Amos thanks so much for all that helpful info - I have just downloaded trial versions of iKey and Keyboard Maestro (haven't tried them yet) but even if they don't solve the forward-delete problem, more keyboard shortcuts are always of interest to me because I'm used to them and have grown rather dependent on them (especially in editing music software where you have to operate a music keyboard at the same time as the QWERTY, and having to stop and mouse things is a real hassle). I tend to have no idea what extras are available for Macs, what's good and what's not, so thanks for the heads-up. It must be great to have your own resident Genius Bar! (Wish they had those here... *sigh*)

Does anyone have any experience or feedback about Parallels (sometimes called Parallel Desktop)? It's an independent programme that allows you to switch back and forth between Mac and XP with ease. The way I have to do it now is via reboot, which works fine but is still a time-consuming interruption. I gather that the new OS Leopard has some built-in form of this facility, but Tiger (which I use) doesn't. And I'm finding I really need it: as JTT says, the printer drivers leave a LOT to be desired!

This means I have to be able to toggle back & forth between the two OS's because I'm obliged to print in Windows - the Mac side won't do many of the things I need, and it seems to be a driver thing, not a programme thing. (Been to the HP site and downloaded the latest relevant driver, which they still support - but now I don't know what to DO with the damn thing! Have tried dragging it to all the usual haunts, but to no avail, unless there's some basic installation step that I'm missing -?)

Anyway, any feedback about Parallels - or whatever else is around - would be of great interest to me. I'm probably always going to need some Microsoft capability: I tend to think of Apple as my new friend and Windows as my old friend (albeit a sometimes dysfunctional relationship, but a relationship none the less).

As a user, I actually find XP perfectly easy, clear and friendly. The things I hate about M$ are the same things everyone hates - the juicy come-&-get-it opportunities for every type of hacker, the intrusiveness into your private space, the manipulative market-domination tactics (such as your old applications ceasing to work on their latest OS so you have to upgrade or buy new ones). I paid out good money for Front Page not that long ago, only to find They won't support it anymore - yes, it'll still work, but who wants to invest time & effort in built-in obsolescence? This sort of thing is what makes me distrust them, but for ease and clarity of use their XP is fine.

I'm very glad to have bitten into the Apple, but for me it does need to work in harmony with my PC self. Hence my interest in Parallels -

Once again, thanks so much!

Bonnie