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Murray: You seem to assume that malware and viruses are synonyms. They are not. The recent attacks on jailbroken iPhones did not involve viruses. So, the total number of viruses for all iPhones is zero.

"I think you are too hung up on the word 'bribe' which is almost certainly the spin placed on the piece by the journalist and editor." I've barely mentioned the word bribe compared to words like intend & harm (and alleged ;-). I think it's interesting that you're attributing spin to business journalists & editors but then are calling the following enumerated comments...

Interesting question. My statement is, and continues to be, that the software (in a particular category) with the biggest marketshare is attacked successfully the most. I hadn't really thought about the mobile market that much and whether the same idea applies. So good question to ask. So far, to my knowledge, the biggest mobile phone malware attack was a Japanese SMS worm in 1999 (I forget it's name as this exact moment). The worm...

Note the October month. It'd be interesting to see if that rate is maintained over November & Decemeber. I personally know 3-4 people who've replaced their PCs since the Win7 launch and who've deliberately waited until the launch period.

For the first time, a single company will control everything from the software in users’ phones to the services they use to make calls and surf the web. Might as well shoot for the moon, right? Until google owns the cell towers I believe they are going to have some issues. I recall that iPhone users account for a huge amount of the traffic over cellular networks - an amount that is disproportianate to the numbers sold. I wonder how Verizon...

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/377926/Microsof...

Well it easn't much of an exploit. How many people got effected? Almost none. It was patched pretty quickly too. Yeah, if we're going to use the fact that there aren't any real exploits for the Mac OSX (despite numerous flaws that do get patched) as a sign of the Mac's good security, then we can't use (presumably) non-exploited flaws in Windows 7 as an example of bad security. We don't get to have it both ways....

You seem to assume that malware and viruses are synonyms. They are not. Not so much. I'm providing an exception to "Grimes Theorem" since jailbroken iPhones have been "attacked" more even though they, by default, have a lower market share. Viruses aren't the only means of attack. -murray

simpler question: what was Mac OS 9 market share vs Windows at the time (say 1999)? how many viruses/malware/etc existed for each platform? What is Mac OS X market share vs Windows now? How many viruses/malware/etc exist for each platform? Sticking your fingers in your ear and going "nyah nyah nyah i can't hear you" is no longer a valid response, btw.

platykurtic says Its an interesting debate. And as you note its pure conjecture. I may have something to say about it IF it ever turns out to be anything other than a rumor.