My First Mac Was A Typewriter September 8th, 1998 Ok. Lets get the confessions out of the way first shall we? I learned to type on a manual typewriter. I thought the IBM Selectric with the option of changing fonts was the greatest invention imaginable. I remember when there was no such thing as TV. My first computer experience was with a Commodore 64; and perhaps the most damming of all - I don't really give a flip how my computer works so long as I can get it to do what I want it to do. If any of this rings a bell with you then I hope you will find this column to be both interesting and useful. You may be employed in an environment where you must use a computer every day. You may be retired and just interested in using a computer because it is fun or can help you. You may be interested in a computer because you want to keep up with your family and friends. Whatever your reason you have made the best of all possible choices by choosing a Macintosh. I say this with great emphasis because there is no computer that is easier to use than the Macintosh. Because I am employed in a professional capacity I have used a computer for several years. I went from that first Commodore 64 to a Sanyo that was floppy disk driven to the more modern equipment of today. I have used numerous Macintosh machines as well as many of the “other kind.” While I use a Mac in my home, I currently have a super-duper Dell machine that runs top of the line Microsoft software at my office. We have no options concerning equipment. This means that on a daily basis I have the opportunity to compare the two operating systems. In this column we will evaluate software packages that you might be interested in using. We will look at ease of use, applicability, cost, and benefit. We will evaluate the search engines that are available for your use. Since you found Webintosh then you already have the ability to search the net. I hope we can take that skill one step further to help you make efficient use of the net. We will also evaluate the various options that you have to help you find long-lost friends, family, or loves. We will compare the advantages and disadvantages of using a package net provider such as AOL compared to signing up with a local or national provider and using Netscape. We will look at applications that will let you make special things like greeting cards, newsletters or resumes. There are information sites out there that can save you a lot of time and trouble and we will identify some of them as well. One thing I will promise is that I will never mention bytes, megabytes, hard drives, ports, LANS, or any other of the technical stuff unless forced to do so by the editor. [Editor’s Note To Self: Don't assign Nancy that technical foray into the die size of the latest microprocessor and what it really means.] We will specialize in plain English. Your comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome. And remember at all times that I DO know what it feels like to have your grandchildren know more about the computer than you do.