Video etc) then I'll set it up to be able to do so by just inserting a DVD. Internet is pretty easy, as is wired and wireless networking and for that matter 'Office' software and printing (all the printers I've tried on it directly so far seem to have worked straight off). Certainly Facebook and POP Email are easy and they seem to be what many n00bs (just) want? I guess it could get a bit tricky if they need iTunes (for the Store) or to be able to run a specific Windows game or app without a Windows VM, Dual boot or WINE (Is it?) but then the same thing may apply with OSX. (except iTunes of course <g>). But (from what little I understand) *you* should be as happy in KDE (as a Mac OS preferer) as I am in GNOME (as a Windows preferer. Is that how it's supposed to work)? The chances are any computer noob will have only seen Windows so I feel may find GNOME more intuitive (for that reason as such). I've dumped a std Ubunto install on quite a few Windows users and they generally seem to be able to work it out and make it work ok (once basically configured to 'work' etc). Cheers, T i m p.s. An elderly neighbour is still running the W98 machine I gave her years ago and I'm considering running Ubuntu past her. I'll let you know how long it lasts. ;-) |