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CHAPTER
4
4 Working With Your Operating System
An operating system, or OS, is your computer’s desktop environment that defines how the
items on your desktop are represented and how you interact with them. Each OS has a
different look and feel.
Your computer comes with Mac OS 9 installed as the default operating system. The first
time you start your computer, it starts up using Mac OS 9. Your computer also comes with
Mac OS X and Classic, a technology that allows you to use Mac OS 9 applications inside
Mac OS X.
Some software applications have not yet been optimized to work with Mac OS X or Classic.
They perform best in Mac OS 9. If you use only Mac OS 9–compatible software and do not
need the special features of Mac OS X, continue to start up your computer in Mac OS 9. This
chapter describes some of the features of Mac OS X and Classic and how to switch your OS.