Mac OS X includes a long list of features, and some that you might overlook can come in handy every day -- or even save you a few dollars. Nancy dives into some of her favorites and shares how they make her Mac even easier to use.

It's time a plain old tips column. In fact, it has been way too long. I have been tied up reviewing cool products from Macworld Expo, but nothing really replaces tips for beginners. So here are some that have either come my way recently, or I have stumbled across them myself trying to solve problems. I hope you find them helpful.

Kensington's new SlimBlade mouse packs a full-sized wireless laser mouse and receiver in a small package, but it's still equally useful for road warriors and desk jockeys alike. 

The venerable keyboard isn't the only way to fill your documents with text, and MacSpeech Dictate proves that your voice can work as a typing tool, too. The voice dictation package includes software and a headset, but is it worth the price? Nancy Gravley says it is.

Nancy Gravley takes a look at some of her favorite products from Macworld Expo 2009 from iPod chargers to laptop cases.

The TMO editors have asked me to reprise my column on holiday cookies. This is actually a nefarious scheme on their part to get me to make a new batch of cookies so they can conduct "product tests." [Editor's note: NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.]

In a blog entry last month, I commented that neither I nor an Apple employee could get clamshell mode to work with a new MacBook Pro (MBP) connected to a new LED Cinema Display at the Apple Store. That is, once we closed the lid on the laptop, the Cinema Display turned off and would not turn back on. Subsequently, I contacted Apple about this and they assured me that clamshell mode does work with the new hardware. So I hoofed it back to the Apple Store for a retest.

Bento 2, FileMaker's new consumer-focused database application, is shipping and promises more features while remaining easy to use. Nancy Gravley took Bento 2 for a spin around the block and lets us know if it lives up to those promises and is a worthwhile upgrade.

Today I bring you a tale of computer frustration and the things I learned to bring that frustration to an end, including removing troublesome startup items and booting up into Safe mode in Leopard.

Being tagged as a beginner Mac user isn't a bad thing, and it isn't always a title that people want to shed as they gain more experience because there's always more to learn. Nancy Gravely shares her perspective on the Mac as a professional beginner, and offers a couple of tips for the beginner in all of us.