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HOME TOPICS ABOUT ME Microsoft says it avoids use of Windows on the computers that create its CD-ROMs. Why? Windows is too risky. |
technofile Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983 Windows is too risky because of viruses, so Microsoft uses Unix insteadApril 20, 2000 By Al Fasoldt Copyright ©2000, Al Fasoldt Every few days somebody will e-mail me a note apologizing for inadvertently sending me a virus. This happens so often that I have a stock response. I just write back and explain that I run Linux, and so attachments that contain viruses have no effect on my computer. That's one of the many strengths of Linux, the amazing computer operating system designed by volunteers. Linux is a variant of Unix, which is also immune to Windows viruses. If you run Linux or Unix, you don't have to worry about attachments. You can enjoy your computer instead. I was happy to see this week that Microsoft agrees. In an extraordinary admission on its own Web site, Microsoft is telling the world that it keeps viruses out of installation CDs by avoiding the use of Windows on the computers that create CD-ROMs for its installation disks. Whenever possible, Microsoft says, its CDs are created on Unix computers. "The UNIX-based duplication systems used in manufacturing are impervious to MS-DOS-based, Windows- based, and Macintosh-based viruses," Microsoft says. You can read the full article at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q80/5/20.ASP. |