Mac OS X Snow Leopard for Power Users Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As a former comp sci professor and four-year Mac user, I should be the target audience for this book and that is probably why Apress sent me a copy and asked me to review it. I was so disappointed to find a book that should never have been printed. It is a book that desperately wants to be a website (or a regularly updated ebook), but as printed material, its useful shelf life can be measured in single-digit months. With the latest version of Mac OS X (Lion) already announced for a summer 2011 release, the clock is ticking and this book comes too late to be taken for anything more than a curiosity... something to glance through at the bookstore and possibly gain a few tips from, but not to buy... not at the price on my publisher-provided copy of fifty bucks (now smartly lowered to forty), but only buyable at half that.
So what's not to like? Well, look at your bookstore shelves for a book on how to use a particular application. That book has a finite useful life and if it's a Microsoft app, that's about 3-5 years. But what if the book has several dozen apps with shorter update timelines than Microsoft? Well, that means that portions of the book will become obsolete very quickly. In the case of this book, chapter 4 talks about Safari, but it is Safari 4 and not the current Safari 5 with extension support. The author notes this in the intro to chapter 4, but nothing is done to remove the now-pointless and lengthy discussion about how to hack Input Managers to get around Safari 4's lack of extension support.
Another thing that comes across fine on a website or ebook is the less formal writing style, grammar, and conversational tone that you wouldn't expect to see in a computer book that targets "power users." Thus, we get a lot of unneeded trash-talk about applications, the business models chosen by their developers, and user interface design (when you insult an app and then praise the most recent version that "fixes the problem," why bother griping about old versions that nobody is going to see?). If you can overlook the spotty grammar, endless self-promotion of the author's other books, and aging hipster tone ("Bee-yoo-teeful", "abso-frickin'-lutely", "Dude!", "What the...? Not cool guys. Not cool at all."), then there ARE some useful tips to pick up here if you already own these apps or are thinking about downloading and/or buying them. Of course, there are magazines that provide similar content (i.e. product reviews) on a regular basis and they are updated once a month and you can get years of information for the cost of the cover price of this book. Or course, there are websites that do the same thing for free.
So would I buy this book? Definitely not in print unless I could find it for less than half the cover price. Now if the ebook is regularly updated and updates are pushed to customers, then I could see this being a great investment at full price. There are numerous URLs and code/command-line snippets in this book that readers will definitely want the click-ability and copy'n'paste-ability (e.g. the 256 character search command in chapter 3 or the code on page 64 that has a bug in it caused by an error in using two if-then statements when one if-then-else is actually needed) that an ebook can provide. And the weird sizes of some pictures, odd fonts, and large blank gaps at the bottom of many pages tell me that this book was designed to be an ebook first and foremost. Buy this as an ebook (if regularly updated) or a printed copy (at half price), but watch the clock and expect to be spending a lot of time checking websites for more recent info.

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Mac OS X Snow Leopard for Power Users: Advanced Capabilities and Techniques is for Mac OS X users who want to go beyond the obvious, the standard, and the easy. If want to dig deeper into Mac OS X and maximize your skills and productivity using the world's slickest and most elegant operating system, then this is the book for you.

Written by Scott Granneman, an experienced teacher, developer, and consultant, Mac OS X for Power Users helps you push Mac OS X to the max, unveiling advanced techniques and options that you may have not known even existed. Create custom workflows and apps with Automator, run Windows programs and even Windows itself without dual-booting, and sync data on your hard drive, on your phone, and in the cloud-learn all of these techniques and more.

This is not a book that talks down to you; Mac OS X for Power Users is an essential book for experienced Mac users who are smart enough to know there is more to be known, and are ready to become power users.

What you'll learn
How to create your own custom workflows, apps, and services with one of Mac OS X's hidden gems: Automator.
How to share an external USB hard drive with a Windows and Linux users and mount a network drive using SSH
How to run Windows-or even Linux-while youíre still running Mac OS X, without dual-booting. Even run the three major operating systems-Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux-at the same time!
How to customize Safari to make it even better than it already is.
All about browser options-Chrome, Opera, Camino, Stainless, and Arora.
How to manage data on your hardrive, on your phone, and in the cloud, with almost instantaneous syncing.
How to protect yourself and your valuable data. Find out lots of great, useful info on firewalls, encryption, passwords, backup, and more.

Who this book is for
This book is for people who already know how to use their Macs but want to go beyond that. They want to be more efficient and productive, and they're not afraid to try new techniques and software to do so. They also realize how valuable their data is, and they want to protect it in the smartest ways possible.

This book is also perfect for anyone who administers a group of Macs, because they will find lots of useful methods for managing their machines and also helping them work together.

Table of Contents
Introduction: Advanced Secrets of Mac OS X
Maintaining Your Mac
Expanding Upon the Basic Tools
Using Safari to Its Fullest
Stepping Beyond Safari
Using the Internet to Its Fullest
Securing Your Mac & Networks
Backing Up Your Mac
Manipulating and Sharing Pictures
Having More Fun With Audio & Video
Key Utility Tools for Text & Archives
Digging Deep as an Admin

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Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Snow Leopard Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I just made the move from an XP PC to an iMac so I bought this book as a reference. It not only helps with all the questions new users will have but it also answers questions that I didn't know to ask. You may be able to figure out many of the the BIG things on your own but it is always the little things can kill you - unless you have a handy reference guide like this. It is must have book for an old dog like me that needs to learn new tricks on his own. It is a small, but valuable investment that will save you lots of time. Just get it, you won't regret it.

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Is Windows giving you pause? Ready to make the leap to the Mac instead? There has never been a better time to switch from Windows to Mac, and this incomparable guide will help you make a smooth transition. New York Times columnist and Missing Manuals creator David Pogue gets you past three challenges: transferring your stuff, assembling Mac programs so you can do what you did with Windows, and learning your way around Mac OS X. Learning to use a Mac is not a piece of cake, but once you do, the rewards are oh-so-much better. No viruses, worms, or spyware. No questionable firewalls, inefficient permissions, or other strange features. Just a beautiful machine with a thoroughly reliable system. Whether you're using Windows XP or Vista, we've got you covered. If you're ready to take on Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the latest edition of this bestselling guide tells you everything you need to know:



Transferring your stuff -- Moving photos, MP3s, and Microsoft Office documents is the easy part. This book gets you through the tricky things: extracting your email, address book, calendar, Web bookmarks, buddy list, desktop pictures, and MP3 files.Re-creating your software suite -- Big-name programs (Word, Photoshop, Firefox, Dreamweaver, and so on) are available in both Mac and Windows versions, but hundreds of other programs are available only for Windows. This guide identifies the Mac equivalents and explains how to move your data to them.
Learning Snow Leopard -- Once you've moved into the Mac, a final task awaits: Learning your way around. Fortunately, you're in good hands with the author of Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, the #1 bestselling guide to the Macintosh.

Moving from Windows to a Mac successfully and painlessly is the one thing Apple does not deliver. Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Snow Leopard Edition is your ticket to a new computing experience.

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My New Mac: 52 Simple Projects to Get You Started Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a Macintosh tech. Just perusing the excerpt of this book available on Amazon, I found a couple errors. First'', he says that pressing the power button will bring up the Shut Down dialog. This is only true of laptops and certain very old Macs which had the power button on the keyboard. All current non-laptops will by default just go to sleep if you press the power button.
He then recommends the keystroke combination "CTRL-OPTION-ESC" as a way to shut down your Mac if it is frozen. This too is incorrect. To begin with, that keystroke does nothing whatsoever. The keystroke he is looking for is "COMMAND-OPTION-ESC"... and even that keystroke doesn't shut down your Mac. Instead it brings up a list of programs you can force to quit.
Since it seems this book is targeted at beginners, every small error like these will cause considerable confusion and frustration. Whether the rest of the book is like this, I do not know, but felt a review might be helpful to someone. Best of luck!

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You finally took the plunge and bought a Mac. Whether yours is a MacBook, Mac Pro, Mac mini, or iMac &mdash it's still a Mac, and it runs the Macintosh operating system, Mac OS X. But what do you do with your Mac after you turn it on? Do you even know how to turn it on and off properly or put it to sleep? You need a book like My New Mac to make everything easy. Wallace Wang, author of the best-selling Steal This Computer Book, will show you, step-by-step, how to use tools like iPhoto to organize your photos, track birthdays with iCal, and clip and save information from the Internet so you can find it again. You'll find simple projects that will show you how to:

Organize your files and folders by color and keyword
View stocks, flights, and the weather
Set up and manage parental controls to limit your children's computer and Internet access
Play and burn CDs and DVDs
Transfer photos from your digital camera to your computer
Share songs, images, and documents wirelessly between Macs
Don't put off learning how to use your new computer. Let Wallace Wang show you the ropes with My New Mac.

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Special Edition Using Mac OS X Leopard Review

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(More customer reviews)For those of you who enjoy reference books, this one is a must buy. Opening the cover of this book is like being gently taken by the hand, and led through all that both an Apple computer and the OS X Leopard software has to offer. It presents everything you want to know or need to know about your Apple operating system. This book has 1000+ pages of great reference material. It offers loads of visuals to aid the reader in knowing exactly what is being talked about, what is to be expected and to what the author is referring. The book seems to give up at least one helpful Tip on each page as well as Caution notes and simple informational Notes to help you build your logic of the Mac, how it works, and to keep you away from trouble. It also offers the page number(s) other reference sources within the book just in case your question was more extensive or actually something completely different.

This book is written for readers of all levels of computer and Apple experience. It starts with the reader looking at the `core', the basics of the Apple desktop environment and ends with a 100-page section on protecting, maintaining and repairing your Mac. This is always a very helpful section and vital to read and comprehend. We can never be too safe.

Because I have years of experience working in the Apple environment, I felt I could skip a few of the sections and hop right into the areas where I knew I needed help, areas I hadn't taken the time to become familiar with my earlier versions of the OS X system. Initially, I just did a quick glance at the start-up chapter. Then I discovered several Tips, Notes, and Cautions that were really helpful and I found myself reading these sections as thoroughly as if I were a new-bee with Apple. I also found that using this reference saved me the need to make the call and the time of waiting on hold to talk with the Apple Care representative.
What is to be most appreciated about this reference book is the friendliness, which it exudes. You just want to turn the next page to learn just one more useful thing about your Mac. Be forewarned, if you buy this book, you will spend many hours becoming intimately aware of the many thoughtful and fun aspects of your Apple and your significant other may deride you of this pleasure. If you weren't a Mac devotee before, you will be after delving into the Leopard OS X system. It is an even more thoughtfully created operating system than I had imagined. With the aid of this reference book, tangibly in your hands, you just may find your social life takes a hit as your addiction to all things Apple is being satisfied. You'll find that this reference book will not sit on your shelf and collect dust.
Taken a day at a time, a person would learn to really master their computer and dramatically improve their efficiency quotient and effectiveness.
And for those of you that must reside, for at least part of your life, in the PC world, the section on turning your Apple into a PC is well written and clearly offers you the 2 options. The pros and cons are described as is the process of installing Windows for both.
Enjoy the discovery of Mac OS X Leopard.


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SPECIAL EDITION USING MAC OS X LEOPARDTHE ONLY MAC OS X LEOPARD BOOK YOU NEED We crafted this book to grow with you, providing the reference material you need as you move toward software proficiency and use of more advanced features. If you buy only one book on Mac OS X Leopard, Special Edition Using Mac OS X Leopard is the only book you need. • Explore the depths of Mac OS X's core including the desktop, Finder, Finder windows, the Dock, user accounts, the Dashboard and widgets, Spaces, and much more.• Master OS X by installing and using Mac OS X applications, customizing the system, making your Mac accessible to everyone, automating your Mac with the Automator, using Unix commands, and working with mobile Macs.• Run Windows applications on your Mac for those rare occasions when a Mac application isn't available.• Exploit Mac OS X's Internet tools to connect to the Net with or without wires, use email, surf the Web, and take advantage of the many features of .Mac.• Explore some of the great applications included with Mac OS X, such as iTunes, QuickTime, DVD Player, iCal, Address Book, iChat, and on it goes.• Expand your system with input devices (such as keyboards and trackballs), output devices (printers, displays, and such), hard drives, and hubs (Ethernet, USB, and FireWire).• Connect to other computers and devices safely and easily using Mac OS X's advanced networking tools. Learn to configure your own network including Macs and Windows computers and how to share an Internet connection among them.• Use great Mac OS X tools and techniques to keep your system in top condition and to solve problems."Whether you are already familiar with OS X or are updating from an earlier Mac OS, you will find this volume useful. A clear, comprehensive, well-organized and, above all, usable reference."–Glenn Lisle, Managing Editor, MONITOR Magazine"A must-read for anyone using Mac OS X for the first time–and for those upgrading to the latest version of the Mac operating system. Brad Miser covers all the important topics in an interesting, easy-to-understand manner that's aided and abetted by well chosen graphics, useful tips and explanatory notes. Leopard's a great OS–and Brad's book is a great guide for it.–Dennis Sellers, Publisher, Macsimum NewsBrad Miser has written extensively about all things Macintosh. In addition to Special Edition Using Mac OS X Leopard, Brad has written many other books, including My iPhone; Sleeping with the Enemy: Running Windows on a Mac (digital Short Cut); Special Edition Using Mac OS X, v10.4 Tiger; Absolute Beginner's Guide to iPod and iTunes; Absolute Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling; Mac OS X and iLife: Using iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD; iDVD 3 Fast & Easy; Special Edition Using Mac OS X v10.2; and Using Mac OS 8.5. He has also been an author, development editor, or technical editor on more than 50 other titles. He has written numerous articles for MacAddict magazine and has been a featured speaker at Macworld Expo, user group meetings, and other venues. Brad holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and has received advanced education in maintainability engineering, business, and other topics.

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Apple Training Series: iWork 08 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is good tutorial on these three programs, with extremely detailed step-by-step instructions. It assumes essentially no prior knowledge of the programs or even of Macintosh software.
Each chapter works through building a complete document, and the book covers most kinds of work that people would typically need. It makes heavy use of the existing templates that come with the programs, which again is probably good for beginners but less useful for professionals or advanced amateurs who want their own formats.
The book sticks closely to the script in going step-by-step through the examples, with few digressions or explanations of why things work this way. It has a lengthy index which seems well-done and would probably be adequate to look up any particular technique you needed. There's a puzzling reference (p. 239) to a mail merge feature--puzzling because the continuing absence of mail merge in iWorks is one of the biggest gripes users have about it. The mail merge mentioned here is just an intelligent drag and drop that puts the lines of the address in the right place when you drag and drop from the address book. You can only do one at a time, though; it's not a true batch mail merge.
The book has a very heavy emphasis on Keynote, the presentation (slideshow) software, with over half of the book devoted to this topic. Pages (word processor and page layout) gets about one-quarter of book, and Numbers (spreadsheets) and an integrated example get the remaining one-quarter. There are two additional chapters on the included DVD-ROM dealing with linked text in documents, camera RAW image files, and multimedia. The DVD-ROM includes all the needed files for the examples as well as the finished documents for comparison.
I wonder about the emphasis on Keynote. I'm skeptical that the absolute beginner that this book is aimed at would do very many slideshows; they would be much more likely to start with page layout.
Very Good Feature: several pages explaining how to get your computer hooked up to a projector. This is a subject that always stumps people and has caused many delays in getting presentations started.
Bottom line: good for beginners, still useful but very slow paced if you already understand slideshows, page layout, or spreadsheets and just want to get smart about iWork.

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iWork 08 Keynote, Pages, NumbersApple's enhanced iWork productivity suite is poised to allow Mac users to create, present, and publish their work with style. iWork '08 offers three powerful applications—Pages '08, Keynote '08, and the brand-new spreadsheet program, Numbers '08—for creating everything from newsletters and stationery to polished business presentations to graphics-rich spreadsheets. This self-paced learning guide, which includes a companion CD jam-packed with practical media files, takes readers step-by-step through essential, real-life tasks for home and office that cover all aspects of iWork '08. The book is both a self-paced learning tool and the official curriculum of the Apple Training and Certification Program, used by schools and training centers worldwide, and is ideal for users of all levels.

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