Laptop upgrade advice

[momaka]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

I like being different

Being different because you're thinking and using your head - good.
But being different for the sake of it - foolish.
Anyways, if you know what you're doing, I'll leave you to it .

as for windows, I want a free sytem that is not bogged with DRM sh!t or as secure as piggy bank. avast AV helps but it still is a crappy system.. bla bla bla

I understand you don't like Windows and you have your preference for Linux - and that's all fine with me. What I don't really understand is why you keep making lame examples how Linux is better than Windows. It's NOT. They are both different OSs, each with its own advantages and limitations. If you don't like using Windows - fine, just say so. Making lame reasons why it sucks makes you seem like you don't know anything about Windows at all (which I'm sure is not the case).

But anyways, what do I know, I'm just a Windows sheep after all.
BBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
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By the way, that comic reminds me of Bluto from Popeye.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

Just use XP, get your ass through school, THEN build a toy laptop.
The one for school should be a tool, not a toy.
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[PCBONEZ]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

At some point some Windows happy instructor is going to require you to do something you need Windows for anyway. [Both of my Nieces ran into that.]
Just suck-up XP long enough to get through school. Then you can shit-can it.
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[lti]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

There's ad blockers. And there are other browsers except Internet Explorer. This isn't about luck. It's about knowing your s***. If all alternative paths lead to failure then maybe the "usual" path was the good one from the get go.

I don't think ad blockers can prevent an infection from a popular website that had been hacked. I personally use Firefox with NoScript, but NoScript's default whitelist contained advertising sites that were known to have infected ads. My parents use Internet Explorer without an ad blocker, and there was a point when fake antivirus software would try to install itself almost every day. Every attempt was started by an ad, and nobody clicked on the ad. You just needed to have that ad appear on the page for it to download the fake antivirus software.

No matter how much you know, there is still a way for malware to sneak onto your computer.

[ratdude747]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

At some point some Windows happy instructor is going to require you to do something you need Windows for anyway. [Both of my Nieces ran into that.]
Just suck-up XP long enough to get through school. Then you can shit-can it.
.

FYI this is why i dualboot the laptop. i already had windows only stuff (NI Labview, TI CAN bus tools) on the XP side of it... that's what it's there for. by using windows full time i meant solely using windows.

I did say no. did anybody listen (well, read)??? NO.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

You just needed to have that ad appear on the page for it to download the fake antivirus software.

That is done by an Active-X Control.
Either turn it off or get SpywareBlaster which blocks Active-X Controls in web pages.
It's 'light weight', runs in the background, compatible with anti-viruses [can use both at the same time], and free if you choose manual updates.
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
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Or from here:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/SpywareBlaster_d2859.html
Install
Update
Then Enable all Protection.
-- It's quite fast about updates and installing.
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[mockingbird]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

Just use Gnome 2. It's difficult to understand why one would need to spend hundreds of dollars on a completely new laptop just for the glitz and glam of Gnome 3. Gnome 2 works just fine, and I even managed to get DRI working with the 855GM perfectly.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

FYI this is why i dualboot the laptop. i already had windows only stuff (NI Labview, TI CAN bus tools) on the XP side of it... that's what it's there for. by using windows full time i meant solely using windows.

I did say no. did anybody listen (well, read)??? NO.

Then why you whining about needing a new laptop so you can run Linux for school.
You're already set for school. You -need- nothing else.

Seems to me you're just looking for an excuse to get a new laptop to improve your 'cool factor' at school by running the latest Linux.
That's NOT a -need-..
The car possibly is unless you can and like doing a bus to school.
And you'll look so cool using Linux on the bus.
[See what I'm sayin'?]
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[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

I don't think ad blockers can prevent an infection from a popular website that had been hacked.

Good point, but...

My parents use Internet Explorer without an ad blocker, and there was a point when fake antivirus software would try to install itself almost every day.

You just made a fool of yourself. Great job.

No matter how much you know, there is still a way for malware to sneak onto your computer.

Opera + Fanboy's Adblock List. Even my mom hasn't gotten a virus in 2 years. Disable Autoplay for removable drives and you're also free from those stupid usb drive worms.

That is done by an Active-X Control.
Either turn it off or get SpywareBlaster which blocks Active-X Controls in web pages.
It's 'light weight', runs in the background, compatible with anti-viruses [can use both at the same time], and free if you choose manual updates.
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
.
Or from here:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/SpywareBlaster_d2859.html
Install
Update
Then Enable all Protection.
-- It's quite fast about updates and installing.
.

Excellent recommendation. If you must use IE, do what he said.

That's NOT a -need-..
The car possibly is unless you can and like doing a bus to school.
And you'll look so cool using Linux on the bus.
[See what I'm sayin'?]
.

100% agreed here.

[lti]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

You just made a fool of yourself. Great job.

No, I was agreeing with you. Internet Explorer is not as safe as other browsers, and there are so many ads designed to install malware that an ad blocker is required for security. That wasn't my computer.
My computer has Firefox with NoScript, and I haven't seen a fake antivirus installer on it. Unfortunately, NoScript's default whitelist contained a few ad servers that were known to have ads that try to install fake antivirus software. I remember seeing doubleclick.net and Google's ad server (I don't remember the exact address) in the whitelist.

[370forlife]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

Doubleclick is a subsidy of google. I highly doubt google is going around installing Antivirus XP 2009 or any other rouge trojans on anyone's computer.

[lti]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

Doubleclick is a subsidy of google. I highly doubt google is going around installing Antivirus XP 2009 or any other rouge trojans on anyone's computer.

It happened to me. I don't know which rogue it was downloading (I unplugged the network cable as soon as the fake My Computer window popped up), but it came from Doubleclick. That was the point when I finally switched to Firefox for the NoScript add-on.

Can everyone get back on topic? This thread wasn't started to discuss security software.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

Doubleclick is a subsidy of google. I highly doubt google is going around installing Antivirus XP 2009 or any other rouge trojans on anyone's computer.

Google's only had it since 2008.
Prior to that Doubleclick was scum.
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[PCBONEZ]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

It happened to me. I don't know which rogue it was downloading (I unplugged the network cable as soon as the fake My Computer window popped up), but it came from Doubleclick. That was the point when I finally switched to Firefox for the NoScript add-on.

Can everyone get back on topic? This thread wasn't started to discuss security software.

Add it to your hosts file.
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[lti]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

I have done that to a lot of sites on my parents' computer. On my computer, NoScript blocks the ads.

[seanc]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

I agree with previous posters - use the tool that gets the job done.
My colleague, a die hard linux user, uses XP at work - albeit with at least four SSH sessions open to various other boxes.
Windows 7 with dual screens is where I'm most productive, I'll SSH into a linux box/flip the KVM if I need Ubuntu. OS X is nice to come home to, because it never needs tinkering.

[ratdude747]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

I have my reason for using linux and xp. for the things i can do in linux, I gethem done faster... better layout and overall GUI design... can we restart the thread ignoring any mention of windows?

edit- restarted without OS discussions here:

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showth...355#post169355

please don't restart the BS over there.

PS- i will have something to drive to school either way... my parents will be buying a 3rd car (the current two isn't doing all they want) and told me that for now once i have my liscense in a couple months there will be a car for me to drive... may not be "mine" exactly, but i won't be on the bus or anything lame like that.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

No, I was agreeing with you. Internet Explorer is not as safe as other browsers, and there are so many ads designed to install malware that an ad blocker is required for security. That wasn't my computer.

Sorry about that then.

My computer has Firefox with NoScript, and I haven't seen a fake antivirus installer on it. Unfortunately, NoScript's default whitelist contained a few ad servers that were known to have ads that try to install fake antivirus software. I remember seeing doubleclick.net and Google's ad server (I don't remember the exact address) in the whitelist.

Hmm... interesting. But, do the ads install rogues by themselves even in Firefox? I knew some nasty IE "features" such as crapware toolbars have made their way into FF as well, but i didn't know it had gotten so out of hand. Opera ftw.

I have my reason for using linux and xp. for the things i can do in linux, I gethem done faster... better layout and overall GUI design... can we restart the thread ignoring any mention of windows?

No.

may not be "mine" exactly, but i won't be on the bus or anything lame like that.

Good.

[seanc]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

Hmm... interesting. But, do the ads install rogues by themselves even in Firefox? I knew some nasty IE "features" such as crapware toolbars have made their way into FF as well, but i didn't know it had gotten so out of hand. Opera ftw.

"Apparently". I've never seen it happen, but when I tell people they should be using Firefox rather than IE, they say 'oh I was'.

Actually, I think they get trapped with a Firefox window that won't do anything, so they click on the malware and initiate the destruction. I saw it happen to my Mum, but she asked me for help before she did anything stupid.

As for AV protecting against this stuff? I've seen none of the major vendors consistently prevent or remove it.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Laptop upgrade advice

As for AV protecting against this stuff? I've seen none of the major vendors consistently prevent or remove it.

I've actually seen the other way round - the rogue removes or disables the legit AV program.