Q. I just bought a new Mac. It's such a nice computer. Is there anything I need to do to keep it working well? I've heard that Macs are very reliable. Is that true?
-Jenna from Modesto, CA, listens to my national radio show on KFIV 1360 AM

A. Let me start by saying that Macs are great. I use Macs at work and at home. They're excellent machines with terrific software. Some claim that Macs are much better than PCs. Of course, Apple is first in that line. I'm sure you remember the "I'm a Mac; I'm a PC" ads from a few years ago. The poor PC took quite a beating on reliability and ease-of-use.

Don't worry; I'm not going to get into a Mac versus PC debate. Those debates never end well. I use both kinds of computers. They both have their strong points.

What I will point out, however, is how people perceive Macs. According to Apple and Apple fans, Macs "just work." Bring it home, plug it in and you're set.

Unfortunately, that isn't really true. I've talked before about the need to secure new Macs. Apple fans often say that Macs don’t get viruses. Thanks to the recent MacDefender malware, more people are realizing that Macs aren't immune to viruses. No computer is. But that perception of safety has left Mac users with a false sense of security.