Mac OS X Tiger: Missing Manual by David Pogue
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Book Reviews of Mac OS X Tiger: Missing Manual
Book Review: Worthwhile for any level of experience, and entertaining to boot!
Summary: 5 Stars
The great thing about this Tiger edition (or any of the previous editions, for that matter), is that the entire spectrum of Mac users will get something worthwhile from it. If you're a long-time Mac user, there's detailed info enough to qualify as Power User tips, while complete beginners will find things explained fully so they're not left trying to figure out what's being discussed or what they're supposed to do.
On top of that, it's all delivered in Dave Pogue's extremely friendly and entertaining prose. No comedic stand-up routines to wade through to get at the info, but with a quiet wit and intelligence throughout that keeps you reading. Yes, even though it's a computer manual. Even if you're thinking you'd never want to read a computer manual, this will surprise you. And you'll be instantly rewarded with tons of practical info and how-tos that make such a difference in day-to-day usage of your Mac. For example, I've been using Apples since before there were Macs, and I got a bunch of nifty tips on finessing my use of the Finder in the very first chapters!
Tiger's a whole new beast, and while the obviously new features are covered (Dashboard or Spotlight, say), there are major improvements and tweaks to almost everything, and this is a Really Good Guide for pointing out the new lay of the land (even those things you think you know already. Like the Finder.)
So if you're going to get one book on Tiger, get this one. It's accessible so you can get in, get what you need and get out again quickly if you're looking for specific help, while still in-depth enough to make a more comprehensive reading of it rewarding. If you're brand new to OS X or to Macs in general, get this one because it's the best systematic tour guide to the whole new world you've just jumped into, even going so far as to provide sections on where the things you're looking for from your old system (whether OS 9 or Windows) have gotten to in Tiger.
They could offer money-back guarantees on this book, it's that good.
Book Review: Easing the switch
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently switched to a Mac (a MacBook Pro) after 20+ years as a PC user. I primarily use my laptop as a mobile Office suite and I have loaded it with Music programs for composing (Finale & Sibelius) and recording/editing (Ableton Live) but it was OS X that I needed the help with. While there are a lot of similarities between PC and Mac, I knew I was going to have to adjust a lot of my thinking to take advantage of the speed and efficiency of this new machine.
My brother-in-law suggested this book series saying that it was written clearly, thorough and light on pretension or industry talk, but not insultingly simple like the Dummies series or the other "made easy" books. I couldn't be much happier with the book. It's deep, clearly written and full of advice, tips and step-by-step that assumes you've already figured out how to turn it on.
My only complaint, and it's relatively small given the size of the text, is that many of the page number references in the text are wrong. The first chapter had at least two or three references to other chapters that were off by a page or more. It's nothing that a little hunting couldn't fix, but it still caused some minor confusion. The book's introduction refers you to the errata page on their site where most of these fixes are listed, but that's one more step in what could've been fixed with a simple keystroke had it been caught before press...a minor nuisance but a nuisance never-the-less.
As an average user with a solid background in computers (though nowhere near as deep as a programmer or Mac guru), this book fit my needs exactly and with great detail. All in all, it's a great book for the average user seeking to become familiar with all the power Macs can bring to your control.
Book Review: The perfect camponion for an intel mac!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the quintessential book for understanding OS X. It explains pretty much everything you would want to know about the world's most advanced operating system (that's why it's 800 pages long!)
The author writes everything in very friendly easy to understand language, so that you'll never be lost in computer jargon. At the same time, the author has a very clever and funny sense of humor. His jokes are never off topic and are very refreshing. His sense of humor is what makes it possible for you to actually read the whole book and get all of the useful information out of it without getting bored. His approach is like the cool History teacher who tells jokes and makes fun of everything, but teaches everything you need to know, while you're having too much fun to realize how much you're learning.
I've been using Windows and DOS my whole life, until I bought an iMac this summer. The basics of using Mac OS X were easy enough to understand on my own, but I wanted to master the OS to the same extent I mastered Windows XP from my years of experience. I had a lot to learn, and I wanted to learn it fast. This book was as perfect a guide as I could have imagined. Now I know all the keyboard shortcuts, all the secret gems, all the advance features, everything I wanted to know and more. I finally have as deep an understanding of Mac OS X as I had for Windows XP.
Thank you David Pogue for helping me get the most out of my mac!
Book Review: Mac OS X Tiger Edition THE MISSING MANUAL
Summary: 5 Stars
O'Reilly's OS X The Missing Manual scores again.
Like prior variations, Tiger Edition of Mac OS X: The Missing Manual is a must have for those new to OS X. Distinct features of this Operating System are explained. Author David Pogue not only introduces readers to Spotlight, Dashboards, & Automator, but he also prepares us for hands-on learning of these, and more new Tiger Edition features.
For experienced OS X users, in-depth specifics are available in other Missing Manual titles such as AppleScript, iPhoto 5, etc. Meanwhile, for the majority of Macintosh users, this Tiger Edition title provides both a descriptive explanation and `how to' guidance for letting the Macintosh computer work for you. Many aspects of networking are explained as is basic UNIX as it applies to Terminal. This book provides all you need from start up to shutting down.
Sidebar information is provided for true geeks wanting to expand and explore new horizons. Information about why Apple in migrating to the Intel processor explains benefits and why most existing software will seamlessly work on Apple's Intel machines of the future.
This edition is a four for geeks and a FIVE for Novice through Intermediate users. Whether a current Macintosh user or making a first computer purchase, this publication is a "Must Have".
Book Review: Best reference manual for OS X
Summary: 5 Stars
Although I started reading this book online through my Safari Bookstore subscription I had to purchase it because it was a keeper. This is the easiest and most comprehensive source of information about OS X I've across in my 6 months as a recent switcher from Windows/Linux. I read a lot of Mac blogs and listen to Mac related podcasts, and a lot of the tips and tricks presented there as something new, I've already read in this book.
The language is very easy to read, it's even entertaining at times unlike the monotonous tones of most computer books. It's laid out very well, and information is easy to find using the TOC or the Index. I read about the first half of it straight through, and the rest I read on an as needed basis. Please note though that this book is quite big and detailed. It's geared more towards power users and admins. If you just need something to bring you up to speed on using your new Mac, I'd recommend Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition by the same author. I got this for my brother, and recommended it to a friend, and they both loved it.
The whole series is great actually. I also purchased the iPhoto and iMovie HD Missing Manuals.