Rating: 
Summary: LOST, BUT FOUND
Review: Mac OS X is no doubt, a finely knitted Operating System. But for a new Mac user like me, maximizing its potentials wasn't the easiest adventure I've undertaken. Yes, I did get lost in the wilderness of Mac, but I found a road map in this "Missing Manual". Ever since, I've been savouring it page by page: slow and steady. It is comprehensive, and delivers its message without beating about the bush. And although I concede that it is not as voluminous as most reference texts are, I have decided to convert it to one as soon as I finish going through it once. It is detailed enough as to meet my immediate needs.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for Jaguar
Review: I have been a Mac user since 1984. Mac has come a long way since then and so has the opertating system. As one who was very familiar with Mac OS9.x after installing OSX I was completely lost. Since this was my first exposure to OSX I started looking for information about how it worked and how to do the things that had become second nature with OS9. Mac OS X: The Missing Manual was the answer. The book covers everything a new user must know in order to use the system efficiently. In addition, the text covers Apple software that is part of OSX (e.g., iPhoto etc.). Mac OS X: The Missing Manual introduces you to the UNIX base on which OSX is built. The book discusses the basics on how to interact with the system using the Terminnal and UNIX commands. Interesting reading should you want to persue UNIX. Mac OS X: The Missing Manual is the one book to have if you are new to OSX. Both the experienced OS9 user updating to OSX and the novice Mac user will find the Missing Manual very useful and a solid reference. Although stated many times, it is true, this book should be included with OSX.
Rating: 
Summary: A beginers viewpoint.
Review: Pogue is probably an expert-- but has no ability to communicatr his knowledge to a beginer. for example there is No dictionary-No learning exercises. He starts at an elevated level and assumes that the reader is with him--while the reader doesn't understand the meaning of his words! There is constant irrelative references to earlier Mac systems . Plus there are distracting attempts at humor.
I have tied for five intensive months to get something useful from this book,
It is a real waste of time - forget about the$. I have purchased Maria Langers--"Quickstart to OSX.10.2" and find that it of considerable more help.
Rating:
Summary: The most HELPFUL book I've ever read on an OS!
Review: I first started reading this book several months ago, and it's clearly a great book. I've learned so much from it. My dad bought it for himself (to use it with his quicksilver powermac G4), but it's currently hiding in my room for quick reference when I need it (right next to my G4 flatscreen iMac). I've spent many years playing around on Mac computers, even back when I was the silly little 3 year old jacking around in Macpaint and SmartArt back in the good old days of the original 128k Macintosh. My family has had at least 10 or 15 different Macintoshes that we've used over the years, so many that I can't count them all. However, it was only my dad who ever really did anything related to troubleshooting and messing around with the system folder, & the control panels (otherwise known as the system prefs in OS X now). Then, my dad got a PowerMac G4. The differences boggled my mind (I was still using the Family Mac- "Kansas"- that old slow PowerMac 8600 running OS 9 with only 72 MB of RAM!) I was amazed at how incredibly efficient OS X really is, but I couldn't navigate my way out of a paperbag while working around in it (seemingly odd for someone who's been experiencing the joy of Macintosh for 16 years now- ever since I was a little kid) lol. I remember the first time I saw the dock on my dad's computer. I clicked into a few folders, to launch Netscape 4.76 (which made classic start up), and I had no idea what classic was and I was just using dad's computer because the family mac was having problems. Then, I tried to click on a link that was in the bottom part of the page in Netscape, & the Dock pops up. I was like "What the Hell is THAT THING?!?!?!?" So I eventually learned the basics of OS X from my dad, but I needed something else to fill me in with all of the possibilities and details that he didn't cover on. Soon enough, as weird as it seems (because my dad usually isn't the kind of person who would do this), but he bought new computers for me and my sister. I got a 15" flatscreen iMac, and my sister got a G3 iBook. And I didn't know my way around the thing too terribly well. So I searched around in my dad's book collection (a good place to start...hehe), and this is the book I found. "OS X: The Missing Manual" by David Pogue. I was hooked from the first minute of reading it. I was deeply intrigued, and very amused at Pogue's humorous way of explaining things, especially for old-time classic Mac OS users like myself. It's great that he has included the "Where'd it GO?" Appendix in the book- that's been ESPECIALLY helpful to me. In reading the book, it's great that we no longer have the "Platinum Sounds" soundtrack in Mac OS X, meaning, my sister wont be able to irk me that way anymore on my mac (on the old family mac, she used to go into the control panels, and enable "platinum sounds", just so she could annoy me when I get on, because I REALLY hate those "swooshes & burps" as Pogue put it, so I'm glad to know that feature IS gone!) It's a very nicely done book. Pogue has organized this book very well, and described everything in an amusing way without the word clutter. If you can't stand books that bore you to sleep due to authors with dry humor, AND, you can't find your way out of a paper bag while navigating your way around in Mac OS X, this book is DEFINATELY for YOU. ENJOY, because you GET your MONEY's Worth all the way. I DEFINATELY recommend this book. It's great, and It really has helped me out as "The Little Young Mac Veteran".
Rating:
Summary: I have the 1st edition....should I get the 2nd?
Review: As someone who read and highly valued the 1st edition of this book I was skeptical that the switch to OS 10.2 would render the 1st edition so irrelevant. However, I skimmed this book and ended up purchasing it. I am glad I did. Jaguar changes so many things and is such an extensive upgrade that the 2nd edition is really helpful to get a grasp on the different features. The 2nd edition covers apps that weren't in the 1st, e.g. iChat, iSync, iCal. The Unix section in the 2nd edition is also much more detailed and helpful. The sections on networking are also a big help. While the discussion of the Aqua interface is only slightly different than the 1st edition, the discussions of new and old apps, Unix, new networking features and changes to system preferences are radically different and make this book a great purchase. I normally don't think manuals are all that great but this one really improved my use of OS X and, I believe, has made me a more productive user.
Rating:
Summary: David Weeks MyMac.com Book Review
Review: ... Unfortunately, most computer books tend to be massive tomes that are little more than elaborate regurgitation's of the skinny manuals and Help files shipping with the software itself. The reader learns little more than how to accomplish certain functions in a certain order. This is what I call the cookbook approach to computer manuals. While there is a place for cookbook manuals, the best books transcend this genre, and teach both principles and background for understanding, as well as providing cookbook-style recipes for doing. David Pogue's most recent addition to his "Missing Manual" series does just this for Macintosh OS X. ...Mac OS X: The Missing Manual combines the basics of OS X for newbies, and provides a more-than-generous helping of advanced techniques and principles for power-users, or those who aspire to power-userdom. The primary reason I enjoyed Mac Mac OS X: The Missing Manual much more than the other OS X books I have read is that the book is simply fun to read. Pogue consistently writes with a light wit, yet he does not indulge in the sappy humor found in the "(fill in the blank) for Dummies" series. I learned something on almost every page, even though I consider myself an OS X power-user. Even the sections I did not need to read were interesting, and I felt little desire to skip ahead to chapters covering more advanced territory. Being able to hold the reader's attention is one mark of a good technical writer. ...Pogue includes plenty of coverage of Unix fundamentals, and he gives examples of using the Terminal application to do things that may be difficult or impossible in the Mac OS X graphic user interface. First, he makes it clear that diving into the Unixness inside OS X is optional for most users. Then he provides enough Unix instruction for the reader to get the task accomplished. When I saw a detailed description of how to use the NetInfo database to create and edit User groups for file sharing purposes, I knew Pogue didn't shy away from addressing the more difficult parts of OS X. There is a substantial amount of advanced material for the intermediate to power-user to read and digest. The chapters on file permissions provided me the first thorough yet understandable overview of Unix file permissions I've read in a Macintosh-centric book. In a refreshing display of candor, the author is not above admitting that certain features of OS X are less mature (or non-existent, for that matter) than in OS 9. Some aspects of administering file sharing in OS X are far less user-friendly than OS, ???NINE??? and Pogue makes no attempt to hide such unpleasant facts. Pogue's willingness to discuss OS X's faults and shortcomings is a pleasant surprise; most computer book authors tend to gloss over shortcomings of their subject application of operating system. Lest this review sound like a press release by the publisher, I do have a few quibbles with Mac OS X: The Missing Manual. I found the subject matter organization to be a bit confusing. For example, Part One, Chapter Two is titled "Organizing Your Stuff." This covers how to best understand the OS X folder structure, and how to organize your files. However, Chapter 3 "Dock, Desk, and Toolbar" has lots of great information on how to use the organizational aspects of the Dock to get easy access to your files. While I suppose it would be hard to meld the two chapters, I did not like information on how to organize your drive being spread around several chapters. Another example of topics being covered in widely separated locations is when Pogue discusses problems with deleting certain files and folders, he refers the reader to tips located hundreds of pages away in another chapters. The unavoidable result is lots of page flipping and bookmarking. At least it's worth the effort... It's almost certainly got the information you need, be you a new OS X user, an OS 9 convert, and a regular OS X user searching for a good reference work. You will enjoy reading it, which is a rare thing for computer books. If you read it all, you'll know 95% of what you will ever need for beginner to power-user (but not Unix geek) level usage. As of this writing, David Pogue's Mac OS X: The Missing Manual is the best OS X book for your dollar. MacMice Rating: 5 out of 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ David Weeks
http://www.mymac.com/weeks/missing_2.25.02.shtml
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous and nearly flawless
Review: You have to read it to believe it, but David Pogue is a master of the form. He is very clear, cogent, and effective without being boring. That's a tremendous achievement. Who'd have thought that a 720-page computer manual would be a joy to read? Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I bought this book for my father who has just recently obtained MacOS X. However, I spent an hour or two going through it before I gave it to him and even picked up a few new tricks myself. This book seems to cover the bases well with plenty of material for beginners as well as topics such as Apple Script, common UNIX tools, and hacks which advanced users may enjoy. It also has a section on connecting to Windows computers, and a neat glossary at the back which will help people switching from the Windows world find their way in OS X. If you are a Macintosh guru, this book will be a little on the basic side for you (most of it was familliar to me already). However, if you are anything less than a guru or if you are a new user to MacOS X I would highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: 2nd Edition even better than the first
Review: If you use MacOS X, you need this book. Period. The book has been thoroughly revised for MacOS 10.2 (aka jaguar) and the revision is extensive. All the new jaguar features are covered. Beginners will find everythng they need to get going, while experienced users will find things they didn't know. (For example, the character palette or dragging a proxy icon to duplicate a folder). The book even teaches some basic unix and gives a complex example using pipes (read the book if you have no idea what that means) to show how simple unix tools can accomplish complex tasks. I'm an die-hard GUI hacker, and the book discusses that, but doesn't go into the deepers realms such as changing the Appearance theme. The books does give pointers to advanced resources including books ("MacOS X Unleashed"...not yet updated for 10.2) and web sites (macosxhints.com, versiontracker.com) so you can learn more. The book is so detailed that it is now halfway between a "missing manual" and an OSX version of the legendary "Mac Secrets" book. If David will do an OSX version of "Mac Secrets" he would probably have another best-seller on his hands. This is an excellent book and I recommend it very highly.
Rating:
Summary: Another Winner for David Pogue!
Review: I found this manual not only interesting and fun to read, but also crammed full of useful information. Being a die-hard MAC fan, I wanted to learn all I could about MAC OS X, and this is the book that will teach you!
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