After I installed MSN Messenger on my OS X iBook, I discovered that it seemed to automatically load when I started the computer. This puzzled me. I did not have it in my login items, and there was no checkbox within the program to make it do that.

I finally realized that it was starting whenever Classic started, but no other time. Here is what I did to solve the problem:

1. Make sure Classic is running.
2. In the Finder, locate the folder where the actual MSN Messenger application resides.
3. Highlite the application, and press Command-I.
4. Check the checkbox labled "Open in the Classic environment".
5. Launch the program.
6. Once you have completed the configuration for MSN Messenger for Classic, press Command-; (for preferences).
7. Under the General tab, uncheck the checkbox labeled "Always run this program...", then click OK.
8. Use Command-Q to quit MSN Messenger.
9. To make MSN Messenger run in OS X once again, uncheck the checkbox you checked in step 4.

Note that you can also do this from the pure OS 9 environment, eliminating steps 4 and 9.

I have not found any decent conduits for the Address Book yet. So I've written a perl script that can convert Palm Desktop exported addresses to be readable by Apple's Address Book or Outlook Express (in OS 9). Unfortunately, it's still a manual procedure, but it works very well.

You can find the complete script over at my website.

Are you annoyed by the size of your IE window when it slips behind the dock? I inadvertently found this trick: with IE as the front application, just press Option-Command-D twice in a row. The IE window will resize to just above the dock and give you access to the scroll bars again.

I bought a cheap digital camera, and the software for it was all for OS 9. After a few weeks, I figured out that with the combination of Preview, and Grab, I could get most of the functionality I needed.

I download the photos from the camera, and then open them in Preview. It is then possible to "resize" the image in Preview by zooming in and out and rotate the image also. Then, use Grab like a cropping tool.

[Sudo Editor's Note: Although this method of image manipulation is easily out done by the free iPhoto, I found it an interesting exercise in the creative use of the tools found in OS X. Preview also allows you to easily flip the image horizontally or vertically.]

I was switching through my Dock just now, using Command-Tab. I needed to quit BBEdit, so without thinking about it, I highlighted BBEdit in the Dock (with Command-Tab), I kept the Command key held down and hit 'Q'. The Finder stayed as my front application and BBEdit quit in the background. So, there's a quick way to quit an application, without switching to it first.

[Sudo Editor's Note: The Dock must be visible for this hint to work.]

It has already been pointed out that command-clicking on the title of a Finder window pops up a list of parent folders for the current directory - just like in Systems 7 through 9.

But did you know that you can do the same thing in many native Mac OS X application (TextEdit, Preview, Office X, ...)? And if you choose a folder from the pop-up list, it automagically opens in a new Finder window! Go ahead, try it. Cool ;-)

However, there are some curious exceptions to the rule. For example, command-clicking on the title of an Explorer window pops up a list of successively truncated URLs (a history list would have been nicer). Even more curious, command-clicking on the title of an Acrobat window switches you back to the Finder (hmm).

Has anybody else found interesting variations upon this theme?

If you burn a data CD from the Finder in MacOS X, you can easily give the CD a custom icon by copying the icon and pasting it into the CD's info window. However, if you want to burn a data CD from Toast 5, giving your CD a custom icon that appears in OS X requires a little trick.

To find out how, read the full hint.

Remember the good old days when your Mac was slow enough, that if you mistakenly double clicked on a slow launching application, you could quickly quit it with 'Command-Period'?

I just discovered, if you 'Control-Click' on an application in the dock while it is starting up, you can then select Force Quit and kill the application before it completes the startup (even works with the Classic icon). Not sure how clean this is, but it gets the job done.

[Sudo Editor's Note: Force quitting an application during start may cause file corruption and damage to your application, or worse, your system. You should avoid this method whenever possible. As a side note, I am pretty sure that it was 'Option-Command-Esc' that killed an application during startup, and not Command-Period. Since I do not have OS 9 running now, I was unable to verify this.]

In terminal, the Window menu normally shows the list of terminal windows that you have opened.

If you have su'd in any window, then that window has a round bullet next to it in the list. Try it and see!

Just a quick note on OS X drivers for scanners. Epson is now offering purchasers of their Perfection scanners (1250, 1250 PHOTO, Perfection 1650, 1650 PHOTO or Perfection 2450 PHOTO) a mail in deal for OS X drivers and software. You will need your receipt, UPC code, model number, serial number and $3.99 to send in for the CD.

There is no mention on their site whether these products will be available for download, and orders are supposed to take 4-6 weeks for delivery.

You can see more on this at www.epsonstore.com by following the link to rebates and promotions.