So it turns out the Mac didn't die after all. If you're willing to tread the thin ice of prerelease software, that is. Mac OS X can be flaky.
Buttons glow, icons gleam and menus and windows have three-dimensional depth.
Start a program, and its icon bounces as the program loads. Click the minimized window's icon, and the window bursts from the dock like a genie from a bottle. But I've grown to like it. It looks out of focus. This option is one of many Mac mainstays missing in Mac OS X. Others include the Apple menu, the Chooser and the control strip.