The Mac OS has few limits for
                                filenames, as opposed to Windows. 




                       The Mac OS has always allowed long filenames, so there are no complex
                       filename issues. But the Windows world is just getting long filenames, and transitioning from
                       the 8.3-character limit from DOS is a complex issue. First, PC users must buy new applications
                       to be able to use long filenames. Running older DOS and Windows 3.1 applications in Windows
                       95 or Windows NT still requires 8.3-character filenames. 

                       To work with old DOS and Windows 3.1 systems, Windows 95 keeps each long filename linked
                       to a DOS 8.3 short filename. The Microsoft documentation says that neither the user nor the
                       application has control of these DOS 8.3 encoded names. This can cause filename confusion. For
                       example, when you create a file named "Presentation for status meeting" with Microsoft Word on
                       a PC running Windows 95, then save the file to a floppy disk and insert the floppy disk in a PC
                       running Windows 3.1, the file will appear as PRESEN~1.DOC. When you edit the file on the PC
                       running Windows 3.1, save it, and return to the PC running Windows 95, the long filename will
                       no longer exist. Instead, the file will now be called PRESEN~1.DOC. 

                       To make matters even more confusing, Windows 95 gives you the option of viewing files with
                       their extensions visible or invisible-and the effect of name changes will vary depending on how
                       the files are viewed. When extensions are visible, you can edit them directly-with serious effects
                       on connections between files and applications. However, when extensions are hidden, adding an
                       extension to a filename will change the name of the file itself-and leave the original extension
                       untouched. 

                       The Mac OS has only one illegal character for filenames, while Windows has
                       several. The only character that cannot be used with the Mac OS in a filename is ":", which is
                       reserved by the OS for pathname designations. If you attempt to use ":", the Macintosh will
                       substitute another character (such as "-"), or simply leave the ":" out of the name. With Windows,
                       though, there are several illegal characters (such as ?, \ , /, and " ") and equally cryptic error
                       messages that provide no explanations of what has gone wrong if such a character was used.