why are macs safe from viruses?

Answer 1

For a long time, Macs were 10% of the market share. No one had them, so people who made viruses didn't bother to make them for the Mac. Also, Macs completely change their operating systems every so often. (For example, older Mac programs won't run on the current Mac OS X). However, Windows is backwards compatible, meaning older programs (or viruses) for, say, Windows 95 will still run on Windows XP. If you want a ton of people to get a virus, you'll make it for PCs.

Answer 2

Although not a mac user, I don't think macs are safe from viruses. I guess this has to do with mass. There are terribly more Windows users than Macs, therefore it makes sense for the virus coders to focus their attention to the platform that enables their virus to propagate faster and inflict more damage to more people.

Answer 3

This may not be exact, my computer teacher told me this:
Most people own PC's, more than 3/4ths the population I think, they are less expensive, and all that, and very very few people own Macs. If you were a hacker, creatign viruses, and you wanted to get as many computers as possible, would you choose to create it for PC's or Macs?

Answer 4

Being a Mac User myself, it's safer because Windows has been relient on the same code since literally Windows 95. Mac OS X relies on UNIX technology, which consistently protects your system. Macs also have had very rare cases of viruses, as they are difficult to code on a Mac. Macs, in short, are built differently than PC's.

Answer 5

not only the mac is safe from viruses yours could be to, move over to Linux operating system safer, Free and more secure, out shines windows Vista

the reason is the mac and Linux systems format is different from microsft format

Mac and Linux using windows can get a virus but that would only effect the window software not the mac or Linux software, different software language

Answer 6

Hello. My ID is Ms. Dell and I am glad to respond to your answer.

The significant reason Macs are not vulnerable to viruses is because Macs only have 5% of the computer marketing share, while PCs have 95%. Why would someone waste their time to infect only 5% of Mac users whereas they could use that valuable time infecting 95% of Windows Pcs? * The more people you infect, the richer you become

If Macs someday become as popular as Windows, their chances of being infected with numerous viruses will also become popular. Don’t listen to anyone who says Mac isn’t vulnerable to virsues. In fact, there are viruses for Macs!!!

About Crashing. Macs don’t crash as often as windows, and that is because, once again, they’re more viruses written for Windows due to its extreme popularity.... And ONLY uneducated Windows users get infected with Viruses. In plain explanation, Windows is not what is vulnerable to viruses, it’s the uneducated Windows users who are vulnerable to viruses. It has been 6 years since I last caught a virus, and that was because I uneducatedly, at a very young age, downloaded a harmful software off the Internet that was offered to me for FREE.

You have a great day now.

Answer 7

Because the people who write viruses don't bother attacking macs because it wouldn't affect enough people. They want to cause a big problem, and attacking PC's is more successful because there are a whole lot more PC's to attack.

Answer 8

Macs are not immune to virsues. I know few of my friends who create virsues for Macs. These friends are graduate from College and specialize in the computer field. Some of the people on Yahoo! Anwers say a virus will just reside on a Mac and does nothing, like affect the system, which makes me laugh.

It makes no sense infecting the poor % of Mac users.

Answer 9

Conficker is a trojan horse that exploits a homestead windows protection situation. It wasn't outfitted to circulate after macs, so they do no longer look to be affected. no person is acquainted with what happens to contaminated computers, yet, as a results of fact it is dormant and arranged for training. On some platforms, it disables homestead windows replace, anti-virus, and stops shoppers from gaining access to web content to acquire application to do away with it... besides the shown fact that it is extremely purpose is unknown. it may desire to start inflicting hardship as early as day after today... yet as a results of fact the educational are no longer rather outfitted into the trojan horse, it may desire to be introduced on any time after day after today.

Answer 10

They're not safe.

Becasue they are a minority type of PC, virus writers concentrate on the mass market targets... Windows. Plus Mac OS is based on UNIX so it's more designed with security in mind instead of cheap and cheerful (slapped together) Wonkdows.