Mac OS X: The Missing Manual - Softcover

Pogue, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0596004508 ISBN 13: 9780596004507

Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc, 2002

Synopsis

New York Times computer columnist David Pogue has just updated his bestselling Mac OS X:The Missing Manual! And once again, he applies his scrupulous objectivity to this exciting new operating system, revealing which new features work well and which do not. With new material on almost every page, this second edition offers a wealth of detail on the myriad changes in OS X 10.2.Apple says that 10.2 introduces 150 new features to Mac OS X, but for once it undercounted. "Jaguar" is a different animal entirely. It's faster, more powerful, and much more customizable -- but it still comes without a manual.The first edition of Mac OS X: The Missing Manual was the #1 bestselling computer book of 2002, selling 100,000 copies in six months. Now David Pogue brings his humor and expertise to this completely rewritten, greatly expanded edition. It covers:Getting started. The early chapters demystify the Dock, the Finder toolbar, and the unfamiliar Mac OS X folder structure.New technologies. Mac OS X 10.2 includes dramatic enhancements in Internet integration (Sherlock 3, iCal, iSync, .Mac, a built-in firewall, Internet sharing), networking (Rendezvous, Windows compatibility, virtual private networking), and entertainment (iTunes 3, DVD Player, Inkwell, iChat).Basics of Unix. You can sail along in Mac OS X without ever realizing that you're using Unix. But if you're tempted by the power of the command line, this book contains a gentle, intelligent introduction.Finding familiar features. This second edition includes two of the popular "Where'd It Go?" Appendixes: one for veteran Mac fans, and one for Windows refugees. Look up any traditional feature -- and find out precisely where Apple put it in Mac OS X 10.2.As always, Mac OS X:The Missing Manual offers warm, witty writing, and bursts with the shortcuts, surprises, and design touches that make the Mac the most passionately championed computer in the world.

About this title

Review:

Mac OS X: The Missing Manual ranks among the best books to have at your side as you explore the latest Macintosh operating system as an everyday user who wants to get some work done, have a bit of fun, and feel part of the Mac community. David Pogue--a respected Mac authority and longtime author on the subject--is the perfect guide on such a quest, as his Mac knowledge is profound and his ability to explain facts and procedures considerable. The second edition of this popular book covers Mac OS X 10.2 and all of its many new features, including Sherlock 3, iCal, iSync, and firewalling. There's coverage of .Mac online services, as well.

Pogue writes really well, so his prose is a treat to read and most readers will appreciate his occasional page-long straight prose passages. More often, though, the wisdom in this book comes in the form of annotated procedures and bulleted lists, as well as notes and tips. There are also two highly handy "Where'd It Go?" glossaries: one for longtime Mac users (this one answers such questions as where the Apple Extras folder is) and one for Windows users (to explain, for example, the equivalent of Ctrl-Alt-Delete on the Mac). Unlike most books about Mac OS X, this one explores its UNIX-like underpinnings (the Apple implementation is called Darwin) pretty thoroughly. However, based on the logic that if you wanted to use UNIX, you would, Pogue emphasizes the traditional, graphical Mac interface over the Terminal window. If you want an in-depth treatment of Darwin and know something about UNIX already, have a look at Mac OS X for Unix Geeks. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to use Mac OS X 10.2 and its immediate predecessors. This is a user-level book, concerned with managing files, folders, media, users, and hardware. Lots of attention goes to the operating system's special features, including the "i" series of applications and the .Mac online services.

About the Author:

David Pogue, Yale '85, is the personal-technology columnist for the New York Times. With nearly 3 million books in print, he is also one of the world's bestselling how-to authors, having written or co-written seven books in the "for Dummies" series (including Macs, Magic, Opera, and Classical Music), along with several computer-humor books and a technothriller, "Hard Drive" (a New York Times "notable book of the year"). Pogue is also the creator and primary author of the Missing Manual series of complete, funny computer books, a joint venture with O'Reilly & Associates. Titles in the series include Mac OS X, Windows XP, iPod, Microsoft Office, iPhoto, Dreamweaver, iMovie 2, and many others. His Web page is www.davidpogue.com, and his email address is david@pogueman.com.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0596004508
• ISBN 13: 9780596004507
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 725