One of the "Missing Manual" titles from Pogue Press, and arguably the next best purchase after your Mac computer. Although it may seem quite expensive, at nearly nine hundred pages, it is a weighty tome indeed, but with not a page wasted, as it navigates the purchaser through clearly defined chapters, from introducing Leopard to tech support and newsletters.

 

Author/Publisher
David Pogue
Pogue Press/O'Reilly

Book Details
ISBN-10: 059652952X
ISBN-13: 978-0596529529
Paperback: 912 pages

Value for money


Price approx

 

As the Manual says, this is the book "that should have been in the box"!, and as any proud owner, having set up their new Mac would note with alarm, there is little in the way of operational information provided, about the system or the applications. So, here we have it - your computer companion!

The layout of the book continues from it's previous versions, with updated chapters for existing applications and chapters covering the new features of Mac OS X Leopard. The text is strongly supported by clean and easy to understand graphics throughout. It is clear that a great deal of thought has been applied to page layout and content, and the need to cater for the new Mac user. However, even more experienced users will find much of interest, not only the updated applications, but the more involved, "under the hood " aspects of Unix, Terminal tips and tricks and Utilities etc.

For the completely new user however, The Missing Manual is a brilliant, informative and often humorous guide to the full range of popular Mac applications, iDVD, iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes, GarageBand etc. There are chapters dedicated to setting up Mail, iChat, Safari web browser. printer management, parental controls and security.

Whilst the new user may find reading the book creates a feeling of information overkill, the underlying message that will come across is that nearly everything can be customised by the user via preference panels, and that individual users of the same computer can create their own preferred view, from desktop onwards, everything can be tailored to suit, without encroaching on any other user's account.

Okay, so how about experienced users, will this latest edition of the manual be of any interest or use?

Those already familiar with OS X from the beginning might well consider this book as unessential, as there are already a significant number of online tutorials, as well as the "help" menus throughout the system, and specific to each application. However, for those of the "old school" ( or perhaps just old! ha! ) having a paper manual that can be taken anywhere and read anytime still retains an attraction over and above its digital equivalents. Although there is, inevitably, a feeling of repetition from earlier OS X volumes, the chapters have been rewritten to cover the various updates, new features, and with chapter contents clearly indicated on each page, this makes for a quick and easy reference search.

So, whilst not a "must buy", a book that many may find they should buy.

Comments (1)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/hide comments

cassiachatte said: June 19, 2009  

I bought this last year and have found it to to be a wealth of useful info. A bit expensive though if bought here in NZ. I bought mine through Fishpond.co.nz Their prices are way cheaper and they have access to heaps of Apple books. The good thing with them is you only pay NZ postage. Worth a look.

Show/hide comment form