OK. I did just get an iPod, and at the moment I'm writing this entry on the iBook that I use for work. Still, I don't really classify myself as a "Mac Person" as my primary computer at home is still a PC. The main reason I've stuck to a PC is because I like computer games, even though I've had much less time to play them since becoming a parent.

Granted, I've been happy with the Mac products I've been using for the last several months. They work well and are aesthetically pleasing. When I was in the Mac store getting the iPod, I did notice several games for the Mac, though I also noted most of them weren't terribly new titles. (Though there were a few).

Still, the thought has crept into the back of my mind that somewhere down the road I could consider switching to a Mac for everything but gaming. The PC is well equipped enought to handle all of the games I'd want to play. That thought gets a bit stronger when I hear news like that I just read on John's blog.

Symantec said the Microsoft Windows LoadImage API Function Integer Overflow Vulnerability could be exploited via browsers or e-mail client software. Users who open an HTML message or Web page bearing the image could face security risks.

Another vulnerability that could only require users to click on a site or message is called the Windows Kernel ANI File Parsing Crash and DoS Vulnerability. Its vector, a malicious ANI file, could invoke a DoS (denial of service) attack that could bring down unprotected systems.

…Another "high-risk" issue concerns the interpretation of Windows Help files (.hlp), Symantec said. Some decoding errors during processing could cause a heap buffer overflow that could then be exploited. This vulnerability affects Windows XP SP2 systems as well as earlier versions.

Sweet. I think that's the version I'm suing on the PC at home, because I downloaded and installed Service Pac 2 as an update a while back. Sounds like bad mojo. And the medicine isn't too tasty either.

Users are urged to block e-mail attachments arriving with .hlp files attached and strongly encouraged to read e-mail in plain-text format to keep malicious images from utilizing LoadImage.

Read all my email in text format? That's so.....late '80s-early '90s, not to mention boring as well. Meanwhile, when I'm online on the PC I'm now wondering just what's going on behind the screen that I just don't know about? I mean, I dont' think anyone would want to steal my identity. (Trust me, they'd give it right back.) And anyone who was able to hack their way into getting their hands on my financial info wouldn't get much of a reward for their efforts. (Remember, I've spent most of my post-college years working in the non-profit sector.

I keep my virus software and firewall automatically updated, so hopefully I'm protected from the worst of it. Still, it gives me pause.

It's stuff like this that makes me wonder whether I shouldn't stick to a Mac for my online activities. After all, I dont' hear a lot about viruses and worms targeting Mac machines. Of course, that could change if Mac's market share grows. The more of them there are out there, the greater the likelihood that someone out there will discover a vulnerability to exploit.