Mac OS X Panther For Dummies [Paperback]

Bob LeVitus (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764541684 | ISBN-13: 978-0764541681 | Publication Date: November 21, 2003

Set preferences, manage folders, and check out iTools

Pounce on cool features like the all-new Finder, iChat videoconferencing, and more

The doctor is in! Let "Dr. Mac" help you put Panther through its paces and see what a cool cat it really is. Discover how to customize your desktop, wander down the Dock, get online with new mail features, jump into iLife?TM, share your Mac, do all that Classic stuff, and make your Panther purr.

The Dummies Way
* Explanations in plain English
* "Get in, get out" information
* Icons and other navigational aids
* Tear-out cheat sheet
* Top ten lists
* A dash of humor and fun


Discover how to:
* Brush up on OS X basics
* Find your way around the Dock
* Open, resize, and move Finder windows
* Use Open dialog boxes and Save sheets
* Work with removable media

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Set preferences, manage folders, and check out iTools

Pounce on cool features like the all-new Finder, iChat videoconferencing, and more

The doctor is in! Let "Dr. Mac" help you put Panther through its paces and see what a cool cat it really is. Discover how to customize your desktop, wander down the Dock, get online with new mail features, jump into iLife^TM, share your Mac, do all that Classic stuff, and make your Panther purr.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Discover how to:

• Brush up on OS X basics
• Find your way around the Dock
• Open, resize, and move Finder windows
• Use Open dialog boxes and Save sheets
• Work with removable media

About the Author

Bob LeVitus (Austin, Texas) often referred to as "Dr. Mac," has written 39 computer books, including all previous editions of Mac OS For Dummies. His books have sold more than a million copies worldwide. Bob presently has a weekly newspaper column "Dr. Mac" in the Houston Chronicle. (Readership 1 million+) He's also been published in more than two-dozen computer magazines over the past thirteen years. Always a popular speaker at computer user groups and trade shows, Bob has spoken at more than 200 seminars here and abroad, presented keynote addresses in three countries, and produced a series of training seminars in five cities.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (November 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764541684
• ISBN-13: 978-0764541681
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,476,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Edward C. Baig is the Personal Technology columnist for USA TODAY and the author of Macs For Dummies, 10th Edition. Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus pens the popular Dr. Mac column for the Houston Chronicle and is the author of Mac OS X® Snow Leopard For Dummies.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty clear and a quick read, January 13, 2004

By 

A. Butterfield (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mac OS X Panther For Dummies (Paperback)

I bought this while waiting for my first ever Mac to arrive, so I suppose it's a credit to Levitus that I felt relatively confident about using it pretty much straight away. The book covers relatively basic topics like the Finder, saving files, navigation, file management etc. As a lifelong Windows user, it all seems pretty familiar stuff.
What it doesn't cover, except in passing, is stuff like how to use the Superdrive, or standard OSX Applications. Oh, they get a half-page mention, but this isn't the book that tells you everything in great detail.
Think of it more as a starting point. But at least it isn't daunting and over-technical.
I found the endlessly jokey tone of the writing a little irritating, like being with a used-car salesman. It's a little bit "loud" if you know what I mean. I also wasn't that impressed by the illustrations which often seem to be on a different page to the one they're described on, needlessly.
Anyway: it's pretty cheap, a quick read, easy to understand, but don't expect in-depth information.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid this book, August 16, 2004

By 

J. Harris - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mac OS X Panther For Dummies (Paperback)

After being spoiled by Dummies books by David Pogue, it came as a surprise that this is 0ne is not for beginners or even those coming from OS9. Terms are used that are not defined,there are misleading illustrations, and totally confusing directions. If you already know OSX this may be of some help but don't start with this.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Hasty Job, September 20, 2004

By 

Barbara Moore (Santa Fe) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mac OS X Panther For Dummies (Paperback)

I have found more faulty references in this book than helpful ones. I'll cite just one example. I wanted to find out more about the "Find" function in Panther, in particular about how to extract the location of the "found" file when I'm looking at a trail of unnamed "folder" icons. The index sent me to page 82 (the only reference to "Find"). The information there was a tiny paragraph languishing under the heading "Desktop Madness." It said, "Use the Files->Find command when you can't remember where you put it in a file or folder." (sic). Then the second and last sentence: "This command is a Mac OS X feature that really kicks some butt. I discuss it in detail in chaper 12." Guess what? Chapter 12 is called "The Fail-Safe Guide to Printing." No more references to "Find." You know whose butt I'd like to kick. Enough said.