Calling all Mac Users! Need some tips

It looks like I'll be doing the BBT this year on a Mac of some kind, so I've been trying to get the iMac In the Attic into a condition where I can use it if a better one doesn't show up. It's probably about 6 years old and is running OS9.2. It's got Word98, and I was able to open and edit my BBT template from last year, so it ought to be usable for this task.

Here's some questions I was unable to figure out the answers to:

1) Is there any way to rename the main hard disk? It's currently showing up as "untitled." Just selecting the name and typing a new one has no effect. It's not important, just annoying.

2) How do you add/delete things in the Application List (the dropdown list in the upper right corner)? Word 98 does not show up in this list, and I want it to. The text editor (called something like Simpletext) shows up twice. I'd like to delete the second copy.

3) What do you call the list that drops down from under the apple icon in the upper left corner? It has some overlap with the Application List that drops down from the upper right corner, but is not quite the same. It's got both applications and old files in it. I have no interest in the old files and don't want to see them there. How can I get them out of this list? How can I get Windows98 to appear?

4) How do you configure the IP address? I have no problem connecting to the Internet in a LAN that has a DHCP server, but have no idea how to assign a static address in the absence of a DHCP server, or even to find out what my current IP address is. [Remember, I don't have OSX, so don't tell me about Linux commands!]

5) How do I create an alias on the desktop for commonly used applications and/or files? I see some aliases already lying around, so I know it's possible. I'm hoping there's a key-combo that you can hold while dragging the icon (on Windows it's the ALT key).

6) When the computer freezes up, is there some way to restart it comparable to CTL-ALT-DELETE on Windows?

7) When you click the little box in the upper left corner of a window, does this actually close the application or just hide it? If the latter, how do you close it?

8) Is there a way to set view preferences for folders so it defaults to the list view instead of the icon view?

9) What is the default browser for this OS? There's a copy of Netscape 6 (which I got working after a few false starts) and a copy of Internet Explorer. But I'm guessing there's a native browser hidden away somewhere that might work better on this machine than either of the alien browsers. What's its name?


THINGS I DID FINALLY FIGURE OUT
1) Which folder Word98 was supposed to live in. I accidentally dragged it out of its home folder while trying to create an alias and it refused to start until I got it back into the folder it expected to be in.

2) Finding the USB thumbdrive. I must not have had it fully seated the first time. I removed and reinserted it, and it DID pop up on the desktop, just like people told me it would. Unfortunately, however, this version of the OS cannot read Windows files, so it showed up as unformatted.

It's not too late...

I hate hate hate making hotel reservations. Something always goes wrong when I use the online systems, and if you call on the phone you usually get put on hold by somebody in India. Thus, I typically put it off until it appears to be too late.

But, you'll all be happy to hear, it isn't really too late to make hotel reservations for Minicon, and even get the con rate of $85. It took me two tries. (I'm not kidding about online systems failing me with dismal consistency.) I trekked through all the screens, entered all my info, hit the final button and.... after about 5 minutes my request timed out with a cheery little "try again later!" message. Grrrr. So I started over from the beginning and the second time it worked. (I just hope I didn't end up with two rooms reserved.)

I reserved 3 nights: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. How's about the rest of you? Got your room reservations? When are you checking in?

New Luggage!!

Of all the important things that I should be doing before Minicon, I decided today was the day I needed new luggage. My last trip managed to destroy not just one but TWO pieces of rolling luggage. Well, not completely demolish, but stress the zippers past the point where they are safe to use for travel anymore.

I love those little rolling carry-ons. I remember the day when nobody had them except the flight crew, and everybody else in the airport walked around thinking, "I've gotta get me one of those. I wonder if I could mug a co-pilot or something." I bought my 22" Ciao a couple of years after they hit the open market (maybe 1991?) and that's the one that finally popped the zipper while I was packing for the trip to Arizona. So I quickly repacked everything in a cheap one that I got at a garage sale. It made it through the trip, but just barely. So I need a new suitcase. And why not get it before Minicon so I can start learning how to pack it?

I hit every store in Eden Prairie Center that might possibly have luggage, almost bought a "Skyway" model at Kohl's, but lost my heart to a cute little Crazy Horse at J.C. Penney's. It's probably not as sturdily constructed as the Skyway, but so pretty with a subtle fleur de lis pattern on the black finish. It's the right size (just a little shorter than my old one, so I have a chance of getting it into the overhead bin head on instead of sideways). The interior is perfect - one big empty space with little zipper pockets around the edges and under the hood. A big front pocket that unzips all the way (I don't like having to fish around inside a big flat pocket with just a top opening), and an unusual interior flat pocket big enough to carry file folders or large books without messing them up.

But the real selling point is the WHEELS. OMG, I've never seen a rolling suitcase with wheels like this. Instead of the usual two wheels pointing rigidly forward, there are 4 swiveling casters. It maneuvers around any corner without falling over. You can twirl it around like a ballerina!