Options: 'OK' vs 'Apply' buttons

I always wondered what the 'Apply' button was for in the Options window, as clicking 'OK' seemed to set any changes I made.

In other Mac-based applications, my impression is that the reason for having both buttons is so that if you want to see your changes before closing whatever window you're in that is similar to the 'Options' window in Limewire, you click on 'Apply', but if you're done w/ your changes and don't need to keep the dialog window open, then you don't need the 'Apply' button--just click on 'OK' and your changes will be saved (or it may ask you if you wanna save 'em).

In the case of Limewire, the Options window pretty much covers up everything else, and IIRC having Options window open prevents you from working in the main window, so the 'Apply' button useage I described above borders on being pointless.

I realize the Java nature of Limewire makes it work differently from most app.s I'm used to (i.e. using Limewire's Options window instead of Mac's Preferences menu), so different button meanings wouldn't surprise me.

Several posts in misc forums here have insisted that one must click on 'Apply' button for changes in the Options window to take. Is this a Windows thing? An OS X thing? A java thing? Or maybe 'Apply' makes one's adjustments work immediately whereas merely clicking 'OK' means one's adj.'s won't work until next time you start Limewire? -- I'm really reaching now, better sign off.