I was working at a customer site earlier today whose Windows desktops were recently infected with a virus. They are using Microsoft Windows on the desktop and had a corporate strength virus protection program installed. Apparently the virus was out before there was a patch and the patch had to be downloaded separately from the normal "update" process. This they did but when the normal "update" process was initiated, the patch was not in the update. This then overwrote the protection from the patch and the infection started again!
It occurred to me that companies should really be thinking strategically about replacing the desktop OS with something that is not so easily infected by viruses. How is it that in the 21st Century we are still having to handicap our PC's with virus protection software. Something is VERY WRONG.
Really, think about all the desktop PC's that have to run virus protection software. How much of the CPU and disk activity is taken up with "protection"? I don't know the answer for sure but all I do know is that my Lenovo T400 running ubuntu 9.04 64 bit laptop seems far zippier than when I boot it into Windows Vista Business Edition.
Yes I know that you could write a virus for UNiX/Linux too but my guess is that it may be far more difficult - since I am no hacker I can't really comment further on this...
So, why not leave the virus prone operating systems to "home use" and get a more robust desktop operating system for the corporate workplace?
But - what about all the applications?? Good point. But if the developers were to create applications in Java then they could run perfectly happily on a linux desktop and we could get the real power of the applications out for those business users.
Discuss....
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