iBook Fan Book

Rating:
Summary: great stocking stuffer!
Review: If you can get someone else to buy your son or daughter, your sister or Grandma, an iBook from Apple, then you can buy the perfect stocking-stuffer for that lucky person - the" iBook Fan Book" by Derrick Story. This is a little 6 by 6 inch square, thin white volume which mimics the look of the iBook itself and is designed to provide a gentle introduction to the iBook.

The basic approach of this book is to provide just the amount of information and guidance needed to get a new iBook owner up to speed in using it and getting comfortable with it. It does not cover all you can know about the iBook or the Mac OSX operating system and applications. There are other books available for that, including many published by the same publisher of this book, O'Reilly Media, Inc. Each of them is noted in this book as additional resources for those who want more in-depth information and guidance.

This book is designed to point out (to primarily non-techie types), for example, what the ports on the sides of the iBook are for, how to select a carrying case for the unit, how to clean it and care for it, and more importantly, how to configure it to do the things most people want to do. Those things include personalizing the System Preferences to make the iBook work space reflect the personality and work habits of the owner.

IBook owners, like most Mac owners, are likely to have special relationships with their machines. They like to personalize it and organize it to allow them to do what they really bought the computer for - to listen to music, view photos, make movies, surf the web, and send email. It becomes less of a tool and more like a friend.

Derrick Story has a casual easy-going writing style which provides an almost-soothing voice to the presentation of information and guidance on setting up the iBook. He is an Apple fan, obviously, and provides tips and suggestions to the reader based on his own experience with the iBook and Mac OSX operating system. These guides are likely to be sufficient for most users to get comfortable early on with their iBook.

Story "walks" the new iBook owner through the relatively minimal number of steps to customize the desktop, set up the email and web browser programs, create contacts files for the Address Book, and get up and running with the included iLife programs - iTunes, iPhoto, and others.

After the Introduction, there are five chapters covering care and maintenance, personalizing and connecting to the Internet, setting up the organizing applications already installed on the iBook, like the Address Book and iCal calendar program, managing music, photos, and movies, and a concluding chapter on Wi-Fi networking, syncing with the iPod and being mobile with the iBook. After all, that's primarily why you get a laptop, right?

Beyond the basics of setting preferences and learning how to use the iLife applications, Story supplements each section with suggestions for buying and using accessories, including many of which he owns and uses himself and can vouch for their utility and value.

When one considers the whole of the book's look and packaging, its minimalist themes, the writer's style, and the Apple "karma", there is an almost a zen-like experience here in learning how to make the iBook your friend.

Rating:
Summary: Fun book - great gift idea
Review: Great gift for the iBook owner - treat yourself or your friends. Full color pictures and an overview of why you are (or someone you know is) a fan of their iBook. The book doesn't go into a lot of detail - that's not the point of the book - but provides tidbits of great info about the iBook; from cases, screen protectors and travel kits to the included Mac software.

A lot of the information is shared with the "PowerBook Fan Book" from the same series, so if you're getting this as a gift, make sure you get the right one.

Rating:
Summary: full general purpose machine
Review: Recently, I reviewed the "Xbox Fan Book", which is in the same series as this book. The series covers popular consumer electronics and the books are in a small and distinctive form factor, to catch the eye.

But this iBook text is a contrast with the Xbox book. Here, there is consistently more detail in what Story has provided about possible usages. This reflects the fact that an iBook is a nice general purpose computer. You can do far more different tasks on it than you can on the Xbox, which is a dedicated game machine. Now, some of you might point out that the Xbox can be modified for other uses, and there are enthusiasts who have done that. But in practice, most Xbox users just play games.

It may also be said that the greater material here reflects another difference. When you are in the mood to play a twitch game on an Xbox, you tend to want simple written instructions. Gamers are notorious for this. But when using an iBook, it's a different mindset, and the user can tolerate far more detailed instructions.

Rating:
Summary: Small book, many tips
Review: Since I just purchased a new 12 inch iBook, this little 6 inch by 6 inch book has been a big help to me in getting it personalized. Although the operating manual that comes in the box does a good job of explaining how to get started, it does not cover the iBook the way Derrick Story does. He focuses on the things that you need to know so you can start feeling comfortable and bond with your new computer. He does not go into detail explaining all that the iBook can do; however, he does mention books and web sites where you can get additional information. The introduction does a great job of covering how to get connected by explaining what the ports on the left side are for. It also covers some keyboard highlights that I found helpful.
Chapter one explains how to maintain and protect your expensive machine and shows some very useful accessories. The next chapter covers the system preferences where Story makes recommendations and shows you where to set the controls to help you personalize your iBook. He also covers the preferences for connecting to the internet, surfing Safari, getting mail, and using iChat. Chapter 3 covers organizing you life with Address Book, iCal, and Stickies and offers many helpful hints. The next chapter introduces iPhoto, iTunes, and iMovie with some very helpful tips that will enhance your digital life. The last chapter shows some of the author's favorite accessories, many of which he owns and uses himself. In addition to an explanation of each accessory, he also provides an approximate cost and a source for purchase.
This book is small but it is packed with helpful tips and useful information. The author's style is easy to follow and the examples are in color. It is one of those books that is hard to put down without reading it from cover to cover.

Rating:
Summary: Light introduction to the hardware and OS
Review: This is compact and short introduction to the hardware and the operating system of the iBook. The hardware section covers both the hardware you get in the box and the third party stuff you can add on later. On the software side Derrick does a good job walking through the basics of the operating system as well as pointing to good third party software.

Definitely a good book for first time Mac owners, or people looking for a gift for first time owners.