The graphic system has a layer named Presentation Manager that manages windows, fonts, and icons.

Last month a Microsoft executive said he expected 10 to 20 applications that would work with Presentation Manager to be available by the end of the year.

In contrast, Presentation Manager is designed to work with either a mouse or keyboard commands to select from a menu of options.

But Presentation Manager starts programs from a menu and displays them as icons later.

Presentation Manager is scheduled to be in the stores in a couple of months.

Presentation Manager will not be available before the fall.

A part of OS/2 known as Presentation Manager is also designed to do this.

One, sometimes called version 1.1, is supposed to add the Presentation Manager, a modified version of Microsoft Windows.

That may take a while, software developers say, because Presentation Manager is a difficult taskmaster.

But there is a big advantage that the Mac has, and that Presentation Manager will have as well.