Let the nasty notes fly . . .

So this week Apple releases Snow Leopard. It’s the latest and greatest version of the Macintosh OS, otherwise known as OS X Version 10.6. And I have to tip my hat to them; it’s a great release for many reasons, and at just $30 it will be a great seller (And should be!), even though you might not notice the differences from what’s in Macintosh OS X version 10.5.

Volumes have been written already, and my pal David Pogue at the New York Times has covered this subject as exhaustively and accessibly as anyone. I recommend his take on the subject highly.

But for me the real issue is one that gets discussed . . . oddly every time it comes up. Apple has taken steps to address it in Snow Leopard, and it goes to our topic of business change:

Macintosh Computers Are No More Safe From Viruses than Windows Computers

Not a popular position to take when Apple fans are in the room, and one that Windows users stopped caring about a long time ago; they simply deal with the reality of viruses, spyware, and other such nuisances as part of their day.  But one of the things that Apple is acknowledging in Snow Leopard is exactly that: Macintosh computers are virus-susceptible, and steps need to be taken to protect them.

A tip of my hat to Apple for taking steps on your behalf, and I’ll be fair: big raspberries to Microsoft for making you deal with the subject (almost) all by yourself. The real message for you, though, is this:

If you’re going to believe what you read, make sure your reading material is coming from sources you can trust.