Now, don't get us wrong. Mac OS X is a wonder and a great leap forward for the Macintosh operating system. The new OS has a power-packed engine wrapped in a gooey, glowing interface. It's a Technicolor dream come true.

A dream, that is, until it's a nightmare! Yes, OS X can be your worst enemy if you cross it. Unless all your software and hardware is less than five minutes old, for example, expect problems. And the Classic interface, which lets you use old apps inside OS X, is nice, but don't count on it to work flawlessly. Likewise, don't expect OS X to behave at all like its predecessors. You thought you knew how to get around the Mac OS? Think again, because everything's different now. We picked some of the most common problems, analyzed them, and found some not-so-creepy solutions. In the meantime, sit right back; it's going to get scary.

What do you do when you can't empty your computer's trash bin? Take back the power after your OS gains control. Some unlucky souls out there bought OS X only to have the installation mysteriously fail. Uncover the mystery. So, you have a shiny, new OS and a trusty, old Apple StyleWriter. What don't you have? Printed pages. Here's why. If you couldn't wait to try out iTunes and OS X's brand-new, built-in, seamless support for CD burning, you could be in for a nightmarish surprise. Help, my Mac has a life of its own!

Troy Dreier is a New Jersey-based freelancer and a frequent contributor to CNET Software. Have a question for him? We'll pass it on.