I THINK I've got this figured out - but this message will confirm
that - or not. This will be my 2,608th attempt to post to
this group. Once again my fingers are crossed.

If you find a computer - and software compatible with it - that
does what you want it to do, and come to know it and the
software you've acquired for it like the back of your hand,
there's a tendency to stick with it - while the rest of the
world moves on.

I had unintentionally become a Computer System Neander
- and the world was leaving me behind - as was Apple and
Mac software. My old Mac G3 purchased in 1997 or maybe
it was '98, won't run the newest versions of my frequently
used software, nor any of the "new stuff" - like SketchUP.
And Netscape 3.0 (how Neander is THAT?) can't, or has
trouble viewing the content of more and more web sites.

SO - about three weeks ago - I headed down to the Apple
Store and picked up a NEW Mac Mini - 6" x 6" x 2" - since
I already had a flat screen display, keyboard and mouse.
Five or six times faster and 1/30th the size of the old
G3 - and it's so CUTE- silver gray sides and a white top
-with a gray Apple Logo.

What happened should be familiar to anyone who has
bought one of those fancy "easy to use" dovetail or
mortise and tenon jigs. The Silver Tongued Devil
who you saw demonstrate it made it look SO EASY,
and so Idiot Proof, and so FAST and so ACCURATE.

Then YOU buy it, set it up and use it - just like you
think you remember The Silver Tongued Devil did
at The Show. That's when perception and reality
often conflict.

Despite what The Silver Tongued Devil said - or
heavily implied, and despite what The Brochure
would have you believe, and despite what the
various "reviews" in the woodworking magazines
would have you believe - this thing AIN'T intuitive
to use, nor EASY, FAST and ACCURATE - until
YOU learn to use it EXACTLY as the manufacturer
intended for you to use it.

With a computer system that's Stand Alone,
migrating upward and learning a new User Interface
(Apple's strong point) can be tricky. Add in an
Internet Service Provider, totally unfamiliar
downloaded software and an A/B Box so you can
switch the monitor from Old System to New
System and back - and you may drop into
The Twilight Zone.

Seems while trying to "set up" the New Computer
- and it's software, I somehow managed to screw
up the Old Computer and it's mail and news settings.
Suddenly, and mysteriously, I couldn't get to
usenet news groups and couldn't send e-mail.
Then I COULD get to usenet groups - but couldn't
post messages - or send any e-mail.

Only took a bit over a week to be able to at least
get to and view posts to the wreck and the
woodturning news group, "making do" by spending
time at WoodCentral to satisfy my Forum
addiction. There I found a recomended Mac
newsreader ThunderBird and the web browser
FireFox recomended here and in other forums
/ groups.

Still haven't got my "old" capabilities working
on the New Computer but I THINK I've recovered
them on the Old Computer. Only this post will
tell the tale.

charlie b
crossing his fingers as he clicks on "Send Now"
- and whispering "please, please, please work"