Phil,
This forum was set up to help the folk who live on this island, who were given a bunch of fairly inadequate PCs a few years ago by the Scottish Executive (now Government) with very little follow-on support.
Why someone from the USof A should sign up for this forum and post here specifically for computer advice is beyond me. There are plenty of dedicated Mac forums on the web.
I would help you if I could, but Macs are something I avoid like the plague. Apple make very nice MP3 players and other pretty gadgets, and the design of their computers is generally very innovative and superficially attractive. However, the problems of sourcing software, drivers and support for what is very much a minority computing choice lead me to counsel most people against going down the Mac road when it comes to choosing a personal computer.
Good luck with your problem.
- NickB 