FileMaker Pro 4.1: Mac and Windows versions blend seamlessly not only with each other but also with the Web. You can convert an Excel spreadsheet to FileMaker and then put it online. Pretty cool.

Coordinates: $199. FileMaker Inc., www.filemaker.com

Sidebar: Mac Accessories

3Com Palm V

Your PC-using pals might pack Windows CE handheld computers, but PalmPilots are pretty much the only game in town for Mac users. Fortunately, they're also the best game in town, no matter which platform you favor. And the Palm V is ultrathin, ultralight, and ultrasmart.

Coordinates: $449. 3Com Corp., www.palm.com

Logitech QuickCam Pro

It's hard to get enthusiastic about videoconferencing: Having a camera pointed at you only makes a long-winded teleconference that much worse. But the QuickCam videoconferencing camera is so weirdly good-looking that it's a must-have -- even if you never use it.

The eyeball-like camera, which connects to a USB port on either a Mac or a PC, comes with a set of applications that you can operate easily -- without reading a manual. However, while the image quality is impressive for a low-cost digital video camera, it will prove unsatisfying to the rare few who want to be seen clearly.

Coordinates: $149. Logitech Inc., www.logitech.com

USB Zip 100

Even entry-level computer users nowadays create and download multimedia files -- from PowerPoint slide presentations to digitized hip-hop audio recordings. At 100 MB apiece, Zip disks provide the storage space that users today need.

Iomega's USB Zip 100 comes in a cross-platform, hassle-free, translucent-blue package that's perfectly tailored for Mac users in a Windows world. And because a Zip drive can connect to either a Mac or a PC, you can plug it into your PC at work during the day and into your iMac at home each night.

Coordinates: $129.95. Iomega Corp., www.iomega.com

Logitech MouseMan Wheel

The company that brought you the iMac mouse, a hockey-puck-like device that you hate, will happily sell you its alter ego: a mouse you can love.

Coordinates: $49.95. Logitech Inc., www.logitech.com

Philips Brilliance 151AX Flat Panel Monitor

Taking up inches rather than feet of desk space, an LCD (liquid-crystal display) monitor is easier on the eyes than that bulky beige standard, the CRT (cathode-ray tube) monitor. Designed for Mac compatibility, the Philips Brilliance LCD monitor measures a slim three inches in depth (most CRT monitors are about 20 inches deep). The flat panel rests on a somewhat portly stand and includes built-in stereo speakers and a flexible mounting system that lets you swivel the screen in any direction.

Coordinates: $899. Philips Consumer Electronics Co., www.philipsmonitors.com