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Summary: Fantastic intro to the Unix side of OS X
Review: I couldn't believe how perfect this book was for me. It has a fairly rapid overview (if you can call 500 pages rapid) of OS X's Graphic User Interface which is especially useful for Mac users upgrading to OS X.Then they provide a fantastic and detailed 700 page guide to the Unix underpinnings of the OS controllable from the command line from the perspective of a mac user. The book is perfect for anyone unafraid of the command line and wanting to learn the Unix side of things, whose power and elegant engineering is matched only by the inscrutibility of its naming practices and syntax. Although the first part of the book is well done, I think the 1200+ page volume is overkill for those who never want to see a command line sully their user experience.
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Summary: chapter 16 and 17 worth the price of the book
Review: These chapters go over how to download/compile and install unix software on your mac. Well worth the price of the book. While this book has information useful for any user, the authors thoroughly cover the Unix underpinnings as well. Definitely a reference volume to be dipped into over time. Absolutely essential addition to the library of any MacOS X power user
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Summary: The most complete OS X book todate
Review: I specifically purchased this book as it was the only one I could find that went into the commandline functionality of OS X. At about 1400 pages it is certainly the most comprehensive OS X book I have seen. All the basic info (which covers the first third of the book) is here, however, where it really excels is in its coverage of the command line, e.g., configuring Apache, clustering, setting up sendmail, compiling binaries, MySQL etc). While none of these is gone into in any great depth it does have enough info to get you started. It also has a handy summary of the main FreeBSD commands at the back. If you are an average user you might be better off with something like David Pogues book, however, if you are a power user then OS X Unleashed is the best book (to date) in unlocking the power of UNIX.
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Summary: A look under the hood
Review: If you're at all interested in looking under the hood of Apple's beautiful new OS this book is for you. Whether you're just curious about its UNIX underpinnings or you're the system administrator in a company that networks Macs I would recommend this book. Its very thorough and up to date.
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Summary: To really dig into the Unix part of MacOSX
Review: This book is -the- book for power users on MacOS X. If you want to know what happens underneath it all, this is the book. No longer do you have to rely on O'Reilly Linux books that are "sort of" relevant to the BSD Unix in MacOS X. Instead, you now have the real deal, a Unix book written specifically for MacOS X. Beginning users will probably be happy with "The Little Mac OS X Book". Intermediate users will probably be content with "OS X: The Missing Manual", but if these books leave you wanting more, then this is the book you want.
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Summary: Macintosh: OS X + BSD Unix
Review: This volume is targeted to the "intermediate-advanced users." It covers the new OS X version 10.1 (current as of January 2002) in both the GUI environment and the BSD/Unix environment. This is the first book (so far) that does this, and for me it is a complete success. Learn Unix! Learn how Unix is implemented on Apple's computers! Study all the configuration files! Learn the GUI. WOW! The book is very well divided into chapters with easy-to-use tabs. Topics cover everything you might want to know or do, even network setup and administration. This book is worth every penny it costs, many times over. You will be learning from this book for a long time.
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Summary: I would like to give this book 10 stars
Review: This is the book I have been waiting for. It's not for beginners though. Over a thousand pages of pure UNIX goodness along with a well crafted intro to the world of Aqua and Darwin. To Ray squared all I can say is "Great Job". Thank you.
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Summary: Unleash the Power
Review: My new favorite book has 1,464 pages and I intend to read every bit of it... eventually. Its called Mac OS X Unleashed by John Ray and Will C. Ray. Never has there been a book this robust for the Mac. Hell, never has there been an Operating System this robust for the Mac either. That's how over a thousand pages of text can only be considered an introduction. Simply put, the Mac is back. I am a web developer and a general Mac enthusiast and I work in a mostly corporate environment. I know all too well the sentiment of disregard the PC hegemony feels towards the Mac platform. Most think of Apple as a company that's constantly on the verge of distinction, an uttering almost as clichè as the evil empire status begotten Microsoft. But fortunately, years after the personal computer has entered into millions upon millions of homes, only the latter happens to be true. And this time, the Rebel Alliance might stand a fighting chance against the Emperor, er, I mean... Bill Gates. The reason for this lies in the robust nature of
Mac OS X itself, the UNIX-based overhaul of what is arguably the easiest, most gorgeous, and, yes, most advanced computer environment ever conceived. The brothers Ray (no, I'm not sure that they're related) cover the basic groundwork of Mac OS X with great diligence, and spend appropriate time on the more advanced details as well. They touch on the basics, like working with the Dock, and move into the dark cavernous reaches of the sophisticated UNIX underpinning with a keen awareness, wisely sensing that this is new ground for most Mac users, even for self-proclaimed aficionados like me. This book contains answers to nearly every question one might have about the new OS. Hearing David Pogue not too long ago on the Mac Show Live, a net-casted radio broadcast on all things Macintosh, claiming his new book to be the only one on the market to presently cover Mac OS 10.1, I have to wonder if he even knows this book exists. I saw both books at my local Borders bookstore recently. Mr. Pogue's Mac OS X: the Missing Manual does cover 10.1, and I'm certain with great accuracy, but Mac OS X Unleashed also covers it with screenshots of left handed Docks as proof, only it spans a much greater depth, exploring everything from configuring Apache to providing a Terminal command-line reference for the newly uninitiated from the land of GUI like me. Of course, casual users will probably find David Pogue's book more in line with the kind of information they will most likely seek. After all, not everybody is a developer like me. I'm certain that this book will be the most dog-eared of my computer manual collection within a few months. The breadth of information provided in it is just astounding and my urge to explore the new OS from the top-most layer of GUI goodness to the far reaches of a new command-line power has now become almost too impossible to contain. Books like this, with their careful attention to details (the chapter tabbing is a wonderfully useful touch), are testament to the fact that the Mac is quickly becoming a viable competitor to Windows, and even Linux. The system hailing from Cupertino is stable, attractive, easy to use, and expandable to undreamt of capacities by wiser geeks than me out the yin-yang. I am in awe at the nearly Utopian effort Apple has put into making Mac OS X the most open and standards compliant Operating System available to everyday consumers. I don't think it's any risk at all to try and predict that the Mac is going to be a platform to watch in 2002. Its power is just too overwhelming. I can't wait for whatever announcements are made at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco this coming January. And with a book as in depth as Mac OS X Unleashed, the power can now only be, well, unleashed. May the Force be with you.
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Summary: Great book, but more for the advanced Mac user
Review: I bought this book and I can say it's the first OS X book I found worth buying. It offers a load of info on both the GUI and the Terminal, it goes deep into setting up services like web serving and mail serving. It is how ever meant for the advanced Mac user who knows the novice things or for a Unix person who switches to the Mac.
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Summary: Best Mac OS X Book for Power Users Yet
Review: The writing is enjoyable, the advanced topics have mini-tutorials or how-to's in them, the amount of Unix (BSD) explained in Mac terms is enormous, and the book is heavy...What more to say? Highly recommended.
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