If you prefer a more streamlined alternative to the bloat and complexity of Microsoft "sport-utility" programs, AppleWorks 6 is the stealth office suite. Hugely popular in classrooms, colleges, and small offices, it's got word processing, graphics, database, web design, spreadsheet, and slide-show functions in a single, beautifully integrated application.

Every year, AppleWorks arrives in the hands of four million Apple iMac and iBook buyers. There it sits on the hard drive, a masterpiece of smooth integration and clever interface design, accompanied by templates, art libraries, and fonts--and no printed instructions. AppleWorks 6: The Missing Manual is the book that should have been in the box.

It covers:

• What's new. The authors place special emphasis on easing the transition into the new AppleWorks 6 interface, its Internet hooks, the Starting Points window, and the new Presentation module.
• Part by part coverage. The early chapters delve very deeply into the six core AppleWorks modules, including 85 pages on the word processor alone.
• Power tools. Much of AppleWorks's power comes from its macros, templates, assistants, customizable Button bar, and web-based clip-art libraries.
• Document exchange. AppleWorks 6 can no longer export Word and Excel files. But this book covers exchanging documents with other programs, versions, and platforms--and includes a 25% discount coupon for MacLink Plus, which restores the file-conversion feature.
• Troubleshooting. Because this book isn't an Apple publication, the authors freely acknowledge the program's weaknesses--and offer workarounds. Witty and jargon-free, AppleWorks 6:The Missing Manual treats AppleWorks as the serious productivity tool it is. With over 250 illustrations, a 2,000-entry index, and a menu-by-menu explanation of every command, AppleWorks 6: The Missing Manual is as smoothly put together as AppleWorks itself.