Never knew that, I though OSX had its own version of a registry. so... dragging and dropping uninstalls? awesome! but then, if installing an app, it might say "program is already installed", Where does the installer get the info that its alrdy installed? In Windows, it gets it from the registry. What about OSX?
Mac apps are typically drag-and-drop installations. The reason for that is that the average and small apps are packaged into archives, directories/files/etc. - so no installers are required for them.
However, some Mac applications - really complex ones that modify the operating system for some reason, generally come with installer programs. It think this is far under ten percent of the Mac apps I have used.
If all your applications are modifying your operating system, then you really want to consider whether it is designed to be used safely & easily or not. Windows win32 applications frequently require installers. In this day and age, they should emulate the Mac more.
Uninstalling most Mac apps, the simple ones, is easy too: drag them from Applications folder to the Trash. People who try to do that on MS Windows can have all kinds of trouble, corrupting their desktop and their operating system in some cases.
Rather than storing configuration information for all applications in one, big, global variable - the Windows Registry - Mac apps each have their own configuration file and they are in a Library directory at the user or system level. The size of the files is small and they are basically harmless when you uninstall their application.
Upgrading a Mac application, typically does not cause any heartburn anyway. You drag the old version from Applications folder to the Trash and the new one to the Applications folder. Or, you simply drag the new one to the Applications folder on top of the old one and the operating system replaces it for you. That is your upgrade process on the Mac; simple.
@redwngsycho: Popularity speculation has little to do with it IMHO. Vista is copying the OSX "sudo model" for good reason. With all the Mac haters, I think there's motivation enough to do ANY kind of damage.
"Symantec admits Zero virus' for Mac OSX"not virus'butviruses. It's not possesive./Disclaimer:I too am a product of the horrible US public school system.
Well, NAV does scan for suspicious activity, and it does get rid of OS Classic viruses, and Windows viruses that can be propagated by mail. And of course, it scans for macro viruses which can affect Macs if you use Office. It also checks pretty frequently for updates, so if a virus for OS X did come along, you'd get the protection as soon as it was done, which is better than waiting for a scare and finding out the local stores have sold out...And, as they say, it protects against existing trojans and worms.Personally, I've been surprised that a rabid anti-Mac person hasn't produced an OS X virus - they have had 6 years to do it.
Support for classic Mac OS applications, those written for Apple's pre-2001 operating system versions, have been phased out of Macs today
You might be able to install that support as an option still, but Apple has deprecated it orally and mechanically for several years. I have not heard or read of people writing apps for the pre-2001 Mac operating systems in years. Mac OS X has been where it is at on the Mac for the better part of a decade.
So an anti-virus utility that scans for only classic Mac OS viruses is a niche market tool at best, an anachronism at worst.
Support for classic Mac OS applications, those written for Apple's pre-2001 operating system versions, have been phased out of Macs today
You might be able to install that support as an option still, but Apple has deprecated it orally and mechanically for several years. I have not heard or read of people writing apps for the pre-2001 Mac operating systems in years. Mac OS X has been where it is at on the Mac for the better part of a decade.
So an anti-virus utility that scans for only classic Mac OS viruses is a niche market tool at best, an anachronism at worst.
Closed AccountJul 14, 2006
Never knew that, I though OSX had its own version of a registry. so... dragging and dropping uninstalls? awesome! but then, if installing an app, it might say "program is already installed", Where does the installer get the info that its alrdy installed? In Windows, it gets it from the registry. What about OSX?
johnnysoftwareAug 31, 2010
Mac apps are typically drag-and-drop installations. The reason for that is that the average and small apps are packaged into archives, directories/files/etc. - so no installers are required for them.
However, some Mac applications - really complex ones that modify the operating system for some reason, generally come with installer programs. It think this is far under ten percent of the Mac apps I have used.
If all your applications are modifying your operating system, then you really want to consider whether it is designed to be used safely & easily or not. Windows win32 applications frequently require installers. In this day and age, they should emulate the Mac more.
Uninstalling most Mac apps, the simple ones, is easy too: drag them from Applications folder to the Trash. People who try to do that on MS Windows can have all kinds of trouble, corrupting their desktop and their operating system in some cases.
Rather than storing configuration information for all applications in one, big, global variable - the Windows Registry - Mac apps each have their own configuration file and they are in a Library directory at the user or system level. The size of the files is small and they are basically harmless when you uninstall their application.
Upgrading a Mac application, typically does not cause any heartburn anyway. You drag the old version from Applications folder to the Trash and the new one to the Applications folder. Or, you simply drag the new one to the Applications folder on top of the old one and the operating system replaces it for you. That is your upgrade process on the Mac; simple.
wembleyJul 14, 2006
The Cocoa API is based on NeXT
hurfydurfurJul 14, 2006
@redwngsycho: Popularity speculation has little to do with it IMHO. Vista is copying the OSX "sudo model" for good reason. With all the Mac haters, I think there's motivation enough to do ANY kind of damage.
stmillerJul 14, 2006
"Symantec admits Zero virus' for Mac OSX"not virus'butviruses. It's not possesive./Disclaimer:I too am a product of the horrible US public school system.
tonyspencerJul 17, 2006
Well, NAV does scan for suspicious activity, and it does get rid of OS Classic viruses, and Windows viruses that can be propagated by mail. And of course, it scans for macro viruses which can affect Macs if you use Office. It also checks pretty frequently for updates, so if a virus for OS X did come along, you'd get the protection as soon as it was done, which is better than waiting for a scare and finding out the local stores have sold out...And, as they say, it protects against existing trojans and worms.Personally, I've been surprised that a rabid anti-Mac person hasn't produced an OS X virus - they have had 6 years to do it.
johnnysoftwareAug 31, 2010
Support for classic Mac OS applications, those written for Apple's pre-2001 operating system versions, have been phased out of Macs today
You might be able to install that support as an option still, but Apple has deprecated it orally and mechanically for several years. I have not heard or read of people writing apps for the pre-2001 Mac operating systems in years. Mac OS X has been where it is at on the Mac for the better part of a decade.
So an anti-virus utility that scans for only classic Mac OS viruses is a niche market tool at best, an anachronism at worst.
johnnysoftwareAug 31, 2010
Support for classic Mac OS applications, those written for Apple's pre-2001 operating system versions, have been phased out of Macs today
You might be able to install that support as an option still, but Apple has deprecated it orally and mechanically for several years. I have not heard or read of people writing apps for the pre-2001 Mac operating systems in years. Mac OS X has been where it is at on the Mac for the better part of a decade.
So an anti-virus utility that scans for only classic Mac OS viruses is a niche market tool at best, an anachronism at worst.
dbugJul 20, 2006
If you think you need a virus-scanner for your OSX machine, there's always the free and open source ClamAV. Luckily there's even an OSX friendly port of it with a nice interface: <a class="user" href="http://www.markallan.co.uk/clamXav/">http://www.markallan.co.uk/clamXav/</a>