These are the dark ages of technology. Infantile technology. The IQ level is in the dullard range. No one made any statements about a single function device except the responders.
That is rich.
You apparently have little/no comprehension (unless you are trolling) about how computers and software work, including malware.
It reminds me of the Linux fan boys, who
claim that it is impossible for malware to run on computers using Linux-based operating systems.
BTW, Microwave ovens can cook thousands of products. It is not a single function device. You could say a PC is a single function device.
All it does is process data.
I should have written "Purpose" ("Function" was the wrong word).
A Microwave oven is a single purpose device - it generates microwaves.
The microwaves heat material placed into it -
the outcome is always heated affected material.
A computer's single function (if it even can be described as such) is the transfer of data from a source (e.g. storage, HID, Network, etc.) to the processor to generate an output.
The processor manipulates the data based on a set of rules -
the generated outcome is entirely dependent on the processing rules.
The manipulation of data is what makes a computer a multifunction device.
Any given block of data can be interpreted/processed in many different ways:
- Text
- Mathematical formulae
- Database entries
- Music
- Video
- Picture
- Program code
The multifunction computer doesn't care what the data is supposed to be and that is why data can be used to create malware.
A single function computer that
can't run data as a program will be immune.
For example, a graphics processor in a TV:
"Processing Rule = This data is a picture."
The worst outcome is that it will display a nonsensical picture.
You are not seeing the advantages. People are having a great deal of trouble using a PC because they do not know what they are doing. It would be a relief to be free of upgrades, replacements, anti virus and malware for the average user who knows nothing about what they are doing.
That is only be true, if the device
cannot store system/user generated content (i.e. it has no access to writeable storage: RAM, HDD, SSD, "Cloud", etc.).
Malware isn't restricted to types that "permanently corrupt" locally installed operating systems.
Malware that "permanently" corrupts a local installation is more convenient for the malware author.
Malware doesn't have to "permanently compromise" a local operating system's files to be functional, for example:
- Keyloggers
- Network Redirection malware
It doesn't even have to be on your machine.
Malware could also be lurking at the other end (or along the route) of a network traffic connection (i.e. on the servers you are visiting or passing through).
Another insidious type of local malware, is malware that only exists in RAM (because you unluckily visited a compromised webpage, or clicked on a poisoned link, during an Internet browsing session).
An anti-malware search after the browser is closed will reveal nothing (that's why logging is an important security tool).
I didn't say that there were no advantages to ROM-based systems.
My friend and I have often postulated that certain aspects of computing would be better, if there was a different distribution of RAM-based and ROM-based functions.
That aside, I do agree that W8.1 has almost no chance of rescuing the PC market this year, since it is only going to be released in October.
It might make a difference next year (especially as XP is going to reach EoS in April).
