Customer Reviews

Mac OS X Snow Leopard For Dummies

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book offers a beginners overview of the new Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Topics range from turning on the Mac to simple networking. Bob LeVitus does a great job touching upon most features of the new release. However the nature of the 'For Dummies' books are meant to be kept short and sweet. Some topics I felt could of been discussed in greater detail and some topics could of been slimmed down. He does constantly repeat that the built-in Help will answer most questions and that the Apple website offers a wealth of knowledge. I would liked to have read more on the security and less about the different ways to save a document. This book is very light on the technical workings of the operating system. Mr. LeVitus does include the keyboard shortcuts for everything though.

I am new to Mac's. I found this book useful. The chapter that discussed widgets I found was very informative. Two other chapters I thought were neat were chapter 22 - a list of useful Mac websites and chapter 19 - a brief chapter on how to troubleshoot hardware.

Usually the 'for dummies' series are good, clear, and easy to follow. This is an exception. The book starts off on a very beginners level, but once past the first chapter you will have many unanswered questions, and the text does not anticipate what your problems might be and supplies no way of tracing possible answers. A huge disappointment if you are trying to work out how Snow Leopard works.

I have used many "for Dummies" books before and been very happy with them. I was disappointed in this one. It was not by the original author of many of the other books. I found it hard to follow because it didn't have many visual examples. I ended up buying the book "Teach Yourself Visually Mac OS X Snow Leopard," and found it much easier to follow. Diana E.

Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6), the current version of the Macintosh operating system, is the complex set of software instructions that allow your Apple computer hardware to do all the marvelous things your ask it to do. Learning to use the OS well is crucial to getting the most out of your Mac, but doing so can be a demanding and even intimidating process, especially for new users or those not very technically inclined. This book is crafted to help alleviate apprehension while encouraging the learning process...not by simplifying complex material but by thoughtful presentation and organization.

Twenty years ago, the first of the "For Dummies" series set the tone and established the format for beginner-friendly "how-to" books on technical subjects. Key elements in the approach are to keep discussion upbeat, colloquial, and to a degree entertaining, all the while gently feeding doses of necessary knowledge so that by the end the reader has kept with it long enough to have really learned something of value. Early versions tended to be excessively focused on visual gimmicks (often to the point of distraction, in my opinion), but more recent editions tend to have a more refined, less cartoonish appearance and presentation that is still non-intimidating but makes them more readable and provides a better learning experience in the long run.

Regardless of style, content has to elucidate the subject, and I'm glad to say that the author in this case does a pretty good job of delivering the goods. Starting with "The Basics," he discusses in detail the fundamental operations for startup, appearance and management of the desktop, and use of Finder. From there he moves to "Organization" to explain how best to understand and mange files and folders and placement of data on various media. Topics in ""Getting Things Done" address the work and entertainment you actually accomplish with your system, including communicating via the Internet, enjoying music, video, and multimedia, and crafting simple text documents. There's no attempt to cover iWork or iLife programs as those specialized tools beyond the scope of the book. Additional material discusses printing, simple networks, the critical importance of backing up your data and entire system, various utilities that are part of the operating system, and basic troubleshooting.

In my view this is one of the better "Dummies" books. It is fairly thorough (nearly 450 pages) without going completely overboard, and has a nice friendly and colloquial tone without becoming annoyingly chummy and cute. However, no one style will appeal to all learning approaches, and this one uses somewhat fewer visual illustrations than earlier editions, so if you prefer a mostly visual presentation there are probably better options. Having said that, I feel it strikes a nice balance and if studiously consumed, even someone entirely new to using an Apple computer will have gained more than enough knowledge to use the system to excellent advantage. I consider it a very good basic learning tool as well as a useful shelf reference for OS X 10.6, especially for someone new to the Mac.

This book can be used as an introduction to the iMac operating system and also as a reference for later questions. I think it is easy to understand and has step by step suggestions and many illustrations, making it easy to learn the system. It would be nice if it was printed on higher quality paper, but then it would be more expensive. I would recommend this book to anyone who has purchased an iMac for the first time. It is basic and may not include everything the computer is capable of, but certainly is helpful.

As always, this edition of "for Dummies" makes life easier for us common folk. You don't have to know anything to navigate your new Mac like you were a pro. Especially good for someone who has finally made the move to abandon PC's

I purchased the electronic version of this book and it has a good overview of OSX Snow Leopard but frankly, there isn't any more in here than you could get for free from the Apple site.

Well written and to the point. Does not try to cover all the fine details of this Mac OS. A very good first start reference book for common users of Snow Leopard. I refer to it frequently.

very good info,Ideal for everyone, not matter how good that you are on a Mac

My first experience in this century with a Mac. Good summry and jargon free directions.