Yes, you are correct. Snow Leopard is the first Apple OS version that runs only on Intel-powered Macs, and your iMac runs on the G5 processor, which isn’t an Intel chip.

As for the comparison with Microsoft’s policy: In one way, Apple’s approach is much worse. It is totally cutting off some of its user base from the new OS, including some folks with machines as little as 3 years old. Microsoft isn’t making it impossible for XP owners to move to Windows 7— it’s merely making it so painful, tedious and complicated to upgrade that many non-techies who want Windows 7 may give up and feel compelled to buy new PCs. On the other hand, Apple’s policy affects a smaller proportion of its customers. Only about 20% of its users still use older, non-Intel-based Macs. By contrast, Microsoft’s policy affects a much greater percentage of Windows users, since, despite its advanced age, Windows XP is still the most commonly used version of its OS.

A few years ago Microsoft used a code name of Longhorn for the operating system which ultimately was released as “Vista.” Will Windows 7 have a real name upon release?

The real name of Windows 7 is: Windows 7. It’s not a temporary code name, like “Longhorn” was. The product will be officially called Windows 7 when it comes out on Oct. 22.

Is it possible to connect a netbook directly to a larger PC to transfer data? The data I am interested in would be Word documents, Excel files, a limited number of photos and music files, and other personal files.

While I haven’t tested it, I assume that, since a netbook is just a small, cheap, standard Windows laptop, you could use Microsoft’s built-in file-transfer utilities to accomplish this, provided you use the right cable. In Windows XP, the operating system on most netbooks and most other PCs in use, this is called the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. In Vista, and the forthcoming Windows 7, it’s called Windows Easy Transfer.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

After reading your positive review, I downloaded Firefox 3.0, only to discover that some of my favorite add-ons, including a search toolbar, are incompatible. What can I do about this?

Wait. As I noted in the review, when major new versions of Firefox come out, it takes a while for some of the many add-ons for the browser to be updated so they are compatible with the new version. Because these are written by a very large number of different companies and individuals, the process will be gradual, and some will be updated more quickly than others.

As for search toolbars, like those from Google (GOOG) and Yahoo (YHOO), I doubt that most people still need them. When they first came out, these toolbars provided things the top browsers lacked: a permanent search box, pop-up blocking and a few other useful features. But all the major browsers now provide these things without requiring the installation of any external toolbar. The companies that make the toolbars can use them to sell advertising or attract you to their search engines. But, for many users today, they are redundant.

I don’t want to run antivirus software constantly, but I would like to periodically run a program that could scan my computer and remove viruses and the like. Does such a program exist?

Yes. Here’s one example. Microsoft (MSFT) makes a small, free program called the Malicious Software Removal Tool that looks for, and tries to remove, a limited number of the worst examples of malicious software. It can be downloaded at www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove.

However, this isn’t a comprehensive antivirus program. Microsoft says it detects and removes only “specific, prevalent malicious software,” and advises that “You should also use up-to-date antivirus software to help protect your computer from other malicious software.”

I am in the market for a laptop. I was considering a Dell (DELL) or an H-P (HPQ) but have learned that Apples now run Windows. I have financial (Quicken) and other business files (Excel, Word and PowerPoint) that would need to be transferred to the new computer. Would this be possible on an Apple (AAPL)?

Yes, in the same ways you could transfer files from one Windows PC to another. For example, you could burn them to a CD or DVD, copy them to an external USB drive, or transfer them over a network or via the Internet. In fact, if you buy your Mac at an Apple retail store, the store’s staff will move your files over free, or for a modest fee, depending on which folders, and how many, you want transferred.

Once the files are on the Mac, you can either use native Mac programs to read and/or modify them, or you can install Windows and run your usual Windows programs to handle the files.

For instance, even if you never installed Windows on an Apple, your Excel, Word and PowerPoint files could be used in the Mac version of Microsoft Office. However, the Mac version of Quicken isn’t as compatible with the Windows version’s files. So, for Quicken, I suggest installing Windows on the Mac and running the Windows version of Quicken.

• You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Do Macs last longer than Windows PCs? I am willing to pay the additional cost for a Mac if it will last significantly longer, but if it has approximately the same lifespan as a PC from a reputable manufacturer, I will stay with PCs.

In my years of using both types of computers daily, I have never noticed a significant difference in when Macs and Windows PCs become unfit to use, and I have never seen claims from Apple (AAPL) that its computers last longer than competing models. Obviously, on the Windows side, there’s a much greater variety of manufacturers and of quality levels, while Apple makes all Macs, and receives generally high marks in well-known surveys of reliability. But so do some Windows PC makers. All computer makers turn out the occasional lemon, and how long a computer “lasts” depends tremendously on how you use it and how you judge its usefulness over time.

My laptop hard drive crashed last year and I lost some digital pictures that were on it. My daughter had accidentally copied those digital pictures onto her iPod but she didn’t select the option to store them at full resolution. I know I can get the pictures back off the iPod, but is there any software that can get them back at full resolution?

Not as far as I know. Unless you tell iTunes to store the photo at full resolution, what is on the iPod is a version of the photo that has been scaled down for the iPod’s screen resolution and storage capacity, and that is the resolution they would retain if you copied them back to a computer.

I have an H-P (HPQ) laptop using Windows XP and Microsoft (MSFT) Office 2003. If I purchase a new H-P laptop with Vista and Office 2007, what must be done to make the two machines compatible? My goal is to be able to take a copy of Office files from one computer and use them on the other.

The difference in the operating systems won’t affect your plan, but the difference in the Office versions might. The newer 2007 version of Office can easily handle your files from the older version. But Office 2003 can’t handle files in the new default Office formats introduced in the 2007 version. These formats use file suffixes that end in the letter x. For instance, the new Word format has an extension of docx, instead of the old, familiar doc.

Luckily, the new Office can still save files automatically in the old formats, if you change a setting. Here’s how.

On the computer with the new version of Office, click on the round “Office Button” at the top left of the 2007 versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Then, in the window that appears, click on “Options.” In the next screen that comes up, click on “Save” in the column at the left. In the panel that appears at the right, you’ll notice an option called “Save Files in this format,” with a drop-down list of choices next to it. Display the list of choices by clicking on the arrow and select the format that corresponds to Office 2003. Then, click OK at the bottom of the window. For instance, in Word 2007, the format you want is called “Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc).”

The other option is to enable Office 2003 to handle the new formats, by downloading a free “Compatibility Pack” from the company’s “Download Center,” at www.microsoft.com/downloads. You’ll find it listed there under “Popular Downloads.”

• You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

When will Google offer its much-discussed cellphone for sale?

Google says it isn’t planning to build or sell mobile phones. Instead, it is developing a cellphone operating system, or software platform, called Android. And it has assembled an alliance of companies, including phone makers and cellular network providers, to create phones based on this new platform. This group is called the Open Handset Alliance. In addition, since Android will be so-called “open source” software, Google expects numerous developers around the world, large and small, to modify the operating system and create programs that will run on it.

If all goes according to plan, Google says it expects to see many different Android-based cellphones and other mobile devices, from a variety of manufacturers and carriers, in various designs and with differing functionality and capabilities. Some may be larger-screen “smart phones,” similar to an iPhone or BlackBerry. Others might be smaller, simpler phones. Still others might fall somewhere between an iPhone and a small laptop.

Google officials say they expect the first Android devices to be available later this year.

After reading your Jan. 3 column, I looked unsuccessfully for a Home and Student version of Office for Mac 2004. Does such a version exist?

In the 2004 release of Microsoft Office for the Mac, this low-priced version had a different name: the Student and Teacher edition. Microsoft presumably changed the name of this $150 product to the Home and Student edition in both Office 2007 for Windows and Office 2008 for the Mac, because, while it was technically limited for sale to families containing students or teachers, no proof was required and it was widely purchased by consumers in general.

However, there’s a big difference between the latest Windows and Mac versions of the Home and Student edition. In the Mac version, it includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage, Microsoft’s equivalent of Outlook on the Mac, which, like Outlook, includes email, calendar and contact functions. But the new Windows version now omits Outlook, and instead substitutes OneNote, a note-taking and information organizing program that is far less commonly used. So, Windows users must spend much more money to get a version of Office that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Is there a way to back up Microsoft Outlook Express emails, particularly Inbox items?

Outlook Express stores your emails in database files, with all the messages in each of your mail folders lumped into a single such file. These files can be backed up, or copied, onto other hard disks, or storage media.

The email data files are usually buried in obscure subfolders in Windows. But you can locate them by clicking on the Tools menu, then Options. This will open a tabbed window. In this window, click on the tab called Maintenance, then the button called Store Folder. This will generally give you a long, complicated path to the folder.

Next, copy this path by selecting it and pressing Control and C. Then, click on the Start menu, select “Run…”, and then press Control and V and then click OK. This should open the folder that contains your email. The inbox is contained in a file called Inbox.dbx. This is the file you will want to back up. If you want to back up other folders, such as the Sent mail folder, you will find them along with the inbox file, with the same “.dbx” suffix.

Some backup programs may automate this process by simply allowing you to designate that you want to back up your Outlook Express emails. There are even some programs specially designed to back up Outlook Express messages. You can find some of these by simply performing a Web search on “backup Outlook Express.”

• You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

On two different new computers, I’ve created Word files and they’re automatically saved with the extension “.docx.” What is that? When I send these files via email, no one can open them. Can you shed some light?

In the 2007 version of Microsoft Office for Windows, which you appear to have on your two new PCs, Microsoft introduced new default file formats whose extensions end in the letter “x”. The one for Word is “docx,” for Excel it’s “xlsx” and for PowerPoint it’s “pptx.” You are using Word 2007, and all of your files are thus automatically being saved in the “docx” format.

Your correspondents can’t open these files because they are using older versions of Office that don’t recognize the new formats. Microsoft has made available a free auto-conversion patch for the older Windows Office versions, but most people don’t have this patch. (It can be found at microsoft.com/downloads under “Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.”)

There’s also a kludgy free stand-alone converter from Microsoft for the Mac versions of Word and PowerPoint, available at microsoft.com/mac under the name “Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac.”

Unless you can persuade all of your correspondents to install these workarounds, I suggest you change a setting in Word 2007 so that, henceforth, all of your files will be saved in the traditional “doc” format. That familiar format isn’t only compatible with older versions of Microsoft Office, but with many other programs, on both Windows and the Macintosh.

To make the change, first click on the round “Office Button” at the top left of Word 2007. Then, at the lower right of the window that appears, click on “Word Options.” In the next screen that comes up, click on “Save” in the column at the left. In the panel that appears at the right, you’ll notice an option called “Save Files in this format,” with a drop-down list of choices next to it. Display the list of choices by clicking on the arrow and select “Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc)”. Then, click OK at the bottom of the window.

Microsoft warns that some new features in Word 2007 won’t translate into the old format, but I believe that this will prove irrelevant in 99% of cases and is outweighed in any case by the incompatibility you have run into.

How can I transfer all my Outlook contacts from a Windows PC to a Macintosh contacts program?

There are a number of methods. You can use a PDA or smart phone that can synchronize the contacts with a Mac, after having first synchronized with Outlook on your PC. Or you can use a $10 program called O2M, which is specifically designed to move Outlook data to a variety of Mac programs. It can be downloaded at littlemachines.com.

Or you could get Apple to do it. The company offers a basic file transfer for free if you buy the Mac from an Apple retail store. But, if you want Apple to move Outlook contacts in just the way you want, you may have to purchase the company’s $99 a year ProCare service, which comes with a more complete transfer service.

I recently replaced an old Windows XP computer that was running very slowly. I want to continue to use it as the computer for our young kids, and I was thinking that if I format the hard drive and reinstall XP (which I bought to upgrade the machine a while back), it will probably improve its performance. Do you agree? And, can I reinstall my copy of XP, when I have already “activated” the software when I originally installed it?

I do agree that the computer will likely run faster after you wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows. That is the usual outcome. And it should be possible to use it legally, as long as you haven’t made any major changes to the hardware, since Microsoft’s activation system typically allows Windows to be reinstalled on the same machine. If activation fails, you can call Microsoft and explain that it’s the same machine, and the company says it will usually OK activation in such cases.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about iMac configurations, the Zune’s sound quality and simple digital cameras.

We’re going to be purchasing an Apple iMac desktop in the next few weeks. Do you have any recommended configurations? We will be running Microsoft Word and Excel as well as playing music, organizing family photographs and using the Internet.

Apple separates the iMacs by screen size — 17 inches, 20 inches and 24 inches. As the screen sizes increases, the processor speeds and other specs also rise, although you can alter some of them if you order from Apple online. There are two 17-inch models, one with beefier specs than the other. All iMacs use Intel’s latest dual-core processor, the Core 2 Duo, with speeds ranging from 1.83 gigahertz to 2.33 gigahertz.

For the usage pattern you describe, even the base $999, 17-inch model would be fine, although I would suggest doubling the memory to 1 gigabyte. That upgrade costs $75, bringing the price to $1,074. Its hard disk, at 160 gigabytes, is plenty for the needs you describe, as is its low-end, but capable, graphics system, and its processor speed of 1.83 gigahertz.

If you think you might like to create DVDs of your photos, you’ll need to get at least the beefier 17-inch model, which costs $1,199. That model already has 1 gigabyte of memory. Like the larger-screen iMacs, it can record DVDs, while the base model can only record CDs. It also has a slightly faster processor, at 2.0 gigahertz, and a better graphics system.

If you want bigger screens, you’ll have to spend more. The 20-inch model costs $1,499 and ups the hard disk to 250 gigabytes, in addition to increasing processor speed to 2.16 gigahertz. The 24-inch model costs $1,999 and has a fancier graphics system but the same hard disk and processor as the 20-inch model.

In your lengthy review of the Zune digital music player, you didn’t say much about its sound quality. Was it good? Was it the equal of the iPod?

As I noted in the review, to my ears, the Zune sounded about the same as the iPod. Its sound is quite good. However, the Zune has fewer equalizer settings than the iPod, and I found its earbuds to be less comfortable than the newly improved standard iPod earbuds.

My wife wants to take up photography as a hobby, but she is a devout technophobe. Could you recommend a good quality camera that is simple to use?

Different people have different opinions on what constitutes “simple,” and several brands of cameras are fairly easy to use. But I’d suggest you consider one of the Kodak EasyShare models.

I am thinking of buying a new computer with Windows Vista installed. How can I transfer the files on my current PC to the new one without losing any?

Vista will have a built-in file transfer utility, but I haven’t tested it and thus can’t say if it’s any better than the lousy file transfer “wizard” in Windows XP. In the past, I have recommended a product called Detto Intellimover. I haven’t tested it for a while, but I assume it will have a version that works with Vista.

* * *

Because of the volume of email I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by email, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about deleting groups of emails on a Treo, eliminating unnecessary background programs and sending files from a Mac to a Windows PC.

How do I delete groups of email messages quickly on the Treo smartphone?

It depends on which Treo model you are using and which email program you are using. If it’s a Windows-based Treo, like the Treo 700w or 700wx, you can’t delete large groups of messages very quickly in the built-in email program. You have to manually select large groups of messages and then use the delete function. If it’s a Treo model that uses the Palm operating system, like the Treo 700p or the 650, it is usually possible to do this automatically with a few keystrokes, though the method varies depending on which email program you are using.

If you are using my favorite Treo email program, SnapperMail, on a Palm-based Treo, and you want to delete all or many of the messages in a mailbox, such as your inbox, you can do so with one hand and as few as three keystrokes. This “Purge” command allows you to delete all the messages, or only messages older than various periods of time you can set. You don’t have to use the stylus, or manually select any messages, or use two hands. You just press the menu button, the “T” key, and the center button on the navigation pad.

When I open the Windows Task Manager, I note that there are anywhere from 52 to 57 “processes” operating on my PC. I am sure this is slowing things down. However, the names of the programs are virtually impossible for a nontechie to understand so I don’t want to eliminate any of them for fear of causing major damage to the operating system. Short of calling a service technician, is there a way for me to find out which processes can be safely shutdown and/or eliminated?

This is one of the major banes of using Windows — every program and even some Web sites think it’s OK to install and run in the background all sorts of little, and not-so-little programs, which create the “processes” you are seeing. Some of them may even be spyware and adware. And, yes, they do slow down your computer.

Unfortunately, I don’t know of any quick, easy way a mainstream, nontechie user can tell which ones can be safely shut down. There are programs like Startup Cop that help you decide which unseen programs you should allow to launch when your computer starts, but they don’t necessarily cover stuff that launches after start-up. And there are Web sites, like processlibrary.com and answersthatwork.com, which let you look up a process to see what it does, but that is a laborious process. The latter Web site offers a $29 program called the Ultimate Troubleshooter for managing all these processes, but it’s pretty intimidating for a nontechie.

Antivirus and antispyware programs can shut down some malicious background processes, or stop them from loading in the first place. But many of the resource-draining “processes” you are finding may be from “legitimate” programs on your PC that simply want to hog the computer.

If I switch from Windows to a Macintosh, will my colleagues be able to read any Mac files I send them?

There is no such thing as a “Mac file.” The Macintosh today can create and read all the major standard types of files that Windows PCs use. For instance, photos in the common JPG format; music files in the common MP3 format; Adobe PDF files; text files; and many other types of files can simply be moved between Windows and Mac computers with no conversion necessary. Microsoft Office files, like Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, can also be shared between the two platforms, without conversion, if you have the Office program suite on both ends. The Mac’s built-in email program, Apple Mail, even has a setting for sending “Windows Friendly” attachments.

There are some specific programs on both platforms that can create proprietary file types not easily opened, or opened at all, on the other platform. Most annoyingly, the Windows and Mac versions of Quicken don’t share a common file format. But now that the new Macs can also run Windows, you can always launch Windows on your Mac in a pinch to run a program that can handle some Windows-only file type.

* * *

Because of the volume of email I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by email, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about breaking MP3s into separate tracks, wireless mice and transferring emails to Microsoft’s Entourage from a PC.

I’m downloading some lectures in MP3 format and then transferring each to an audio CD to listen to while driving. An occasional lecture in the series is too large to transfer to CD. Is there a program that will divide these into two tracks so that they can be written to separate CDs?

Yes, there are multiple little utility programs that can split (or join) MP3 files. I haven’t tested any of them, so I can’t recommend one. But you can find them by going to www.download.com and typing in “mp3 splitter.”

I am in the market for a wireless mouse for my Dell notebook. Do they perform well? Do you recommend a particular one?

Cordless mice do perform well, in my experience, and are now quite common. The only downside is that you have to replace their batteries occasionally, or remember to place them in a charger, if they use one. For laptops, especially on the road, Logitech and Microsoft make cordless mice, which are smaller than typical desktop models. But you should go to a store and actually try some out, to see which size and feel you prefer.

How can I transfer my Microsoft Outlook contacts and email from my Dell into Microsoft’s Entourage program on my new MacBook Pro? Entourage, which is supposed to be Outlook’s equivalent for the Mac, doesn’t seem to recognize my Outlook files. Shouldn’t a Microsoft email program recognize files from another Microsoft email program?

Yes, it absolutely should. It amazes me that Microsoft Office for the Mac includes compatible versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, but not Outlook. And it is truly annoying that Microsoft’s Outlook substitute for the Mac, Entourage, has no built-in way to recognize or automatically convert Outlook files from Windows.

Luckily, there’s a $10 third-party program that can do the conversion. It’s called O2M, from a company called Little Machines, and can be found at www.littlemachines.com. It turns your Outlook data into files that can be imported into Entourage, or into the Mac’s built-in email, address book, and calendar programs.

* * *

Because of the volume of email I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by email, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about scam security programs, importing song files to iTunes and transferring Microsoft Works spreadsheets to Microsoft Excel.

If you have a question, send it to me at mossberg@wsj.com, and I may select it to be answered here in Mossberg’s Mailbox.

A new security program suddenly appeared on my desktop and reported that I had over 17,000 problems that needed to be fixed. It also requested money in order to fix these problems. Is this a genuine problem I need to fix and can I only fix it with this program?

I strongly doubt it. If a “security program” you don’t know sends you a scary message like this, it is usually a scam and should be ignored. Some malicious software — spyware and adware — plants itself on hard disks without notice or permission and poses as security software. In some cases, these programs actually spread more malicious software instead of cleaning it up.

A good rule is to ignore any security software you didn’t consciously install or that wasn’t preinstalled on your computer. In fact, you should treat such software as an infection. You should run an antispyware program to try to remove it. Naturally, you should believe and take seriously any warning or alert from a genuine security program that came with your PC or which you installed deliberately.

Because of a virus, I had to reformat my hard disk. Luckily, I had backed up all my song files to an external hard disk, and was able to recover them. But the recovered files were placed in Windows’ My Documents folder and don’t show up in iTunes, where I want to play them. How do I import the music from the My Documents folder back into iTunes?

You can restore them to your iTunes library by going to the iTunes File Menu, and selecting “Add Folder to Library.” Then, just select the My Documents folder, and iTunes will fill its library with all the songs in that folder.

You can either allow iTunes to use the song files where they are, or you can instruct the program to copy them to the iTunes Music folder, which is several levels down in My Documents. To choose between these options, go to the iTunes Preferences window, click on the Advanced button, and check or uncheck the option that says “Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library.” Make this choice before you use the “Add Folder to Library” command.

If you do decide to allow iTunes to copy the files to its own folder, you can then delete them from the main My Documents folder, so you don’t have two copies of each. Just check first to make sure all the files have been properly copied.

I have some important financial spreadsheets I created in Microsoft Works. I have been unable to find a way to way to transfer these documents to Microsoft Excel on my new computer. Is there some way for me to do this?

If you still have the Works software, and it’s a fairly recent version, you can open these files in Works and use the Save As command to save them in Microsoft Excel format. Then, you can just open the files in Excel.

If that isn’t possible, or doesn’t work, and the old spreadsheets are really important, you might download and use a $60 program made in Germany that converts Works spreadsheet files to Excel format. It’s available at: www.rl-software.com. Although I haven’t tested this program, the company says that it doesn’t require Works to be installed, that it integrates with Excel, and that it comes with a utility that can convert multiple Works spreadsheets in a batch.

* * *

Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com