Can apple computers get viruses?

Ooh, my specialty.

Yes, Macs can get viruses. But they are much more unlikely to get them. There are a couple of reasons behind this.

Mac OS X is based on Unix. It is intrinsically more secure than Windows. Windows (prior to SP 2 for XP) automatically came with 5 ports open through which viruses could get in. OS X has them all closed. OS X also doesn't allow the administrator to alter the most basic program files of the operating system. This means that even if a virus did manage to get in, the damage would be very limited. In Windows the administrator has total control, and so damage is extended to all accounts on that computer.

That Apple computers are not as widespread as PCs is really not much of a factor. Here's why:

Obscurity has nothing to do with market share or the installed user systems share. Apple is one of the LEAST OBSCURE computer systems, and offers the one of the most tempting targets for malware creators. This is no secret to hackers.

Temptation #1 - Taunting - Never in the history of computing devices has any other computer manufacturer been so brazen about its security as to advertise it to so many around the world. This level of taunting is like twisting a dagger into the hearts of hackers.

Temptation #2 - Transparent - Apple utilizes far more open-source code than Microsoft. This code is not only in user systems, but is also found in Apple's servers and super-computer grid configurations. All of Mac's core operating system, BSD UNIX, is freely available for use and inspection for vulnerabilities.