[nemanirc]

According to this web page on Apple's "Get a Mac" site (http://www.apple.com/getamac/viruses.html), we can all be "deciders":

On a Windows PC, software (both good and evil) can change the system without your even knowing about it. In order for software to significantly modify Mac OS X, you have to type in your password. You’re the decider. You approve changes to your system.

So, you don't have to be elected to high office to be a "decider".

[olePigeon]

I do not have pictures depicting sexual relations... on my Mac mini.

[SpaceMonkey]

I get advice from my advisors...and software updates from my software updater.

[Salty]

Decider seems like a strange word...

[Brass]

"significantly modify Mac OS X" is the key phrase here. There's nothing to stop software from making less-than-significant modifications to Mac OS X without requiring your password, especially if you're an administrator. And there's nothing to stop software from completely screwing with your account (eg, setting itself to run at every login), even if you're not an administrator.

Apple's point is certainly valid, and correct(ish), but makes everything sound a little more hunky-dory than it really is.

As it stands there is very little malware for Mac OS X. But it could still change, one day.

[Millennium]

It's good to see their marketing finally catching onto the real reason that authentication is important. Unfortunately, their software still needs to catch up a bit. I can think of two things they need to do in this area:

1) Put /Applications and /Library under password-lock for Administrators, just as they are for non-Administrators. This is likely just a simple permissions juggle.
2) Reword (and in the case of password-locked folders, reposition) the authentication dialogs to make their purpose clearer. Something like "(Program Name) is trying to modify your system. If you wish to allow this, please type your username and password" or something like that. The problem with the current wording is that people are getting this silly idea that OSX is requiring you to ask its permission to modify your own system, when it's actually the reverse: OSX is asking you to give it permission to modify itself.