In the top left corner of the Macintosh's main menu sits a picture of an apple. Using your mouse to click on that apple lowers a menu of desk accessories (DAs), small applications that I find invaluable. The typical Mac user's DA menu might include different types of calculators, a contact database with built-in phone dialer, Notepad, Scrapbook, a spell checker, a thesaurus, Find File, and dozens of other can't-live-without productivity enhancers (not to mention the not-so-productive games and puzzles). What makes these DAs so handy is that you can access them at all times, regardless of what program you are in. The data generated in them can be cut and pasted into other applications with just a few clicks of the mouse.
