Call for Help

Pick up the phone and dial 900 and seven more numbers at random and you might reach Nancy Reagan's Astrologer, an internationally acclaimed matchmaker, or a joke-of-the-century recording you might also reach Support a help line for Macintosh users.

Instead of a recording, a human voice answers the phone and refers you to other humans who can answer common and not-so-common questions. Consultants are tested carefully to be sure they know what they're talking about, and they're located all over the country.

You'll pay $2 for the first minute and $1 for each additional minute. That may sound expensive but most calls take ten minutes or less. A visit from a consultant could run up a much higher bill.

Eventually. Support will be a 24-hour service, but for now it's open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Pacific standard time. To reach Support, call (900) 860-HELP.

If you're interested in working as a consultant contact Support at 888 Fourth Street. San Rafael, California 94901: (415) 453-7924.