How does user accounts in Leopard work?

hi! i'm new here. i just wanted to ask you guys a couple of questions since i may be a switcher very soon. ok, so here's my question. how does user accounts work in leopard?

1) When you create 2 or more accounts, is there any way the account other than the administrator be able to view files on other accounts?
2) How would installed software work in accounts? When you install one software in one account, does the same get installed on the other account?
3) Do 2 accounts share the same browser history...?
4) What advantages/disadvantages are there to being an administrator?

Thanks!

 

1) Only the owner of the home folder has access to that folder. So even admins cannot view the home folder of another account. Of course you can change permissions though.

2) Most installed software is installed for all accounts.

3) No.

4) The advantages of being an admin are mainly ease of use. Admins generally do not have to enter their password as much to make changes to the system. Other than that you will never notice the difference as far as usability. Limited accounts are much more secure since you obviously run with limited rights. I run in Limited everyday, and only use my admin account for diagnostics and uninstalling software.

 

Thanks for the answer.

I do have a couple more questions though. Hang tight...

-In a limited account, do you get to uninstall software, or do you have to be an administrator to do this?
-Also, what does it mean for an administrator to change permissions? Does this enable he/she to view files on others accounts? How does it work?