Computing Myths (or outdated facts that people think are still true)

I brought my phone in for repair (Android) last fall, and the Verizon tech told me there was no need for anti-virus on it because "no one bothers to write viruses for phones."

 

Six years ago when I was computer shopping the sales person/kid told me desktops were obsolete and no one used them anymore. I ask him if he had been in a actual work office lately.rolleyes

 

32bit OS can only use 4GB of RAM
Repairing your Windows install is always the best option
Windows can update your drivers

 

I don't understand how I get so many viruses? all I do is check my email.
*clicks on every spam link in emails*

 

Microsoft Security Essentials, (Windows 7), is bottom rung and worse than useless. I Have used it since it's beginning. Substituted others, occasionally, but always came back to MSE. Have had false positives with others but never a virus or malware with any. False positives with Panda. Totally trust MSE. Check out their latest reports below. Reliable? Am I okay or ignorant with their horrid test ratings? Works super good for me with Malwarebytes free on stand-by. Have not had an infection for years.

http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/mmpc/shared/protection.aspx

 

In conjunction with MSE, I also use WOT.

It hasn't failed me yet!!:-D:-D

http://www.majorgeeks.com/content/p....com/showthread.php?p=1871270&ss=600j194112j3

 

"You sold me a defective PC!"
(Defective, adj: 1)A PC that has malware downloaded after the purchase date. 2)A notebook computer that was dropped resulting in a cracked case and screen.)

"I never downloaded ANYTHING!"
(The history in "Programs and Features" says otherwise.)

"Of course this is a legitimate copy of Windows, Photoshop, etc." :-D

 

What ? :eek
Could you explain that? :confused
It seems to me that for the vast majority of Windows OS users, that remains true.
If you start telling people that their 32-bit Windows or Linux computer can use more than 4GB,
I think there would be a lot of confused and disillusioned folks.
I'm certainly Not a techie, but that's also true for most, don't you agree?

The Lifehacker Guide to 64-bit vs. 32-bit Operating Systems

PAE - Physical Address Extension

 

Yeah that one annoys me. It should be, 32 bit OSes cannot use more than 4GB of RAM without a performance hit

 

Computing myth #324234434: OS X is more secure than Windows.

Computing myth #324234435 <insert OS> cannot ger viruses or hacked.

Computing myth #324234436 Open Source is more secure than Closed Source.

 

He was right. There are no viruses by definition

 

Damn semantics! :-D

 

I resemble that remark... I use Firefox ( Palemoon, Torbrowser, Tails) with noscript and a few other security related add-ons. I also prefer not to use a browser so tightly integrated with the OS. I guess it all comes down to user preference, ease of configuration, feelings of security, and trust of the software. To each their own. :wave

 

The one i hate is--

Macs CANT get viruses and they are more secure than any pc!!

(customer said that as my good friend who works on computers more than i finds that his MAC and ONLY his MAC was being attacked by an ip in china, in a house with 5 other pc's.)

 

Restarting your computer will fix everything.

Apple doesn't GET Viruses, they're better for EVERYTHING...

 

Why are you kids copying me with the mac myths?

 

Looks like you have the answer.

You are right, for most people 32 / 64 bit does not matter. Only whether or not they can do what they want in a reasonable amount of time. But they will not be asking (or telling) us about RAM limits. Those who need more and have not looked it up will spout the 32 bit myth.

 

Mac's are AMAZING! They make the most gorgeous and sleek overpriced paper weight that can't do anything freaking useful that I've EVER SEEN.

If I want to make a pretty render, I'll use a mac. If I want to do ANYTHING ELSE... not so much.

 

PAE gets around a hardware limitation. It is not really a myth as much as a misunderstood problem.

A 32 bit OS with more than 4GB of ram will perform much worse than a 64 bit OS with the same amount of ram.

 

Another myth, another post
Security - what a misnomer, what we do is defense.
Any computer connected to the outside world is at war.
Security is "freedom from danger or threat"
Defense is "the act of resisting an attack"
We defend by backing up data, making images of known good systems, creating restore points, etc.

 

Defense and security are closely related words, and nearly synonyms. Just saying

 

Closely related, yes
Synonyms only to people selling anti-virus software!

 

FYI, I didn't know anything about PAE - Physical Address Extension before today. rolleyes
I would not want to use it.

This isn't a myth - more like a misconception (unwise.exe)

Some people won't use an anti-virus or any security software because it slows down their computer too much.

 

Only because you said, OS (x) Where i acutally stated it was a mac


but seriously its more because mac users usually dont get it.

 

I am using a broad definition of Myth - a widely held but false belief or idea
Therefore I will say myth and be correct by dictionary standards

Another myth - you need to run anti-virus

I have a couple of very promiscuous users that get a fresh install about once a week. I can restore them in half an hour or take days trying to clean out the malware. I don't have the horsepower to make them stop but they know I cannot keep them free of malware so fresh installs is a reasonable compromise. I have to think out of Microsoft's box to survive where I work.

 

This thread is turning dangerous.


I can't wait for someone unexperienced to come in and read this and think hey, majorgeeks says its a myth that you need to run antivirus!

*Click*, uninstalled.

 

Hehe, like continuing to run XP, dangers abound in the computing world.

And Mac invented the mouse
Xerox, if I remember correctly made the first mice, and found it to be the best input device they had tested.

 

Not only do they make paper weights, they also expanded to making trash cans. :-D Example

I love when I hear this, I just got tell them to look up the Flashback virus.

 

My favorite: People are too embarrassed to write viruses for Mac.

 

rolleyes

 

They can't even get negative attention. The poor things... :-D

"Favorite" myths:

1. Computers are difficult to understand. Usually said with heavy emphasis on difficult, and right after refusing to even try to listen to an explanation.

2. Because SSDs are so complicated you can't use them in a computer unless you manually configure everything about them.

 

Salesman: "Bigger hard drive? Sir, this baby has a four gigabyte hard drive! That's 4,000 megabytes! You'll NEVER use all that space! RAM? Heck, 64mbs is plenty for anyone. Only need more RAM if you are desiging space ships."

 

At my old job we were installing 'pizza box' Compaq desktops to an office.
In one office they ask me to stand it up like a tower, so I did. This old guy comes along and tells them and me that you can't do that because the hard drives are designed to run horizontally. I was the project manager and tried to tell him different, but didn't want to hear it, so to avoid a fight in front of our client I let him lay it flat (pizza box).
This is how little he knew, the drive would of been horizontal if he left it standing the way I put it!! The drives were mounted in the case on their 'edge'.

 

roflmao the silly old fart LOL ..........oooh he could be me :duck

 

My favorite of all time was being explained to by an older guy how he didn't need virus protection because he unplugged his computer every night after he used it, so they couldn't possibly get in.

 

:confused You sure you weren't talking to my mum Wenchie ......... she used to believe that unplugging was the best protection rolleyes She used to say how can her pc become infected if it's not even plugged in and it is highly unlikely to happen when she is using it because she is so careful roflmao
Two formats later and several heavy duty cleans have changed her attitude somewhat LOL
She also used to think that the AV vendors were the people writing the viruses in order to drum up a bit more business and she wasn't going to support their dishonest business practices by using their products rolleyes

Lucky for me she still uses her birthday present ......... a 3 year subscription to NOD 32 :cool

 

Not to copy but to add to...

'When you buy a Mac/Apple, it's the last device of it's kind you'll ever have to buy'.
It's basically what they have to tell themselves to make them feel better for buying the latest and greatest 2 days after it hits the shelves.

 

I see a lot of Mac bashing.
Is it a myth that Macs are not equal to a PCs?
They are the same hardware and have their place in the world. Sometimes ahead, sometimes behind the PC. Once you really know and use both you see each has a place.
Not trying to troll the Mac bashers here but some posts are pretty bad.

 

This will be a big generalization but, i see Mac users as the Harley owners of the pc world.

They believe nothing is better and your always wrong about it.

Now, saying that is a huge generalization i know, but thats just how things usually shake out in my world dealing with both Harley riders and Mac users on a daily basis.

I dont bash either category, but they always give me a chuckle.

 

Ditto! For my usage OS X is fine as is Windows. Plus teh build quality on all Mac hardware is super. Hey, one has to pay for looks as well. :-D

Cheers..

 

I have nothing against Macs personally. But the things the users can say can be ironic sometimes. I know that's not at all exclusive to Mac users, it's just what I notice.

More computing myths,
'I know you can make an image viewable on the web but not downloadable'.
'If you make the image 72dpi nobody can print from it' or 'I have a file that's 300 dpi, that's big enough to print anything I want', and other dpi assumptions.
'Adobe RGB is better than sRGB'.

 

Here is one where Macs will outshine PCs.

They have the ability to develop in far more programming languages. For a development machine, Macs are the top dog. The only way to match them is by hackintosh and that is kind of laughable due to the unstable structure of a hackintosh.

 

You can't download a load of copyright digital media without being infected.
This is outdated now, every person I know watches the latest movies and TV shows for free via file sharing or file sharing phone apps, it's very easy to download files from trusted sources without having any expert knowledge and none of them ever get infected.

Sure there are bad files out there but any dodgy files are soon flagged by the file sharing community or in the comments and don't stay at the top of any most downloaded lists. I would even argue that legitimate software with bundled malware is now worse for your computer than file sharing.

 

Rikky, you missed the point. Thats a story you tell kids to behave, kinda like the bogeyman.

 

OK, lets play "FIND THE MYTH"
http://www.dailytech.com/Forget+Win...es+Author+DOS+is+the+Best+OS/article34917.htm

 

:-D My bad. Kids don't be over working your mouse hand file sharing you'll go blind.

 

My two cents on the Mac vs PC. Apple has you from the cradle to the grave, they build the hardware and the OS, so they can work out the kinks. The PC market has many manufactures, with many different components, with many people writing drivers and one OS to hold that all together, Windows. What would happen if Microsoft *made* the hardware & software? Would the system work better? Yes, how can I say that? Xbox. Not to say the Xbox is perfect, but if you google Apple they have have a few failures too.