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DLL's and driver files demand attention of the operating system. That has not been the case with my new Mac.

Hooking up peripherals, networks, and the internet

What I did with my new Mac was plug in the ethernet cable from my broadband modem and the USB cable from my printer. I was immediately on the web and my printer worked normally. My experience with the Vista laptop was the opposite: I immediately discovered that I had to find the Windows Vista drivers to run the printer. Also, Vista would not run my Netscape web software, which was no big deal because I have subsequently upgraded to broadband and have not looked back.

Running legacy software

My Mac "goes both ways": It runs Microsoft Vista and my old Windows programs. I bought a Mac program called Parallels, which enabled me to load Vista on the Mac as well as MS Office 2007. Mac comes with a free PC interface called "Boot Camp," but I preferred the $89-Parallel program that allows me to keep both the Mac and the Vista going at the same time. Ironically, my Mac seems to run Vista faster and with fewer problems than my old PC. This is important because I tutor on line and use a classroom support program that will not run on the Mac OS. I have run my tutoring program successfully and trouble free for over a month with no crashes, slowdowns or glitches.

Look and feel of the operating systems

I like Vista and its intuitive (PC) operating system. It gives a veteran computer jokey a sense of security being able to stare at the guts of the computer and to troubleshoot. Mac, on the other hand, approaches the issue of computer troubleshooting and file management from the point of view that on a Mac one needs not to be concerned with all that stuff about disk maintenance, lost file chains or even locating a document file. Mac does not use a "Start" button. To open an application one simply can open the finder icon and ask. For applications used frequently, one can just "dock" that application on the neat and slick "docking" bar on the desktop. The bottom line is that Mac is a Unix based operating system and it simply runs faster. To set operating preferences comparable to the Vista's Control Panel, just click on the System Preferences thingy on the dock.

Running programs

Using the internet or running a word processor on the Mac is just the same as on a PC, except faster. Since Mac software is on the whole more integrated with the Mac operating system and the computer's hardware, everything just seems easier to do. As

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