Tom Nelson

In his misspent youth, Tom was immersed in theater, working as a stage manager, light designer, and sound engineer. These days, you're more likely to find him mumbling over a server, updating his wife's operating system when she's not looking, buried under an avalanche of sawdust in his workshop, or plotting a new section of track for his model railroad.

Tom has been an enthusiastic Mac user since the Mac Plus. He's also been known to dabble in the dark side, otherwise known as Windows. A firm believer that the best operating system is the one that works for you, he is at home providing support, advice, and tips to Mac and Windows users alike, from beginners to seasoned pros, from individuals to large-scale businesses. Tom has a well-deserved reputation for being able to explain almost anything to almost anyone, without ever talking down to them.

The Internet has been Tom's second home for longer than he cares to remember. His online experience includes working as a sysop, forum leader, and software library manager. He is president of Coyote Moon, Inc., a consulting firm whose clients include Smart Computing, PC Today, Computer Power User, Processor, First Glimpse, CNet, ZDNet, Consumer Guide, HowStuffWorks, Family Education Network, AOL, and AMD; and technical director of The PetWork, a network of pet information and resources. When he can get the cats off the keyboard, he develops custom databases and software.

Tom has also been known to hold an offline job or two. His background includes more than 20 years as an engineer, programmer, network manager, and computer network and systems designer, integrating Macintosh, Windows, and Unix environments. He has written hundreds of articles, tutorials, and product reviews for magazines and web sites.

I'm a switcher! I made the switch to Macs in 1985, with a Mac Plus. I'd been using MS-DOS and DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) products in my daily work as a systems design engineer, and I found them to be cumbersome at best. I bought a Mac Plus because I thought its graphical user interface would be easier to use, and I was right. I soon began taking the Mac Plus to work, and using it almost exclusively for work-related projects. No, I didn't convert the entire company to Macs. But the Mac Plus did have an influence. It inspired the company to rethink how its product interfaces worked, how it designed systems, and how computer simulation could make its designers more efficient.

I've been using Macs ever since. We currently have seven Macs in active use (and a few more gathering dust in the attic). After purchasing two Intel-based Macs earlier this year, we were able to retire our PCs. Our home and business are 100% Mac hardware based, and we're loving every minute of it.