When you’re surfing online, be it online shop or insurance online, you are risking your computer.

Here are a few steps I find useful, according to my experience

Turn off system restore

Once you encounter a virus, turn off the system restore at once. Some virus can trace back into system restore and ruin all restoration the computer generated. This may result a total missing of files and folders.

Safe mode

When you log into safe mode, a lot services/processes will be stopped. Network is one of them. Some viruses depend on certain services/processes to work probably. There are times I log into safe mode, and delete the virus manually, and it works!

Anti virus, please?

There are a few users don’t like to install anti-virus programs, they find it resources consuming and depend heavily on System Restore. The bad news is, if you don’t have an anti-virus program to warn you about virus, the virus may already ruin all your restoration. Formating become the way to kill the virus as well as your hard drive.

After a few experience of small and big viruses, I started to be very caution of websites I surf and program I download. Majority of computer users don’t like to read, especially a warning pop-up. They will blame it on Windows that is not working well, when the fact is the warning is to tell them what to be caution for.

These steps is no guaranteed though, but it may works under some virus.

Let’s see what I’ve been working on this blog:

• No ads!
• Writing paid post/entry
• From Macbook to Operating System then to my career – Web development
• Back to basic

Back in October 2006, I finally decided to get a Macbook instead of a PC, because I was in print industry of studies. As most designers recommended Macbook due to the speed and stability it can provide to work on large scale of work.

However, soon I graduated from college, I started to order Ubuntu to test the system (That’s why it jumped from Macbook to Operating system).

On the end of end of 2008 I decided to go back to a PC since Macbook is too much to maintain and too expensive to upgrade with I got myself an Acer Aspire 4930, which is one of the economical laptop on the market. It was also because I started off as a web designer and not a print designer. So I am a-ok with PC since my work is small scaled.

And now, here I am as a self-employed/freelance web designer with my wife ranting and complaining to each other about web technology, WordPress upgrade and clients Life has been good and will be good.

Anyway, good thing is, most of the jobs are on its way end and some new jobs are coming But the bad thing is, no time to relax and have a rest Been rushing here and there this few days, thought I could have a great rest this trip but no

Mac is safe from viruses

Well, it depend how you use the computer. Many of my friends does not have an anti virus program and still happily deleting virus themselves, my brother is one of them. Attacking Windows does not mean Windows is bad, if Microsoft support does not solve this problem, then, it is bad, but they do solve the viruses problem don’t they? Mac is save because the system is different.

Windows can play lots of game

Does those Windows users know that there was this game link on Apple website? Diablo, Age of Empire, SimCity, you name it. Sure not so much game, but still, Mac can play games. The reason behind those game maker to make lots of Windows games because the market they have, not because they don’t like Apple computer.

Mac is all about plug and play

Look into the library, you’ll see a whole list of drivers that you didn’t even know. Mac pre-installed all printers and camera drivers so you don’t need to install. But this, take lots of space away from your hard disk. Windows tried to give you more space instead of wasting those in drivers alone.

Windows is more customisable

Really? How long you with the desktop? If you’re a gamer, I bet you’re playing full screen, no? If you’re Internet geek, I bet the browser is maximized mode, no?

I can list a lot more, but I think I’ll pass. Anyhow, there should be a clear understanding of the marketing of each of them. Mac are more into premium machine, PC is everywhere built-in with Windows.

Mac made the hardware and software themselves, they keep the market forever – Royalty. Every product of Apple is interlinked, so you have an iPod, you’ll need an iTunes, to run iTunes on the best mode get a Mac. To get support from Apple, you’ll have to get to Apple store. Clear enough? Apple building royalty slowly every single day.

Unlike Apple, Microsoft mass market their operating system. They linked themselves with the government (smart move). If your Windows crash, there are thousand of stores outside can assist you. Microsoft doesn’t care that, all they know is to market the product out to the mass, heavy advertisement and etc.

In the end of the day, both are actually running almost the same. The price is the only differences. If price is not your concern, you will definitely get a Mac (that’s why we said Mac fanboy are rich). If you have a budget, go for PC, nothing wrong with both of them anyway.

Just give me a nice box cutter, I am going for PC next Budgeting my money these few months. I am going with Ubuntu Linux recently and the upcoming PC will be a Linux machine too!

More programs run side-by-side. I don’t need to hassle myself on changing and clicking on the taskbar to change windows. Everything is on the screen, all I need to do is just move my mouse and I’m on another program. Usually I run Adobe Photoshop and Notepad2 (HTML editor) only when finalizing a design.

However, I cannot say that all good to have duo screen. Because some times, I would get distracted by the movie I’m watching and ended up I did not do my work on the big screen But that is still rare, recently I found myself getting addicted to coding WordPress theme and playing with JQuery

Ubuntu and Mac has almost the same operating surface, I can easily get used to Ubuntu all thanks to Mac. They even have some similar folder in under the root account. Anyway, being a reverse-Mac-user to PC again, I have to stress this again… They are the same: Computer. Though Vista SP2 proudly announce that they would be the most secure operating system (I know, I know, everybody doubt that), but my experience tells me that they indeed are. So far, I don’t get virus from Internet at all, I set an auto scan for my PC every morning at 6.00am and my PC is as clean as a baby, period.

Really, the war between Mac and PC on the Internet is way polite than the real life. Get 2 of the users together and you’ll see something. That happen very often in my class previously. It’s really tiring

• Cost about the same, but with bigger screen
• Not convenient for me to move around
• I can play with hardware instead of software
• Consume more electricity than laptop that run with 6 cell battery
• Upgradable, which mean it has a longer lifespan
• Expandable, can add more hardware/storage and etc
• Require some space on my table or my room

Laptop

• Cost the same as dekstop, but smaller screen
• Can move when and where I want anytime
• Software again, but Ubuntu can be main used then
• Consume less electric but the UV from screen is strong
• Cannot upgrade, life-span about 4 years or maybe 5

Feeling stupid to do such a comparison. But anyway, I’ve checked into the market price listing. I can easily get a good spec (Almos the same spec with my current laptop) for about RM1800 and for desktop, I could get a good and big LCD screen to help my eyes. Using a laptop is just like a desktop having a diet pill, shrink down a little bit. The cost is almost the same after all. But whatever I’ll be choosing, the front part is still $$…

1, Taco HTML edit = HTML-Kit

I love how simple Taco HTML is. I was so into it and it replaced even the MS Notepad I used before I get my Mac. Way before using Notepad, I was using Microsoft Frontpage, edit them one by one. It’s just a few years only I changed to Notepad and quickly to Taco HTML. On PC, I have to admit, PC developer love to develop a fully function wtih lots of useless junk function on their software. HTML-Kit also, but the layout that impress me and how simple it COULD be used.

2, Safari = Google Chrome

Really, Safari doesn’t work that fast in PC at all, not FireFox as well, it’s Google Chrome, though they’re still on the beta stage but it’s really good so far. Well, sometimes it doesn’t display radio button or arrow on the scroller, but that’s all fine.

3, MAMP = EasyPHP
They are just the same. Work perfecting after transfer from Mac to PC. I test a lot of script on my localhost, so this software is sort of compulsory for me.

4, iTunes = Window Media Player

As I mentioned on my previous entry. So, everything is clear eh?

Now I wonder will playstation 3 replace Xbox Done my listing. These are mostly I used on my laptop though. The rest are Adobe products which are the same.

Macbook Value:
Due to the sky high price, it stop quite a lot of people from buying Mac product, but looking into the life span a Mac has, it’s amazingly long comparing to any PC, be it a desktop or laptop. PC running Pentium 4 is hard to run Vista now, but iBook G4 can run Mac OSX Leopard smoothly. The life span is way longer than PC and hence the price is higher too. Getting a Mac product let say RM5000 can be used up to 5 to 8 years.

PC Value:
Due to the popularity that it has, 80% of the population in this world using it. Price is one thing, familiarity is a bonus. Judging from the life span, as you can see, 3 to 5 years would be the maximum life span for a PC, for example, my friend who bought her laptop 3 years ago, after a few update from Windows XP SP1 to SP3, causing her to have a lagging laptop, in other word, time to change a laptop, it’s just a short 3 years, don’t even try to mention about Vista on her laptop ok?! price tagged at RM3800.

I’m still thinking. Due to my finance difficulty at this moment, I think I’ll stick to what I have now Getting an extra desktop is a dream now…