<delurk> lazarus <lazarus33pjf at cox.net> wrote: > >I know nothing about this stuff, so I'm just asking this in all >innocence. I'm intending to build a computer in the next six months. >Is it possible to build a Mac, or will I need to buy one pre-built? There are places where you can have one custom-built, or you can go for a desktop and build one. Cost won't, IME, be that different >from buying a pre-built or custom-built machine close to your specs. >Also, I need to use a 5-button optic scroll wheel mouse due to some >physical limitations. I use the two buttons on the sides to back- and >forward- page in Explorer. Is this possible in the Mac OS? Yes, and you're far less likely to have driver issues than on a PC. You could do this in any Mac OS that I know of after 7. >And is the right click menu functionality available in OS X? Yes. Again, this is present in any Mac OS that I know of after 7. The right button is often assigned to Ctrl-click, which does the same thing right-clicking in Windows does. Also, there are freeware and "pintware" extensions that will allow you to expand your right-click menu's capabilities. The most notable is a nice program called "FinderPOP", though I'm not sure Turly ever updated it to OS X. >And, to be honest, there are things about Explorer I actually like >over Netscape. Weird, I know, but go figure. Netscape can run on >x86, can Explorer be used on Mac? Netscape has never been Mac-exclusive. However, neither has ever been PC-exclusive, either, IIRC. Both exist on Mac. Mac also has Mozilla, and the Apple-proprietary browser, which a lot of people who use Macs use and enjoy, Safari. Apart from games, most software has equivalent or better Mac versions or competitors. Example off the top of my head: Most of the PC IRC clients are okay, but all have annoyances. The foremost Mac IRC client, ircle, is *much* better and more capable than all the PC IRC clients put together. One note to whoever called the Mac UI simplistic: I really don't understand what you mean. I used PCs for most of my life, and I use PCs at work, and I've never found anything that I can do on a PC that I can't do on my Mac with OS X. Like with anything, one needs to learn exactly what a Mac is capable of before being qualified to slam or laud it accurately. </delurk> -- Nik ( Shori / Dacileva ) "You know, once you Feng Shui the organs, it's kind of cozy." - Stewie _________________________________________________________________ Get some great ideas here for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day - and beyond. http://special.msn.com/network/celebrateromance.armx