Mac OS X Tiger in a Snap [Paperback]

Brian Tiemann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0672327066 | ISBN-13: 978-0672327063

A computer is a big investment, but the time you spend to learn your way around it shouldn't be. Mac OS X Tiger In a Snap is designed specifically for you and the millions of other people who don't have the time to devote to learning the Mac operating system inside and out before you begin using it. The modular format of Mac OS X Tiger In a Snap lets you zero in on the information you need and then get back to work. You will learn how to:

• Work with "home office" applications
• Network your Mac
• Communicate with iChat
• Work with the iLife applications
• Customize Mac OS X
• Update system software
• Perform rescue operations

With expert tips and tricks interspersed throughout the tasks, Mac OS X Tiger In a Snap will help you quickly get up to speed with your Mac.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Brian Tiemann is a freelance technology columnist and software engineer who has written extensively in online magazines about the Macintosh, Apple software, and the philosophy of user-friendly design that has always been synonymous with them. A creative professional in the graphic arts and web design world as well as in networking and software quality, he uses Mac OS X because of its Unix-based stability underlying the powerful built-in creative tools that let him bring his graphics, music, movies, and photography to life.

Having been a Mac user for nearly 20 years, Brian has observed Apple's growth from a maker of simple personal computers to the powerhouse of film production, digital music, online lifestyle, and publishing that it is today. A graduate of Caltech, author of Mac OS X Panther in a Snap, and coauthor of FreeBSD Unleashed and Sams Teach Yourself FreeBSD in 24 Hours, Brian enjoys animation, motorcycles, photography, technological gadgets, the outdoors, and writing about them all. He lives in Silicon Valley with canines Capri and Banzai, who posed for pictures used throughout this book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: Sams (June 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672327066
• ISBN-13: 978-0672327063
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,577,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Impressive, August 28, 2005

By 

The Alaskan Apple Users Group (Anchorage, Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mac OS X Tiger in a Snap (Paperback)

by Joseph P. Koss, Jr.; Alaskan Apple User's Group (AAUG) member
Reviewed 08/2005

This book has 590 pages of tips on how to use Tiger to its best advantage-even the inside covers have useful information-and is geared to the beginner. Even so, the advanced user will still find helpful items. The basic premise is one of speed-when you need to learn something new quickly, who has time to sit down with a long text or reference manual? The author, nearly a 20-year veteran of Mac use who has written several other instructional texts for this publisher, organized the book to provide fast lessons on nearly every aspect of the Mac and Tiger.

After a nickel tour of OS X and its basic features, the book goes into detail in five parts-Understanding Mac OS X; Networking and the Internet; Making it Work Together; Making it Work for You; and Administering the System. Each part has chapters and lessons that cover aspects of the system pertinent to working in that general area of the system and how to optimize it for your needs, as indicated by the titles of the major parts.

Though the book is organized in chapters, it is not necessary to read it in sequence. Jump in anywhere to find the task or technique that is needed. Lesson numbers on the edges of the pages augment the table of contents and the index, and there is a glossary of terms. Each short lesson is clearly written and well illustrated, and lists other techniques that might be good to know as background, as well as any other lessons that may be related or that might give more information. Thus, there is a progression of ideas that can lead to other items you didn't know you needed. If you can read, you can navigate Tiger with this book.

No book can manage to cover everything for everyone, and there are limitations. That is why there are intermediate and advanced books, for one thing. As a basic text, this one is very good, and is organized well to find needed items quickly. The price, at $29.99 retail, is affordable. I recommend this book highly.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mac OS X Tiger in a Snap, February 25, 2006

By 

c! (Northwest, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mac OS X Tiger in a Snap (Paperback)

While this book is well written, it is somewhat shallow in content and missing many details about features that Mac OS X Tiger offers. I also purchased Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Tiger Ed., and found it much more helpful, well indexed and the content was more extensive. I strongly recommend The Missing Manual volume over this book.