Wall Street Journal Slams Windows (In)Security, Advises Mac Switch

W alt Mossberg has taken off the kid gloves, and slammed Microsoft for all of the security problems that plague the Windows platform. In todayis Personal Technology column at the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Mr. Mossberg says that the #1 way of dealing with those security problems is by simply "opting out" of Windows world altogether, and embracing the Mac platform. From the Wall Street Journal:

Opting out: The single most effective way to avoid viruses and spyware is to simply chuck Windows altogether and buy an Apple Macintosh. Appleis operating system, Mac OS X, is harder for the criminals to infect, and the Macis market share is so small that hackers, virus writers and spies get little thrill, financial gain or publicity from attacking the platform.

There has never been a successful virus written for Mac OS X, and there is almost no spyware that targets the Mac. Plus, the Mac is invulnerable to viruses and spyware written for Windows. Not only is it more secure, but the Mac operating system is more capable, more modern and more attractive than Windows XP, and just as stable.

Macs are as good as, and often better than, Windows PCs at doing the most common computing tasks: Web browsing, e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, photos, music and video. The Mac version of Microsoft Office can handle Windows Office files with ease, and it produces files that Office for Windows handles effortlessly. Appleis computers are also gorgeous.

The full article points out that switching platforms is expensive, and offers several other ways for Windows users to protect themselves from the growing security threat in using the platform.

Thanks to Observer John Stagaman for pointing us to this article.