Apple’s Mixed Plate Lunch: New Bite Size Dangers.

Yes, there’s plenty of good news. The nature of the news business means some of it won’t be good. For Mac OS X Server users, the latest Security Update wasn’t good news. Some good news on Mac OS X “Tiger.” It’s a mixed plate of news.

First, I assume you’ve installed Apple’s recent Mac OS X Security Update. Each of our machines got the install without so much as a hiccup or burp or festering pimple.

Sorry, that’s not the case for Mac OS X Server users. Apple’s Support Discussion Message Boards are overflowing with problems from the recent update. Mail servers hosed. Freezes. Crashes. General havoc and chaos (they’re a team).

In fact, the troubles are sufficiently severe that Apple pulled the Server version of the security update and you can’t download it. We’re early adopters on our site and adopted the problem early. No fix in site. Yet.

If you’re happy with your install of the Security Update, Click Here to read about the problems others are having. Misery loves company.

More bite size trouble for Apple. Barely a day after plugging the iTunes/iTunes Music Store “hole” created by DVD Jon, it’s open again.

That means you can use a program called PyMusique to open an iTunes Music Store account, download music (pay for it, of course) without the built-in restrictions that iTunes builds in.

Oh, Windows, not Mac. See, Windows users get all the hacked applications. We Mac users have to suffer with quality, legality, and a clean conscience.

Click Here for EnGadget’s view of the iTunes Music Store tit for tat tet a tet.

Guess what? Hackers are aiming to crack into your Mac. Why? Because, well, just because they can. Maybe. Virus maker Symantec says the Mac is increasingly becoming a target for virus and malware hackers.

Why? Because Symantec sells virus cleaning software. Did I say they were a virus maker? Silly me. Still, if all the noise about non-existent viruses for the Mac is coming from someone who makes software to clean viruses…

As you’d expect, Mac users were all in a lather regarding Symantec’s FUD party. Click Here for the latest. Reader beware.

Is today’s mixed plate only filled with danger, future danger, and bite size morsels of chewy trouble? Mostly.

Still, there are a few good things to talk about. Some are free, some are discounted (not as in “we don’t care about it,” but a true $35 off discount).

The first is updates for the open source applications Camino (browser), Mozilla (browser), and Thunderbird (email). Yep, they’re free. They work great on Macs (and Windows, not that there’s anything wrong with that). Click Here to rev your download engines. Camino is especially nice, though, at the rate of development, the 1.0 version will officially arrive two years after Mac OS X Ocelot ships.

Finally, the good news. Amazon is selling Mac OS X Tiger. And they’re giving you a $35 discount, too. The catch? No catch. It’s true. $35 off Mac OS X Tiger at Amazon. Now. While supplies last.

Oh, you actually receive Tiger when it ships. That’ll be in the first half of 2005.

Click over to Amazon.com and search for “Mac OS X Tiger.” Then click on the Tiger for the discount and pre-order goodies.

For most Mac users it’s been a good day. Again. Server users will have to wait another day.

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