Some readers might be surprised that this column hasn't yet tackled the subject that seems to be on everybody's hearts and minds lately: computer security. Newspaper and magazine articles about firewalls, anti-virus software and operating system patches and updates have become de rigueur.

I'm not going to write about those subjects because, frankly, I find them tremendously boring. I'm going to guess that you do, too. Every week there's something new, but really it's all variations on the same theme. A vulnerability was discovered in browser X, but it only affects versions 3.4.5.6.7 through 3.4.5.6.9. A new worm, Stupid.title, is quickly infecting servers across the globe and those on the International Space Station. An e-commerce Web site accidentally made 5 million stored credit card numbers available to anybody who asked politely.

I don't mean that these stories are unimportant, or that these problems are somehow going to solve themselves. Brilliant people are working around the clock to fix our software systems, and if they weren't, we'd probably plunge back into the Dark Ages.

New products designed to enhance your computer's security are being released all the time, and technology reporters provide a great service by writing reviews and features about which ones are the best. My lack of information-security expertise, along with chronically limited time and resources, preclude me from writing such reviews for you.

I can, however, point you in the direction of some of the better-known resources. They include CNET.com, PCWorld.com (or the attendant PC World magazine) and, for the more faint of heart, itmanagersjournal.com. These sites provide often-updated, detailed news and reviews by experts in the field.

I can express my disinterest in staying abreast of viruses, worms, Trojan horses and the like because I sit comfortably on my Macintosh perch. I can say, without exaggeration, that I have not once experienced a security problem on the Mac that wasn't a result of my own (misguided) doing.

Unlike problems experienced by PC users I know, the Mac does not become infected with garbage within minutes of connecting it to the Internet. Using Firefox, as I recommended in this space about a month ago, certainly helps, too.

My relationship with my computer is totally unlike what many PC users go through. I do not spend hours at a time running virus scans or spyware destroyers. I do not have my computer taken away and formatted by ResCom because it is the literal hub of some viral epidemic.

I sit at my computer, do what I need to do (what I "need" to do usually involves watching stupid Flash animations,) and get up and walk away. Life is grand.

So hopefully you can understand how I've grown a little weary of many of the security stories in the press. To use an awkward analogy, I feel like I'm watching people write about the Red Menace's threat today. It's just something that isn't a concern anymore; we Mac users have moved on.

At the risk of poisoning any opportunity I ever had to get hired by Micro-soft, let me say this to every Windows user: Microsoft has screwed you with your pants on. I know that's got to hurt.

The company has got a pretty sweet monopoly going, and their incentive to provide real advances has disappeared. Sure, they'll pay lip service to improving security, but have you seen it happen yet?

The security problem at Microsoft has gotten so bad, your physical security is at risk. Last week, the company announced it is recalling 14.1 million power cords for its Xbox game system because the cords can overheat and cause fires.

I'll sign off with this thought: The operating system updates, firewalls and anti-virus programs that you might be using are really placebos, meant to distract you from the fact that the situation really isn't getting any better. Things won't begin to change until customers show how they feel by not supporting the hegemon any longer.