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Apple Updates .Mac For Tiger But Drops Virex
by , 12:25 PM EDT, April 29th, 2005
Ahead of the release of Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger" today, Apple has updated its .Mac subscription-based suite of utilities with features that take advantage of the added functionality found in the new operating system. For example, Tiger enables .Mac users to not only sync calendars and Safari bookmarks but also Keychain passwords and Apple Mail preferences, including Smart Mailboxes set up with the enhanced search feature Spotlight.
On the page set up to explain what's new in .Mac, Apple also promises that "a members-only selection of Tiger Dashboard widgets" is coming soon. Unfortunately, Virex, the antivirus software that Apple used to provide with .Mac, is no longer listed as a feature of the service. The company does not acknowledge its absence anywhere on the .Mac Web site. .Mac is US$99 per year, or $179.95 for a Family Pack that includes one master account and four sub-accounts.
Observer Comments
Well, given the train-wreck dimensions of the Virex 7.5 release, I'm not suprised. I had it for a week, and the damn thing couldn't complete a scan ONCE. Apparently it had continuing problems with iTunes files in particular. Apple/McAfee's solution? Watch Virex while it scans, then identify the file it screws up on and exempt that one from scanning!
Brilliant! Like I want to spend the next 8 hours watching Virex scan my hard drive....
I'm not so complacent to think that a mac Virus will NEVER appear and wish Apple would provide some other program, but I'm not terribly sorry to Virex go away.
that really sucks!!
one of the reasons i like .mac is the free antivirus software!!
they better add some other virus software in it place or my gmail account is going to be my permanent email and .mac will go in the trash!!
i can get more web space and email cheaper in other places if that is the case....
Fri Apr 29, 2005 1:49 pm Subject: yea you should cause all dem bugs that attack everyday
Fri Apr 29, 2005 2:16 pm Subject: Use ClamXav instead
It's open source freeware/donationware. Be sure to read the instructions--there are some specific warnings about how to configure virus checking for Mail.
You can download it here:
http://www.clamxav.com/
Fri Apr 29, 2005 4:00 pm Subject: What is the point?!
I kind of liked having Virex as part of my (now defunct) .Mac acount bennefits, but only as a novelty. I primarily ran it to find out if my Mac was getting any viruses, that it could transmit to the PC in the home network, and actually cause some damage. But, lo and behold... it never found anything! So, I figured that, if I ever renewed my .Mac acount, I would run it again, just to see if somebody has ever actually found a way to infect the Mac.
The point is that, until there actually is a known Mac virus, what is the point or having Virex, in the first place?
Fri Apr 29, 2005 4:09 pm Subject: Can you imagine iNoculate?
Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:13 am Subject: Tiger Breaks Virex
I'm running the latest Virex from .Mac (7.5.1 build 84) and Tiger breaks something. First hint is that when you start the Virex application, you get this message:
"The Health Check component is not responding. Please restart or re-install"
The second is that the VShieldCheck component consumes massive amounts of processor for no obvious reason. On my G5 2 GHz x 2, MenuMeters would show both processors at over 50% utilization when the system is just sitting there. Activity Monitor shows that the VShieldCheck process is responsible.
Ah well, not that I ever detected a virus, but I'll start looking for an update, or wait for an upgrade.
Mon Jun 13, 2005 3:35 pm Subject: Me too. Processor getting all eaten up...by Virex.
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