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Technology Stocks : Apple Inc.
AAPL 280.65-1.2%Dec 4 3:59 PM EST
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To: Bill Jackson who wrote (5365)10/13/1997 1:25:00 PM
From: BillHoo   of 213173
 
"...we would catch kids coming in, booting the machine, entering the setup to boot from A; and formatting from there."

I don't think it's more secure than a PC in that respect. The only advantage I can thing of that would prevent such tampering is that there is no command line readily available for young vandals to get to.

As a young prankster I used to do such things to TRS-80s with BASIC, ie.:

10 PRINT "JOHN MANDELHEIM IS A BUCK-TOOTHED WOOKIE!!!"
20 GOTO 10
30 END

or some such code.

I don't even think today's Macs have a programmer's switch anymore (honestly haven't looked and I'm too lazy to reach over and look behind my 8500.) The most they can do is force quit the demo application and change screen colors. Maybe reformat the drive, (unless the store manage was prudent enough to run the demos from a bootable CD.)

It could also be that the smart-assed kids don't want to mess with Mac and have greater satisfaction on proving how adept they are at screwing PCs up. (maybe these are the same anti-social dweebites responsible for all those PC viruses). DOS is a great language for beginning programmers to do this kind of stuff because Microsoft gives you all the tools. (DOS installed and the DOS primer that comes with it - What more can a reckless teenager need to destroy the world?)

Anyone programming for Macs has to learn those trickier programming languages and are likely developing software to make money and recoup their investments in time, training, and the cost of Code Warrior.

Just my guess.
-Bill_H
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