How do I convert songs in iTunes to plain MP3 files? I want to use them in another program that doesn’t recognize the AAC song format that iTunes prefers.

A:

Assuming you are using the latest version of iTunes, for either Windows or Mac, first go into the General section of preferences, select “Import Settings” and then change to “Import Using MP3 Encoder.” Next, choose the AAC song you want to convert, go to the Advanced menu, and select “Create MP3 Version.”

Note that this works with songs you have imported into the AAC format from your CDs, or purchased from the iTunes store in unprotected AAC form. It won’t work with songs you bought in the days when iTunes song purchases were sold in a special copy-protected form of AAC. You can tell which type of song you have—purchased, but unrestricted; or copy-protected—by turning on the “Kind” column in your iTunes song listings. You do this from the View menu under “View options…”.

Q:

For years I have run a Norton Antivirus product and a Webroot antispyware product on my computers. For the 2011 version of the Norton product, installation requires uninstalling the Webroot program. This concerns me. Should I be nervous?

A:

I haven’t tested Norton 2011, so I don’t know for sure. But I do know that standalone antispyware products are less and less needed because security programs that once focused mainly on viruses, and ignored spyware, now are designed to protect against both. Even Webroot now sells a combined product.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at walt.mossberg@wsj.com

New user signups in China for Microsoft’s MSN Messenger, a competitor to Tencent’s leading QQ instant-messaging service, have gone “from tens of thousands normally to millions” per day since a flare-up between the two Chinese companies began, a person familiar with the situation said.

The conflict, which appears to have ignited two months ago when antivirus software company Qihoo 360 alleged that Tencent’s QQ was scanning the private data of its users and released software claiming to block plug-ins that could cause such privacy leaks. Tencent denied the allegations, then discontinued its services to QQ users who were also using Qihoo 360’s software. Qihoo 360 responded by encouraging users to discontinue use of QQ.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

If it’s able to consummate a deal, and sources say that could happen as early as today, Intel (INTC) will with one move become a major player in the smartphone chip market, a component supplier to the likes of RIM (RIMM), Samsung, Nokia (NOK) and Apple (AAPL)–you’ll find Infineon silicon in the iPad and iPhone. And that’s something Intel has openly lusted after for years–or at least since it sold off its own communications and application chip business to Marvell four years ago.

Intel announced its largest acquisition to date this morning, and it has little to do with the chipset market it has dominated for decades.

The chipmaker said it has agreed to buy antivirus software company McAfee (MFE) in a $7.7 billion acquisition that will expand its security offerings. Under the terms of the deal, Intel will pay $48 a share in cash, a hefty 60 percent premium over McAfee’s Wednesday closing stock price of $29.93. Both companies’ boards have approved the deal, though it still requires approval from McAfee shareholders and regulators.

What does Intel (INTC) want with McAfee, a vendor of oft-maligned antivirus software? To embed some of the company’s security tools directly into Intel chips for “hardware enhanced security.” And secure another, steadier revenue stream, perhaps.

Anyway, the acquisition is Intel’s largest ever, easily surpassing its 1999 takeover of Level One for $2.2 billion. Once it closes, McAfee will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel, reporting to its software and services group.

“With the rapid expansion of growth across a vast array of Internet-connected devices, more and more of the elements of our lives have moved online,” said Intel President and Chief Executive Paul Otellini. “In the past, energy-efficient performance and connectivity have defined computing requirements. Looking forward, security will join those as a third pillar of what people demand from all computing experiences.”

And just like that Intel is a player in the security software and services market.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–Intel Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire McAfee, Inc., through the purchase of all of the company’s common stock at $48 per share in cash, for approximately $7.68 billion. Both boards of directors have unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close after McAfee shareholder approval, regulatory clearances and other customary conditions specified in the agreement.

“We believe this acquisition will result in our ability to deliver a safer, more secure and trusted Internet-enabled device experience.”
The acquisition reflects that security is now a fundamental component of online computing. Today’s security approach does not fully address the billions of new Internet-ready devices connecting, including mobile and wireless devices, TVs, cars, medical devices and ATM machines as well as the accompanying surge in cyber threats. Providing protection to a diverse online world requires a fundamentally new approach involving software, hardware and services.

Inside Intel, the company has elevated the priority of security to be on par with its strategic focus areas in energy-efficient performance and Internet connectivity.

McAfee, which has enjoyed double-digit, year-over-year growth and nearly 80 percent gross margins last year, will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intel, reporting into Intel’s Software and Services Group. The group is managed by Renée James, Intel senior vice president, and general manager of the group.

“With the rapid expansion of growth across a vast array of Internet-connected devices, more and more of the elements of our lives have moved online,” said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. “In the past, energy-efficient performance and connectivity have defined computing requirements. Looking forward, security will join those as a third pillar of what people demand from all computing experiences.

“The addition of McAfee products and technologies into the Intel computing portfolio brings us incredibly talented people with a track record of delivering security innovations, products and services that the industry and consumers trust to make connecting to the Internet safer and more secure,” Otellini added.

“Hardware-enhanced security will lead to breakthroughs in effectively countering the increasingly sophisticated threats of today and tomorrow,” said James. “This acquisition is consistent with our software and services strategy to deliver an outstanding computing experience in fast-growing business areas, especially around the move to wireless mobility.”

“McAfee is the next step in this strategy, and the right security partner for us,” she added. “Our current work together has impressive prospects, and we look forward to introducing a product from our strategic partnership next year.”

“The cyber threat landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years, with millions of new threats appearing every month,” said Dave DeWalt, president and CEO of McAfee. “We believe this acquisition will result in our ability to deliver a safer, more secure and trusted Internet-enabled device experience.”

McAfee, based in Santa Clara and founded in 1987, is the world’s largest dedicated security technology company with approximately $2 billion in revenue in 2009. With approximately 6,100 employees, McAfee’s products and technologies deliver secure solutions and services to consumers, enterprises and governments around the world and include a strong sales force that works with a variety of customers.

The company has a suite of software-related security solutions, including end-point and networking products and services that are focused on helping to ensure Internet-connected devices and networks are protected from malicious content, phony requests and unsecured transactions and communications. Among others, products include McAfee Total Protection™, McAfee Antivirus, McAfee Internet Security, McAfee Firewall, McAfee IPS as well as an expanding line of products targeting mobile devices such as smartphones.

Intel has made a series of recent and successful software acquisitions to pursue a deliberate strategy focused on leading companies in their industry delivering software that takes advantage of silicon. These include gaming, visual computing, embedded device and machine software and now security.

Home to two of the most innovative labs and research in the high-tech industry, Intel and McAfee will also jointly explore future product concepts to further strengthen security in the cloud network and myriad of computers and devices people use in their everyday lives.

On a GAAP basis, Intel expects the combination to be slightly dilutive to earnings in the first year of operations and approximately flat in the second year. On a non-GAAP basis, excluding a one-time write down of deferred revenue when the transaction closes and amortization of acquired intangibles, Intel expects the combination to be slightly accretive in the first year and improve beyond that.

Intel was advised by Goldman Sachs & Co. and Morrison & Foerster LLP. McAfee was advised by Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc. and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.

A: The built-in backup program in your iMacs, called Time Machine, doesn’t require Apple’s Time Capsule product to work. It will work with almost any brand of directly connected external hard disk.

For instance, I back up my home iMac to a Western Digital drive that’s connected to it via a cable.

As for hard-drive life, it’s my experience that many seem to die sooner or later, especially if they are used heavily. I don’t know if the ones inside the Time Capsule are especially fragile. But, in just the past six months, I’ve had an external hard disk from G-Tech die on me; seen an internal hard disk on my home Dell die for a second time; and discovered that the hard disk on my colleague’s MacBook died.

One way to protect against the failure of a local backup drive is to consider, in addition to using an external disk, backing up your data to an online backup service like Mozy, Carbonite or SugarSync.

My Dell has Microsoft Vista but I can upgrade free to the new Windows 7. However, I was told my antivirus software won’t be compatible and my email will change—the program will no longer be “Windows Mail.” What do you recommend?

A: I regard Windows 7 as much better than Vista, but you are correct that many antivirus programs will require upgrading and Windows Mail will go away during the upgrade. You’ll have to install a new email program, such as the very similar “Windows Live Mail,” which can import your messages. So, the question really is one of trade-offs. If you’re satisfied with Vista, and would rather not perform these program replacements, you should stand pat. If you don’t like Vista, and are anxious to replace it, then the hassles you describe could be worth it.

Will Office 2003 work with the new Windows 7 operating system?

A: Microsoft, which makes both products, says the answer is yes, though I haven’t tested it.

Is it possible that the Verizon Motorola Droid, which doesn’t work in Europe, could be turned into a “world phone” that could work on European cellphone networks via an app somebody might develop?

A: An app wouldn’t be able to do that for the current Verizon Droid. It’s a hardware issue.

Verizon’s Droid, like most Verizon phones, is built to run on a type of network called CDMA that isn’t used in Europe or most other countries outside the U.S., which use a network standard called GSM.

To run on these networks, the Droid, or any other current CDMA phone, would need an entirely different radio, or two radios, one for each type of network.

Verizon offers a handful of so-called “world phones,” which have both kinds of radios inside, but the Droid isn’t one of them. Motorola may well make a new model with two radios, or even a model with one radio that would work overseas, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it did so.

What could be done with an app is to allow the Droid to make so-called VOIP phone calls via the Internet.

In fact, while I haven’t checked, there may already be such an app for Android—the Droid’s operating system—that would do so. But, in many cases, making such Internet phone calls requires the user to be in range of a Wi-Fi network. Some carriers don’t allow such calls to be made over their cellular networks.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

The paper says “some readers” have seen unauthorized pop-up ads promoting antivirus software on NYTimes.com, and warns visitors who see the ad not to click on it but to restart their browsers instead. While the Times doesn’t spell this out, the newspaper has likely had its site hijacked by a “malware” scammer who is trying to trick visitors into installing pernicious software onto their hard drives.

MediaMemo reader Tim Minter passed along an image of the pop-up below (click to enlarge). Here’s his description of the way it appeared on his desktop:

The ad hijack[ed] my computer. Say I’m reading an article (the Clean Water Act was the one that caught me). It then redirects my browser involuntarily to sex-and-the-city.cn. That site then redirects to the ad I screen-captured.

At no time did I click anything. That’s what is so nefarious about this malware.

Thankfully, since I run OS X, I knew immediately it was malware (seeing WindowsXP on a Mac where that’s not installed is suspicious).

You generally have to travel farther down the Internet publishing food chain to find this kind of bogus ad–go hunting for porn and/or illegal downloads, for instance, and you’ll find plenty of this stuff.

But Web advertising is still a wild and woolly place, and this type of thing still plagues high-end publishers too. Sometimes it’s the fault of ad networks the publishers use to move their unsold inventory; sometimes the bogus ads are bought directly from the publishers themselves.

I’ve asked both the Times PR staff and ad tech team for additional information about the ads, but haven’t heard back yet. Still, you have to give the paper credit for flagging this on its front page at all.

UPDATE: The Times’ explanation: A hacker duped the paper by buying the ad directly from the paper’s sales staff, then disguising it as a legit ad for a week.

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability.

I have a PC with Windows XP, which I bought because my computer guru said to stay away from Vista. I read your column saying upgrading from XP to the new Windows 7 will be much more cumbersome than doing so from Windows Vista. So, what should I do now? Upgrade to Vista for a while so I can then move more smoothly to 7? Or wait, buy a separate Windows 7 computer in the fall, and just transfer my files and applications from the XP computer?

Putting budget considerations aside, I think the latter course would make more sense. The new machine with Windows 7 preloaded will probably give you smoother performance than one you upgraded twice to new operating systems in a matter of months. But, bear in mind that you will have to reinstall all your applications on the new Windows 7 computer, and that, depending on the terms of the applications’ licenses, you might even have to buy new copies. On the other hand, if you do the chain of upgrades, and don’t buy a new machine, you may be able to avoid this application problem, or at least much of it.

I appreciated your review of the Clickfree automatic backup drive. Does the backup it creates include the various folders and subfolders for data such as photos, or does it just create a huge single list?

The Clickfree software is primarily designed to back up, display and restore your files by their types — photos, music, text, email, spreadsheets, etc. Once it has performed a backup it lets you view and restore your files by these types. However, it will display the tree of all your folders and allow you to specify where it should search for these files. It also allows you to back up and restore entire folders, such as your My Documents folder, regardless of their contents. Detailed information, including a downloadable user manual, is available in the Support section of clickfree.com.

I am planning to buy one of the products you recently reviewed — a Western Digital My Book — and attach it directly to a port on my Internet router. Can I install antispyware and antivirus programs on the drive? If not, how will the data on this drive be protected?

Nothing is perfectly secure. The bad guys are clever, and you never say never. However, since this product isn’t an actual PC running Windows, viruses and spyware programs can’t likely run directly on it. Still, if one of your computers contains malicious software, and it can see the contents of the network drive, then the data on the drive could be endangered. I know of no way to install or run security programs on the drive. But the security software on your PC may protect the drive, if it is able to handle external drives across a network. Also, the firewall built into your network router will help. The product has some security measures built in, such as encrypting files when you use the optional feature that allows you to access the drive’s contents across the Internet.

• You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online free of charge at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

After reading your positive review, I downloaded Firefox 3.0, only to discover that some of my favorite add-ons, including a search toolbar, are incompatible. What can I do about this?

Wait. As I noted in the review, when major new versions of Firefox come out, it takes a while for some of the many add-ons for the browser to be updated so they are compatible with the new version. Because these are written by a very large number of different companies and individuals, the process will be gradual, and some will be updated more quickly than others.

As for search toolbars, like those from Google (GOOG) and Yahoo (YHOO), I doubt that most people still need them. When they first came out, these toolbars provided things the top browsers lacked: a permanent search box, pop-up blocking and a few other useful features. But all the major browsers now provide these things without requiring the installation of any external toolbar. The companies that make the toolbars can use them to sell advertising or attract you to their search engines. But, for many users today, they are redundant.

I don’t want to run antivirus software constantly, but I would like to periodically run a program that could scan my computer and remove viruses and the like. Does such a program exist?

Yes. Here’s one example. Microsoft (MSFT) makes a small, free program called the Malicious Software Removal Tool that looks for, and tries to remove, a limited number of the worst examples of malicious software. It can be downloaded at www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove.

However, this isn’t a comprehensive antivirus program. Microsoft says it detects and removes only “specific, prevalent malicious software,” and advises that “You should also use up-to-date antivirus software to help protect your computer from other malicious software.”

I am in the market for a laptop. I was considering a Dell (DELL) or an H-P (HPQ) but have learned that Apples now run Windows. I have financial (Quicken) and other business files (Excel, Word and PowerPoint) that would need to be transferred to the new computer. Would this be possible on an Apple (AAPL)?

Yes, in the same ways you could transfer files from one Windows PC to another. For example, you could burn them to a CD or DVD, copy them to an external USB drive, or transfer them over a network or via the Internet. In fact, if you buy your Mac at an Apple retail store, the store’s staff will move your files over free, or for a modest fee, depending on which folders, and how many, you want transferred.

Once the files are on the Mac, you can either use native Mac programs to read and/or modify them, or you can install Windows and run your usual Windows programs to handle the files.

For instance, even if you never installed Windows on an Apple, your Excel, Word and PowerPoint files could be used in the Mac version of Microsoft Office. However, the Mac version of Quicken isn’t as compatible with the Windows version’s files. So, for Quicken, I suggest installing Windows on the Mac and running the Windows version of Quicken.

• You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

We are connected to Comcast (CMCSA) cable and use no antennas. Will we need one of the government-subsidized converter boxes next February?

Not if you are using a cable set-top box, like the vast majority of cable customers. If you are one of the minority of cable households whose TVs use an internal cable tuner, you may need a converter box. To be sure, contact your cable company or TV manufacturer.

In your laptop buying guide last week, you recommended buying a machine equipped for the “n” type Wi-Fi of wireless router. I was under the impression that this has not yet been standardized. Is that wrong?

The engineering committee that has been debating the standard for years has not yet completed its work, but the market has simply moved ahead on its own. This new, faster version of Wi-Fi is being built into routers, computers and other devices by nearly every major manufacturer. In my limited tests, I have found no compatibility problems, and it is backwards compatible with the older “g” and “b” standards.

Is the Mac immune to viruses? If not, do you have a recommendation of the type of antivirus software one should procure and load onto a Mac?

No personal computer or personal computer operating system of which I am aware is “immune” to viruses, spyware or other malicious software. That includes Apple’s (AAPL) Macintosh and its operating system, Mac OS X Leopard. Hackers have demonstrated the ability to invade the Mac. However, there are only a handful of viruses or other malicious programs for the Macintosh that have successfully spread beyond the lab. And these have harmed only a small number of actual users.

Of the well over 100,000 known viruses, spyware programs and other malicious software applications that are about in public, all but this handful are written to run on Microsoft (MSFT) Windows, and cannot operate on the Macintosh OS. For that reason, I don’t believe Macintosh owners need security software, unless they install and run Windows on their computers. If they do run Windows, Mac owners are well advised to purchase and install Windows security software to protect the Windows portion of the machine.

Having said that, I do not mean that Mac owners should be blind to security threats that don’t involve viruses or spyware. Just like Windows users, Mac users can succumb to what is called “social engineering” — scams and schemes that operate via email and Web sites that are often authored by crooks but made to look official. So, like Windows users, they must be on their guard.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online free at the All Things Digital web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Do I need antivirus or antispyware software on a Macintosh running the Leopard operating system?

The Macintosh isn’t inherently invulnerable to malicious software. In fact, last week it was reported that there is a new scam on the Web that can plant a malicious “Trojan horse” program on the Mac. However, this is a rare event. There have been practically no viruses, spyware or other malicious programs written for the Macintosh that have actually spread outside the laboratory.

For that reason, most Mac users don’t run security software, and security software companies don’t make much of an effort to sell it for Macs. I don’t believe it is necessary, so far, for all except the most paranoid (and those who run Windows on their Macs). In fact, freedom from the burdens of running and updating security software has been one of the Mac’s big advantages.

Even the new Trojan Horse apparently relies on tricking the user, rather than on sneaking through holes in the Mac operating system. According to reports, to get infected you must go to a pornography site, and agree to download a program allegedly needed to view the porn. Next, the Mac will require that you type in your administrator ID and password to complete the installation, thus agreeing to install the program a second time. If you do all that, you get a program that supposedly redirects your Web browser to bogus Web sites. My advice: even if you frequent porn sites, don’t agree to download any programs from them (that goes for Windows users as well).

Some interpret the appearance of this new Trojan Horse as a sign that the Mac’s increasing market share will begin to attract a flood of viruses and spyware, and that Mac users will soon have to start running security software. If it happens, and the threats are more insidious than the latest one, I will be ready to change my recommendation. But not yet.

In reply to a question last week, you mentioned that there are free security programs available for Windows. Could you please suggest where to download such alternatives?

There are a number of them, but ones that I like are free, basic antivirus and antispyware programs called AVG from a company called Grisoft, which also makes more elaborate security software. You can download these programs at free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/us/frt/0.

I don’t have Microsoft PowerPoint but I occasionally get PowerPoint files as email attachments. Somewhere I read that one can download a free PowerPoint program so you can read these files. Can you help me with this, please?

I don’t know of any free versions of PowerPoint, but Microsoft does offer a free program that will let you view, but not create or edit, PowerPoint files. You can download it here.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

I currently spend about $50 to $60 per year for Norton Security software. Is this necessary when Windows XP has its own security built into the operating system?

Windows XP doesn’t include antivirus or antispyware programs, so you definitely need some sort of add-on security software. If you don’t want to pay for it, there are free alternatives available.

How do we determine when to purchase a new PC? Our current Dell is about five years old. I’m feeling a little worried because I have my music and photos on the computer and don’t want to lose them.

There’s no universal answer to your question. In general, I don’t believe people should replace computers that are working well for them just because they reach a certain age. On the other hand, five years is pretty old for a PC. At that age, the odds increase that the hard disk may develop problems, and that newer versions of the software you like will require hardware upgrades that may cost more than you want to invest in an older machine.

Assuming your Dell is working fine, that you aren’t a power user, and that your music and photo activities are simple and basic, there’s probably no urgent need to replace the PC. But, to assuage your concern about “losing” your pictures and music, you might back up those precious files to an external hard disk or an online backup service.

Last week, you compared the start-up time of Windows Vista to Apple’s new Leopard operating system, and found Vista to be much slower. But you used different laptops for each. What would the numbers be on the same Macintosh running the two operating systems?

I ran the tests again on a single computer, a fairly new Apple iMac, which can be started up, and restarted, in either Vista or Leopard. I used the Mac’s Boot Camp feature, in which only one operating system is running at a time, has its own dedicated portion of the hard disk and fully controls the hardware. The machine uses an Intel processor and other key components commonly found on Windows machines, and runs Windows just like a Dell or any standard Windows PC, without any involvement from the Mac operating system.

This Vista installation doesn’t include any of the speed-robbing trial software commonly included by PC makers, though it does have security software from Symantec. However, the test results were very similar — Leopard started and restarted much more quickly than Vista did.

In this simple test, I timed both operating systems from a cold start and a restart until the computer was fully ready for operation, with the hard disk quiet and the network connection established. The cold start, beginning with the computer completely off, took Leopard 46 seconds, but took Vista one minute and 42 seconds. A restart, beginning with the computer running an email program, the Firefox Web browser, and Microsoft Word, took one minute and two seconds for Leopard, and three minutes and 17 seconds for Vista.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about Windows Vista complaints, using antivirus software when running Windows on a Mac, and transferring large files.

In various past columns, you have complained that Windows Vista boots slowly and that it is incompatible with some software and hardware. Is this situation improving?

Microsoft claims that neither complaint affects most users, and that the minority of cases where they do is being whittled down steadily. I expect that the incompatibility issues, at least, will diminish over time. But I am still receiving reader complaints about incompatibility, so I have to assume that this issue remains real, at least for some people. The slow start-up issue will be harder to cure, as it involves factors like add-on trial software, called craplets, that are beyond Microsoft’s control. Officials at a number of Windows PC makers tell me they are beginning to get the message that people hate craplets. But I am still observing slow boot times in new Vista PCs I test and still see plenty of craplets.

If I run Windows on a Mac, do I need two copies of antivirus software, one to run in the Windows environment, and one to run in the Mac operating system?

You need only one copy, to run in the Windows environment. Macs have essentially no virus problem, and thus don’t need antivirus software. However, some Mac users install it to be extra safe, or to kill viruses that they fear might be passed on via email or over networks to people using Windows.

In last week’s Mailbox, you advised someone that he could copy a 25-gigabyte file from a Mac to a Windows PC using an external hard disk formatted for the Windows FAT file system. But I believe that won’t work. Do you have another solution?

You are correct that I erred. I forgot that the FAT file system, the only Windows format to which Macs can save files, is limited to file sizes of up to 4 gigabytes. This is almost never a problem, except in the case of extraordinarily large files. I did offer several alternate solutions last week, including using a network or cable transfer. But here’s another: You can use a Mac-formatted external hard disk, or a Mac-formatted iPod acting as a hard disk, to transfer the file, provided you have installed on the Windows PC special software that allows Windows to read Mac-formatted disks. This software is called MacDrive, costs $50, and can be purchased at mediafour.com.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online free of charge at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

It gets better. This new PC, called Zonbu, from a new company of the same name, automatically receives free updates of its software when new versions come out. It doesn’t require antivirus or other security programs because it runs on the Linux operating system, which has attracted very few viruses or spyware programs. And it takes up almost no room — it’s a tiny little box.

Zonbu’s overall goal is to vastly simplify the process of buying and using a computer. The idea is to make it not only more affordable, but also much less of a hassle and much more energy efficient.

I’ve been testing the Zonbu, and it does work. Its software is still in beta, or test, mode until next month. But you can buy it right now at Zonbu.com with free software updates into the future. However, there’s a catch — several catches, in fact. Some have to do with the machine’s design and pricing, and others with its performance. Taken together, they prevent me from recommending this computer, despite its intriguing price and concept.

The biggest catch is that the Zonbu computer doesn’t include a hard disk for storing files (that’s one reason it uses so little energy). Instead, all of your files are stored online on the company’s servers. That offers several advantages, such as the fact that the files are automatically backed up.

But you have to pay for that online storage. In fact, to get the $99 price for the Zonbu computer, you have to commit to a two-year contract at prices ranging from $12.95 a month for a relatively small 25 gigabytes of storage to $19.95 a month for 100 gigabytes. If you opt to pay month to month instead of two years in advance, the Zonbu will cost you $249.

To get the Zonbu for $99 with 100 gig-abytes of storage, it will cost you $517.95 up-front after the discount of three free months that the company is currently offering. And the Zonbu doesn’t come with a monitor, keyboard, mouse, Wi-Fi adapter, speakers or DVD drive.

By comparison, you can get a Dell Inspiron 531s for just $529, after rebate. It has twice the memory, a DVD drive and a much better processor than the Zonbu. And it comes with a screen, keyboard, speakers and mouse — oh, and a 160-gigabyte hard disk that requires no monthly fee.

To be fair, the Dell doesn’t come with a full-fledged office productivity suite, while the Zonbu has OpenOffice, a competitor to Microsoft Office, preloaded. To get OpenOffice on the Dell, you must download and install it.

Also, the Zonbu monthly service fee is offset by some savings. The $99 machine uses so much less energy than a typical PC that the company claims you could save noticeably on your electric bill. And you might also save the cost of subscribing to security software updates.

Zonbu

Because the Zonbu stores your files on a remote server, you can also use them remotely, at no extra cost, from another Zonbu or from any Windows PC.

To speed things up — and guard against an Internet service outage — the built-in programs are stored locally on the computer, and Zonbu includes a small 4 gigabyte memory card in the machine to cache your documents. In my tests, this allowed me to keep using the Zonbu even when I unplugged it from the Internet.

In addition to OpenOffice, the Zonbu comes with the Firefox Web browser, an Outlook clone called Evolution, an iTunes clone called Banshee, the Skype Internet phone software, and a bunch of other programs for organizing photos, playing video and more. There are also some casual games.

To Zonbu’s credit, the machine is capable of recognizing lots of printers and digital cameras, out of the box. It worked well with my Kodak camera and Hewlett-Packard printer.

But there are three other big problems with the Zonbu, problems that belie its goal of eliminating hassles. First, you aren’t allowed to install any added software. You’re stuck with what the company provides. And that means, for instance, no video-editing software, for now at least.

Second, a lot of this Linux software is rough, below the polished level of Windows or Mac programs. In my tests, various programs crashed or froze frequently. While the Banshee program is supposed to work with iPods, it failed to work properly with both of the iPods I tested.

Finally, I found that the Zonbu crawled much of the time. Folders took forever to open, email took way too long to appear, and so forth. And I was testing it on a very fast Internet connection. This may be because of the very wimpy processor Zonbu uses to save money and energy.

I strongly support Zonbu’s goals of making computing simpler, cheaper and more energy efficient. But this product has too many compromises.

• Email me at mossberg@wsj.com. Find all my columns and videos online free at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Interesting that Sony would accuse Amergence of failure to meet its specifications now. After all, you’d think that’s an issue it would have taken up with the company two years ago, after its own engineers presumably reviewed the software and, if not then, perhaps on Oct. 4, 2005–the day Finnish security outfit F-Secure warned it that the software posed a serious security risk. “If [Sony] had woken up and smelled the coffee when we told them there was a problem, they could have avoided this trouble,” Mikko Hypponen, F-Secure’s director of antivirus research, told BusinessWeek at the time.

“We told them it was a major security risk,” added Santeri Kangas, F-Secure’s director of research. “They thought we were silly. They wanted to keep the problem quiet.”

That’s certainly what it looked like at the time. What with Thomas Hesse, president of Sony BMG’s global digital business division, telling NPR that “most people don’t even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?” ‘Course you tend to forget about those things when you’re busy redistributing blame, right?

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about security for smart phones, finding desktop computers with Microsoft Vista Ultimate preinstalled, and changing iTunes authorizations.

Having recently switched to a Windows-based smart phone (Treo 750) which has sensitive information on it, I am concerned about the need for antivirus and firewall security. Is security prudent for these phones?

First of all, the “Windows” on your phone isn’t in any way the same software as the “Windows” on your computer. Programs, including viruses and spyware, which are designed to run on a Windows PC typically won’t run on a Windows Mobile phone. There is some evidence of malicious software infecting phones, but the problem is quite minimal and I don’t see a need to install antivirus programs and firewalls on phones — yet.

I am limping along on Microsoft ME and would like to obtain Microsoft Vista “Ultimate.” I am finding that there are no desktop machines available in the stores that have “Ultimate” preinstalled on them. They all seem to have Vista Home Basic or Home Premium. Why is this?

Windows Vista Ultimate is the most expensive version, and doesn’t do very much more for an average consumer than Home Premium. But it can be found on some higher-end model computers in stores and can often be specified when ordering a higher-powered computer online from companies like Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

As you know, there is a limit of 5 PCs on which you can store/play your iTunes copy-protected music. I recently donated a PC but forgot to de-authorize it from my list of available computers. Is there a way to accomplish this even though I no longer have the machine?

Yes, Apple allows you to reset your authorizations, either by going to the account settings in iTunes or by contacting them and explaining the situation. The Account page in iTunes is reached by going to the iTunes store, and then selecting “Account” under Quick Links at the upper right. This reset will deauthorize all your machines, but that’s not as drastic as it sounds. It merely forces you to enter your password the next time you play a copy-protected song on any of the computers you want to remain authorized. After that, you’re all set.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Clearly, many people are furious about these unwanted programs and icons, which are sometimes called craplets. Many would like to smite them without going through the laborious process of uninstalling them manually, one at a time. Some readers suggested strategies. The following are some options.

One ray of hope is a free program called PC Decrapifier. It can be downloaded at pcdecrapifier.com. This software automates the process of uninstalling craplets. It was written originally to clean up Dell computers, but its author says it will work on other brands, too. Before PC Decrapifier runs, it allows you to remove from its proposed deletion list any programs it considers junk, but which you might prefer to retain.

I haven’t tested PC Decrapifier, but even assuming it works well there are a couple of downsides. First, it may not remove every craplet from every manufacturer. Also, unless you carefully tweak the deletions list, PC Decrapifier might remove some full working copies of preinstalled software that you want; it can’t easily differentiate between trial and real versions of some commonly bundled programs.

Another option is to order a PC without the craplets in the first place. Some high-end Dell gaming machines are sold this way. Dell says you can also opt out of some third-party software on other models. Certain business models from various makers can be purchased clean, as well. But even business machines sometimes come with unwanted trial software, like limited versions of accounting programs, and may not be configured for consumers.

Dell, Sony and others say they are moving toward a new scenario in which all of this stuff will be easily refused on all models.

An alternate strategy is to avoid brand-name Windows computers and buy a Vista PC from a local shop that will construct it to your specs and leave off all the craplets. The catch is that you may pay more, and you must be certain that the shop will be around and willing to provide support for the life of the machine.

Some techies wrote me to say that the first thing they do with a new PC is to wipe out the hard disk and reinstall Windows so they start with a clean machine. But I can’t recommend this for average users. For one thing, many new PCs no longer come with disks for reinstalling a full, clean version of Windows. Some have special sections of the hard disk from which you can perform a “recovery,” but these recoveries may not be complete or may reload the craplets along with Windows. You could, of course, buy a fresh copy of Vista to reinstall, but that could cost hundreds of dollars.

Also, wiping out and rebuilding an operating system can be tricky for nontechies. Dell told me, “It is not advisable for nontechie consumers to wipe the hard drive and reinstall. … This is intended as an emergency backup or for the technically sophisticated.” Sony and Gateway sent me similar warnings.

Finally, an excellent way to avoid or minimize the craplet problem is to simply buy an Apple Macintosh computer. New Macs don’t have any craplets displayed on their desktops. On a new Mac, no third-party software is automatically launched when you start the computer, and you don’t need antivirus or antispyware programs because the Mac is essentially free from those menaces. So, even my year-old Mac laptop reboots roughly three times as fast as my three-week-old Sony.

Apple does include a few third-party programs on Macs, including one that, oddly, is for drawing comic-strip effects on photos. But these are tucked away in the applications folder and most are full working versions, not trials or offers. The main exception is a trial version of Microsoft Office. With some Mac models, you get trials of two Apple programs, iWork and FileMaker Pro. But these trials can be deleted simply by dragging the icons to the trash can.

Computer makers should stop dumping craplets on us. Until they do, you can find ways to avoid them.

• Email me at mossberg@wsj.com. See video versions of my reviews at wsj.com/mossbergvideo.

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about deleting groups of emails on a Treo, eliminating unnecessary background programs and sending files from a Mac to a Windows PC.

How do I delete groups of email messages quickly on the Treo smartphone?

It depends on which Treo model you are using and which email program you are using. If it’s a Windows-based Treo, like the Treo 700w or 700wx, you can’t delete large groups of messages very quickly in the built-in email program. You have to manually select large groups of messages and then use the delete function. If it’s a Treo model that uses the Palm operating system, like the Treo 700p or the 650, it is usually possible to do this automatically with a few keystrokes, though the method varies depending on which email program you are using.

If you are using my favorite Treo email program, SnapperMail, on a Palm-based Treo, and you want to delete all or many of the messages in a mailbox, such as your inbox, you can do so with one hand and as few as three keystrokes. This “Purge” command allows you to delete all the messages, or only messages older than various periods of time you can set. You don’t have to use the stylus, or manually select any messages, or use two hands. You just press the menu button, the “T” key, and the center button on the navigation pad.

When I open the Windows Task Manager, I note that there are anywhere from 52 to 57 “processes” operating on my PC. I am sure this is slowing things down. However, the names of the programs are virtually impossible for a nontechie to understand so I don’t want to eliminate any of them for fear of causing major damage to the operating system. Short of calling a service technician, is there a way for me to find out which processes can be safely shutdown and/or eliminated?

This is one of the major banes of using Windows — every program and even some Web sites think it’s OK to install and run in the background all sorts of little, and not-so-little programs, which create the “processes” you are seeing. Some of them may even be spyware and adware. And, yes, they do slow down your computer.

Unfortunately, I don’t know of any quick, easy way a mainstream, nontechie user can tell which ones can be safely shut down. There are programs like Startup Cop that help you decide which unseen programs you should allow to launch when your computer starts, but they don’t necessarily cover stuff that launches after start-up. And there are Web sites, like processlibrary.com and answersthatwork.com, which let you look up a process to see what it does, but that is a laborious process. The latter Web site offers a $29 program called the Ultimate Troubleshooter for managing all these processes, but it’s pretty intimidating for a nontechie.

Antivirus and antispyware programs can shut down some malicious background processes, or stop them from loading in the first place. But many of the resource-draining “processes” you are finding may be from “legitimate” programs on your PC that simply want to hog the computer.

If I switch from Windows to a Macintosh, will my colleagues be able to read any Mac files I send them?

There is no such thing as a “Mac file.” The Macintosh today can create and read all the major standard types of files that Windows PCs use. For instance, photos in the common JPG format; music files in the common MP3 format; Adobe PDF files; text files; and many other types of files can simply be moved between Windows and Mac computers with no conversion necessary. Microsoft Office files, like Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, can also be shared between the two platforms, without conversion, if you have the Office program suite on both ends. The Mac’s built-in email program, Apple Mail, even has a setting for sending “Windows Friendly” attachments.

There are some specific programs on both platforms that can create proprietary file types not easily opened, or opened at all, on the other platform. Most annoyingly, the Windows and Mac versions of Quicken don’t share a common file format. But now that the new Macs can also run Windows, you can always launch Windows on your Mac in a pinch to run a program that can handle some Windows-only file type.

* * *

Because of the volume of email I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by email, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about free antivirus software, different versions of the Palm Treo and emails that claim to be from financial institutions.

My computer is a virus-infected mess. I sometimes have to close over 20 pop-ups just to access the PC. Taking your advice, I tried to download the “free” AVG Anti-Virus, but there is nothing free about it. They ask for your credit-card info. What am I missing?

The company that makes AVG, Grisoft, offers both paid and free versions of the product. The free version must be downloaded from a separate Web site, free.grisoft.com. Most of the first few results in a Google search for “AVG” or “AVG anti-virus” point to this free version. Also, the free version is prominently featured at Download.com, the big site for downloading software that is owned by CNET.

Is there a significant difference between the Palm Treo 700p and the 700w phones — or is it just preference of software? Do they have the same ease of use?

A. The 700p uses the Palm operating system and the 700w uses the Windows Mobile operating system. The hardware is essentially the same, except for one big difference — the 700p’s screen has a significantly higher resolution than the 700w’s. There are also some different buttons on the keyboard.

But asking if two devices differ in “just preference of software” is like asking if living in a similar home in North Dakota or Florida differs “just” in terms of your preference in weather. The software is every bit as important as the hardware, and makes a huge difference in how the two Treos work.

I have reviewed both devices, and I find that the Windows Mobile software on the 700w is considerably inferior to the Palm operating system software on the 700p. Too many common actions in the Windows version take more steps than the same actions on the Palm OS version, and often require navigating menus. You are likely to use the stylus more often in the Windows version as well.

And, even though the software on the Windows version was made by Microsoft, it is actually worse at handling Microsoft Office and Adobe PDF email attachments than the built-in software for that purpose on the Palm OS version.

For my review of the 700p, see: ptech.wsj.com/archive/solution-20060607.html. For my review of the 700w, see: ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20060105.html.

Last week, you advised readers never to trust any email from a financial institution because online criminals have gotten so good at faking such emails. Does that include emails from institutions where you have accounts, such as receipts for transactions at brokerages?

Yes and no. If you get an unexpected email from a bank, or brokerage, or payment service like PayPal, where you do have an account, I’d still advise ignoring it and never clicking on any link it contains. This is even true if the email suggests some problem with your account or advises that you need to log onto a web site to “verify” your account information. Such emails are very often just attempts to steal your passwords and account numbers. To double-check on such an email, phone the bank or brokerage, or manually call up its Web site.

However, if you have just bought or sold a stock, or performed an online banking action, and you get an email confirming the transaction, it could well be legitimate — provided it contains enough detail of a type criminals might find hard to replicate, and it arrives very quickly after the transaction was completed. I still wouldn’t click on any links in such an email, however. Remember, most financial institutions don’t have to ask you to supply account information they already have.

It’s really too bad that people have to look on such emails with such suspicion. Email could be a great tool for communications between banks and their customers. But, despite some strides, the technology and financial industries have so far failed to find a way to make email truly trustworthy and secure. And law-enforcement agencies have failed to stop the thefts of money and identities. So far, the crooks are winning in this arena. So you have to be extra careful.

* * *

Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

• Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

You need a good antivirus program, a strong firewall program, an effective antispam program, and a program that specializes in stopping spyware and adware. Or you could just buy an Apple Macintosh, which isn’t significantly affected (so far) by these threats, other than spam email.

But the fastest-growing computer-security problem isn’t viruses or other traditional malicious programs, and it can’t be entirely defeated by using security software or by buying a Mac. It’s called “social engineering,” and it consists of tactics that try to fool users into giving up sensitive financial data that criminals can use to steal their money and even their identities.

Social engineering is a broad term that includes “phishing,” the practice by which crooks create emails and Web sites that look just like legitimate messages and sites from real banks and other financial companies. It’s closely linked to a newly named category of malicious software called Crimeware — programs that help criminals steal your private financial information.

These terms are confusing and overlapping, but the threat is real. Increasingly, common-looking scams are combined with secret installations of software that help criminals spy on you and steal your data.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid these schemes:

1. Don’t trust email from financial institutions. Email is so easily manipulated by crooks that you simply should never, ever consider any email from a financial institution as legitimate. The message may bear a bank’s or a broker’s logo, but you should never respond to such an email, and never click on any link it contains.

There is a very high chance it’s a skillful fraud, and that the link will take you to a clever fake Web site designed to capture passwords and account numbers. The site may also silently install on your PC a program called a key logger, which records everything you type and sends that information back to the crooks.

2. Never respond to unsolicited commercial email, or spam, or even click on a link in an unsolicited commercial email. In the old days, responding to spam just got you on more spam email lists. Today, it might also result in the secret installation of a key logger or other malicious software.

Besides, any company that has to resort to spam as a sales tool isn’t likely to have a very good product to offer. Do you really think that if someone had invented a pill that enlarged penises and breasts, he’d be selling it through spam? He’d have sold it to a big drug company for billions. And nobody in Nigeria needs your bank account to store stolen millions.

Would you buy a stock touted on the street by a complete stranger? If not, why would you buy one touted in a spam email?

The only safe response to spam is to ignore it and delete it.

3. Don’t download or use free software unless you’re sure it’s legitimate. Sites offering free cursors, for instance, can secretly install all sorts of bad stuff on your PC. This is especially true of free security software, which is sometimes just malicious software posing as a security program. If you suddenly see a security program pop up on your PC, don’t trust it.

There are many legitimate free programs, including some good free security programs, like SpyBot or AVG Anti-Virus. But check them out before downloading. Look them up on the CNET or PC Magazine Web sites, which review most software. If they’re not covered there, assume they’re not legitimate. You may pass up some free programs that are real, but it could save you from huge grief.

Earlier, I said that buying Windows security software, or using a Macintosh, can’t automatically protect you from social-engineering schemes, and that’s true. But they can help. An antispyware program can’t prevent you from entering sensitive information on a fake Web site, but it might block the installation and operation of spying software from that site. A Macintosh owner can foolishly give up her bank account number, but most malicious software that crooks try to install won’t work on a Mac.

And there are some new security programs aimed directly at social-engineering scams. McAfee’s Site Advisor program can tell you if a Web site seems bad. A new add-on for the Firefox Web browser, called Shazou, can tell you where a Web site’s server is located. If you think you’re on the Bank of America Web site, but Shazou tells you the server is in Russia, that’s a clue that you’re being scammed. And Symantec plans a new product this fall called Norton Confidential that will tell you if a Web site appears to be a fake. Also, forthcoming new versions of Firefox and of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser will have built-in warnings that sites may be fake.

The best defense against social engineering, however, is to be smart and careful.

• Email me at mossberg@wsj.com.

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about keeping multiple computers in sync, waiting for Microsoft Vista and installing multiple security programs.

I travel among three locations and I currently lug an eight-pound Dell laptop. I would like to change this to having “permanent” PCs (either Windows or Mac) at each of the three locations. What software can I use to keep them in sync?

I recommend a product called FolderShare (www.foldershare.com), which is now owned by Microsoft, or a competing product called BeInSync (www.beinsync.com). Both do the job, though they differ. FolderShare can synchronize selected folders among groups of computers, including mixed groups of Windows and Macintosh computers. For instance, all the files in your My Documents folder on a Dell can be synchronized with all the files in the My Documents folder on an HP, or with all the files in the Documents folder on a Mac. But it doesn’t synchronize contacts and calendar items in Microsoft Outlook. BeInSync doesn’t work with Macs, but it does synchronize Outlook items, in a limited fashion.

I was considering buying a new PC now but was wondering if I need to wait until Microsoft Vista is released. I understand Vista only works on certain PCs. What is your advice?

My advice depends on your needs. PCs preloaded with Vista won’t be available until January, 2007, and possibly later, if Vista’s release date slips again. So if your current machine is essential in your life or work, and is on its last legs, or is seriously failing to meet your needs, you shouldn’t wait. But if you can go another six to nine months with your PC, I’d suggest waiting until you can buy a machine with Vista preloaded.

It is certainly possible to get a computer now that can be upgraded to Vista. But with any major new Windows release, there can be surprises and quirks in the upgrade process. Preloaded factory machines can also exhibit problems with a brand-new operating system, but they are likely to be fewer than what an upgraded PC would experience. A factory-loaded Vista PC may also be cheaper, because you will very likely have to add more memory to a current PC in order to run Vista well.

I have just installed a new security program that has both antivirus and firewall protection. To install it, I had to remove AdAware, Spybot and Microsoft Firewall. My question: Is one program enough, or should you install multiple programs to insure safety?

First of all, two of the programs you removed, AdAware and Spybot, perform a function your new software probably doesn’t — they detect and remove spyware and adware. Antivirus and firewall programs don’t typically do this. So I would re-install them and use them.

However, I don’t recommend using multiple antivirus or firewall programs, and neither does Microsoft or the major security-software vendors. Redundant programs can get in each other’s way and cause conflicts and confusion. The result may be that some malicious software sneaks through or that some innocent files are blocked. So pick one antivirus package and one software firewall and stick with them.

* * *

Because of the volume of email I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by email, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

The result is that criminals can use the browser as a gateway to plant all kinds of bad software on your PC and to steal your personal information by accessing your files or recording what you type.

Today’s common defenses are hit or miss. You can install antivirus and antispyware software, but those must be updated constantly to recognize new attack patterns, and sometimes the bad guys get ahead of the defenders.

Now, a small Silicon Valley company called GreenBorder is trying a radical approach. It has developed a product that isolates the browser from the rest of the computer, without impairing your Web browsing. It erects a sort of fence around the browser. Inside that fence, the browser runs normally, along with associated programs like media players. But the browser can’t be used to install bad software or to spy on the rest of the computer outside the fence.

With this product, called GreenBorder Pro, any malicious software you pick up is trapped in a computing environment — called a virtual session — that exists only inside the fence and can’t affect any key files or settings outside.

Once you quit the browser, this virtual session simply disappears, along with any bad stuff that has collected within it. Your files and settings remain unaffected. You can even purge the bad stuff from the virtual environment at any time by clicking on a command called Clean and Reset GreenBorder.

For instance, inside a GreenBorder Pro session, you might get infected with a “browser hijacker,” a spyware program that permanently changes your browser’s home page and search page to sites operated by sleazy companies. But once you quit the browser, or click on Clean and Reset, the hijacking effects disappear.

To show it’s protecting you, GreenBorder Pro places a literal green border around the browser. It also displays a summary of the malicious software it trapped inside its border and prevented from affecting your files and settings. If you deliberately choose to download a file, it gets placed in a special folder on your PC and marked with its own green border. It then runs in a protected session, just like the browser.

One big advantage of the GreenBorder Pro approach is that there’s no need to try to stay ahead of the bad guys’ techniques. GreenBorder doesn’t have to collect and update signatures of known bad programs.

GreenBorder Pro, available for download at greenborder.com, works only with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser for Windows, the most popular but least secure major Web browser. GreenBorder costs $50 a year, but is free for one year to the first 10,000 to download it.

I tested GreenBorder Pro on three different Windows computers, and found it easy to use. While it is difficult to test a negative, I deliberately used GreenBorder Pro to access numerous known bad Web sites, those that typically install unwanted adware and spyware on a PC.

Before starting, I ran both an antivirus and an antispyware scan to ensure each test machine was clean. I ran the scans again after quitting GreenBorder Pro, and the PCs were still clean, despite all those visits to bad sites. GreenBorder Pro reported that it had blocked dozens of attempted “file changes” and hundreds of attempted changes to the Windows Registry, the part of Windows that stores instructions for running software.

GreenBorder Pro has two other major features besides its basic function. One, called Privacy Zone, sets up a special browser mode for those times when you are visiting a Web site where you expect to be entering passwords or credit-card numbers. In this mode, the Clean and Reset process is performed automatically first, to purge any spy software that may be operating, and all traces of your Web activity are wiped out when you’re done. A yellow border is placed around the browser when you are in the Privacy Zone.

The second function is called SafeFiles. It lets you erect a fence around files from sources other than your browser, including email attachments and files you copied onto your PC. This is an extra-cost option priced at $14.95 a year.

There are some limitations to GreenBorder Pro. It won’t clean out existing viruses and spyware on your computer, or automatically block invasions that aren’t from Internet Explorer. You still need standard security software. It also won’t prevent you from being tricked into giving up private data. Also, some legitimate software downloads and installations will fail with GreenBorder Pro. You’ll have to run a browser in normal mode to get the downloads.

Also, I don’t see why you should pay $50 every year, instead of just once, for software that boasts that it doesn’t require updates. (The company says the annual payment covers better support and new features.)

But GreenBorder Pro is a novel and very promising weapon against malicious software.

• Email me at mossberg@wsj.com.

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about switching to a Web-based email service, viewing PDF files on Macs and antivirus programs that support Windows ME.

Q: I use an email address provided by my Internet service provider and access my email using Microsoft Outlook. I would like a more portable email address that isn’t tied to any one ISP, and an email program that is independent of any particular computer. What can you suggest?

The obvious answer is a Web-based email service that has a decent Web-based interface that can be accessed from any computer. There are lots of these, including Yahoo Mail, Microsoft’s Windows Live Mail (formerly Hotmail) and Google’s Gmail. I am not a fan of Gmail, which I believe has too many quirks and too few options for users to avoid them. Windows Live Mail is promising, but my favorite among these leading services is Yahoo Mail.

Q: I am thinking of switching to Apple, but I am wondering if Macs come with free Adobe Reader software, like some Windows computers do.

No, Macs don’t include Adobe Reader, which allows the viewing of PDF documents — but they don’t need it. The Mac operating system allows you to open and create PDF documents, right out of the box, without any additional software. If you get a PDF file as an email attachment, you can just double-click it and it opens. Even better, any program running on the Mac can save almost anything as a PDF file. For instance, you can save a Web page as a PDF file that can be opened in Adobe Reader on Windows. Adobe charges money for software that does that.

However, if you prefer Adobe Reader, there is a free Mac version, very similar to the Windows version, that you can download at www.adobe.com.

Q: Do you know of any antivirus programs that are continuing to support Windows ME in their newest versions?

The latest version of Grisoft’s very good AVG Anti-Virus program still works with the ancient Windows ME operating system, according to the company’s Web site, at www.grisoft.com.

Q: Last week, in answering a question about the speakerphone function on another Windows Mobile phone, you claimed that, on the Motorola Q, a multistep software process is needed to turn on the speakerphone. But isn’t that wrong? Isn’t there a hardware button that does that?

Yes, I erred when I wrote that. I just blanked on the hardware button, which I certainly knew about, having carried a Q for a couple of weeks while testing it. We have already run a formal correction, and I hereby apologize to Motorola for implying that the process was clumsy, when it’s simple.

* * *

Because of the volume of email I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by email, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com