Mac OS X 10.1 (Visual QuickStart Guide) [Paperback]

Maria Langer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 2002 | Series: Visual QuickStart Guide

Now that every new Macintosh computer ships with Mac OS X 10.1, you need Mac OS X 10.1: Visual QuickStart Guide to show you how to get the most out of Apple's radically redesigned operating system. Responding to user input on the initial release of OS X, Apple has improved the already-gorgeous Aqua user interface and added a number of enhancements--all of which veteran Mac author Maria Langer walks you through in this Visual QuickStart Guide.

Offering the detailed, step-by-step instructions and plentiful visual aids that have become hallmarks of the VQS series, Mac OS X 10.1: Visual QuickStart Guide provides everything you need to know to install, configure, and use the OS and its accompanying software. Before you know it, you'll be burning CDs, watching DVD movies, customizing your Dock, sharing files across networks, and more--all on an operating system that has the power, stability, and security of Unix at its core.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The latest release of the venerable Mac OS makes only incremental improvements on its predecessor, but it's worth remembering that the predecessor was Mac OS X--a watershed release that incorporated a UNIX kernel for the first time. In Mac OS X 10.1: Visual QuickStart Guide, Maria Langer makes incremental improvements to her book on Mac OS X, documenting the new features of version 10.1, notably support for DVD movies and easy CD burning from within the Finder. It's nothing earthshaking, but this is the version of the book you'll want if you're unfamiliar with Mac OS and have just purchased a Macintosh. Langer's book is one of the best Mac OS beginners' primers around.

The Visual QuickStart style, which relies heavily on the close integration of text and graphics to convey information, suits Mac OS well. In the one-page spread on burning CDs, for example, Langer presents a nine-step process that's illustrated by no fewer than five screen shots. Every time she references a dialog box or menu in the text of her instructions, there's a picture of the relevant interface item to the side, so it's always clear what you're supposed to be seeing. This sort of picture-heavy tutorial is typical of coverage throughout the book. --David Wall

Topics covered: Everything an everyday user (as opposed to a programmer or network administrator) can do with Mac OS X 10.1. The fundamentals of file management with the Finder, launching applications, printing, connecting to the Internet, and using Sherlock are all covered. There's even a little AppleScript coverage for Mac users who want to do a little automation.

From the Back Cover

Now that every new Macintosh computer ships with Mac OS X 10.1, you need Mac OS X 10.1: Visual QuickStart Guide to show you how to get the most out of Apple's radically redesigned operating system. Responding to user input on the initial release of OS X, Apple has improved the already-gorgeous Aqua user interface and added a number of enhancements--all of which veteran Mac author Maria Langer walks you through in this Visual QuickStart Guide.

Offering the detailed, step-by-step instructions and plentiful visual aids that have become hallmarks of the VQS series, Mac OS X 10.1: Visual QuickStart Guide provides everything you need to know to install, configure, and use the OS and its accompanying software. Before you know it, you'll be burning CDs, watching DVD movies, customizing your Dock, sharing files across networks, and more--all on an operating system that has the power, stability, and security of Unix at its core.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Pearson Education (April 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321116313
• ISBN-13: 978-0321116314
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,655,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Maria Langer has been a freelance writer since 1990. She has written more than 75 books and hundreds of articles about using computers, software, and online services. She provides support for her work, as well as new content, on the Maria's Guides website. These days, she also writes about aviation and travel for a variety of print and online publications.

Maria is also a commercial helicopter pilot and owner of Flying M Air, a helicopter tour and charter company based in Arizona. Her company offers tours, day trips, multi-day excursions, and aerial photography services throughout the southwest.

And if that's not enough to keep her busy and out of trouble, she's also a serious amateur photographer. She shows off her best work on her photo gallery, Flying M Photos.

Maria blogs at Eclectic Mind, her personal journal of thoughts and experiences.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Basic Quick Start for X, May 29, 2002

By 

J. Miller "a_tech_guy" (Walkersville, MD United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mac OS X 10.1 (Visual QuickStart Guide) (Paperback)

This is an extremely basic book. I could have used this book for maybe the first two weeks after I installed X. If you know how to get around the aqua interface of X and the "iapps" then you do not need this book. If you know what Samba is don't consider this book.

The book covers X up to 10.1.3 and the "iapps", 10.1.4 is out now and 10.2 will be out soon, but that should not deter you from buying this book if you are a mac newbie. This book is for the user converting over from a PC environment or possibly an earlier OS mac user like 8.6-9.1 or earlier. This is not for the intermediate to advance mac or PC user. I have looked at all the chapters and I think I may get one or two bits of information. That hardly makes it a worthwhile purchase. I would recommend the advance version of this book after Maria updates it.

Besides the fact that the book should be aimed at only beginners instead of beginners to intermediate users, the book is well written and uses the X aqua interface well to explain the topics. If have any of the other Peachpit Visual guides, then you know the format. I love the format and think the book is well written, but I did not learn much if anything from the book so far. Langer does make it clear after you read a few chapters that this book is for the beginner and advanced users should buy her Mac OS X Advanced guide, however, this book was not advertised that way by Peachpit. Overall, good for the beginner, but worthless otherwise. I find it hard to believe that Maria would have spent the time to write a book that covers so little of the OS X experience. Skip this book and buy something more advanced and useful, as you learn OS X you will be glad you did.