Rating: 
Summary: PC users can only *wish*...
Review: In this case, ignorance is not bliss, PC users will continue to flounder around and not get as much out of their systems as Mac users do, and this book is proof. David is so funny and talented, he makes my day!
Rating:
Summary: The best introduction to the best computer
Review: The 3rd edition of this wonderful book introduced me to the Mac, finally ending my periodic nervous breakdowns trying to get my PC to do anything useful. The author is really quite witty, and writes very lucidly. Also check out his More Macs for Dummies, and MacWorld MacSecrets (lots of cool software on its CD), as well as Sad Macs, Bombs and Other Disasters by Ted Landau. All you people out there, tired of your PC's net browser getting corrupted, and then paying some smarmy jerk 80 bucks to get it to work? Get a Mac, and the above books, and within a few days you'll be in _control_ of your computer! Tip: on a Mac if Netscape crashes or quits, just drag your Netscape Cache folder to the Trash (in System folder: Preferences: Netscape: Cache). Also, download Netscape Defrost and drop it on your System Folder. This solves my problems about 98% of the time. See Landau's book for more. I keep my Macs online with 2-3 minutes preventive maintenance per week. Trying to keep a PC online? You have my heartfelt sympathy. While you are reloading Netscape or (yuck) Explorer or (yuck-yuck) Windows (it only takes an hour), remember to get a Mac next time. Downtrodden PC proletariat and hoi polloi of all nations: ever wonder why 1/3 of freako netheads drive Macs and why more than 1/2 of all computer enthusiasts prefer Macs, although only 1/10 of all computers are Macs? Now you know.
Rating:
Summary: It worked for me .....
Review: The reason I bought this book was that I had been away from Macs since I unplugged my Mac IIcx and put it away. I recognized back then that unless I intended to work exclusively with Mac people, the PC competence was THE one I needed most. Here in my small town, in the last few months I've had a number of requests for help from Mac people. The local Mac guy isn't getting rave reviews at the moment -- possibly because he has too much work -- so the requests for help that I've referred to him have been bouncing back to me. Before I took any of these people's money, I wanted to make sure that (1) a computer is still a computer and (2) Macs had not totally morphed into something unrecognizable since I last used one. The book convinced me that the answer to (1) is "yes" and the answer to (2) is "no" (but OS X may change that). This book was a VERY fast read, and gave me those answers. For me the most valuable part of this book were the two chapters on troubleshooting. They were well written, and certainly covered the range of Mac problems I remember from the IIcx. Time will tell if they cover the range of problems the Mac users here are having right now. I'm trying to decide which book to read next: the O'Reilley book on Macs for PC people/PCs for Mac people, or the Dummies series book on upgrading and fixing Macs. Obviously one (maybe both) will eventually be necessary. For the person just starting out with a Mac -- or starting out with computers who is thinking about a Mac -- I think this book would be absolutely first rate. And the book seems to have done the job I required of it just about as painlessly as possible! It gets five stars from me!!
Rating:
Summary: It worked for me .....
Review: The reason I bought this book was that I had been away from Macs since I unplugged my Mac IIcx and put it away. I recognized back then that unless I intended to work exclusively with Mac people, the PC competence was THE one I needed most. Here in my small town, in the last few months I've had a number of requests for help from Mac people. The local Mac guy isn't getting rave reviews at the moment -- possibly because he has too much work -- so the requests for help that I've referred to him have been bouncing back to me. Before I took any of these people's money, I wanted to make sure that (1) a computer is still a computer and (2) Macs had not totally morphed into something unrecognizable since I last used one. The book convinced me that the answer to (1) is "yes" and the answer to (2) is "no" (but OS X may change that). This book was a VERY fast read, and gave me those answers. For me the most valuable part of this book were the two chapters on troubleshooting. They were well written, and certainly covered the range of Mac problems I remember from the IIcx. Time will tell if they cover the range of problems the Mac users here are having right now. I'm trying to decide which book to read next: the O'Reilley book on Macs for PC people/PCs for Mac people, or the Dummies series book on upgrading and fixing Macs. Obviously one (maybe both) will eventually be necessary. For the person just starting out with a Mac -- or starting out with computers who is thinking about a Mac -- I think this book would be absolutely first rate. And the book seems to have done the job I required of it just about as painlessly as possible! It gets five stars from me!!
Rating:
Summary: The greatest Mac book I have ever found
Review: This book is by far the best book for beginner Mac users or anyone for that fact. I have had years of experience with Macs and bought the book for my mother. I told her I would read it to see if any of it would help her. I read the whole thing the first day and couldn't put it down. The humor and simplicity of the book made it very easy to read. I would suggest it to anyone even if you already know everything and anything about Macs.
Rating:
Summary: Easy to understand, useful, and adds a bit of reality!
Review: This book is the easy way to learning Macintosh, as if it weren't easy enough! It provides normal english translation from hard to understand techno-jargon. Great for the first time buyer who is wondering what to get. Great for telling you which software and online services are for you. As well as easy solutions to the easy and hard problems that occur with Macintosh. Wondering what to do if you have a Type -1 error in that favorite program of yours, all the time? Read Macs for Dummies!! It's the total solution to the Macintosh & computer newbie!
Rating: 
Summary: A well written into to an obsolete computer
Review: This is an entertaining book that will help people learn to use their Mac. Unfortunately the author exhibits the kind of irrational, foaming at the mouth delusions that plagues so many Apple fanatics. I have to use both Macs and Win95/98/NT systems daily and frankly the Mac is JUNK.
Rating:
Summary: A treasure
Review: Very simple! You want to learn about Macs and enjoy learning, buy this book. You will laugh as you learn. This was a pleasure to read, as are all of Mr. Pogue's books. I think a 5 star rating is not enough. This deserves many, many, many, many more stars. If you don't enjoy this book, get a P.C. Eileen
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