23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ILife '08 Great for Beginners to Seasoned Users, February 22, 2008
This review is from: The Macintosh iLife 08 (Paperback)
The Macintosh iLife `08 book, authored by Jim Heid and published by Peachpit Press, is an excellent resource to learn not only the basics of the iLife `08 suite of applications, but it also provides some very good tips and tricks as well.
I just wished I had this book when iLife `08 first came out!
This book is perfect for beginners interested in learning iLife `08. It is an `easy read' because visual cues are everywhere in this book, and the layout of the pages are quite aesthetic (someone must have said, "thou shalt have a graphic on each and every page!"). The reading is clear and easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions on how to use each feature.
Much of the book is spent covering the basic functionality of the applications. However, the author sprinkles in application and design tips as well, which I found very interesting. Not only does he offer tips on the iLife `08 applications, he takes a step further by offering tips on the use of peripherals (camera, DVD recorder, microphone, etc.) used in conjunction with the iLife `08 applications. In addition, he makes recommendations on the use of other software which complement the iLife `08 suite, such as Flickr, MacOSaiX, Audio Hijack Pro, Handbrake, etc. Finally, he includes additional reference books by his publisher as well as his companion website to the book - Macintosh Digital Hub - to round out the reading experience. I took a peek at his website, and I recommend you do too, if you like to read about Mac stuff.
Before I opened this book, I thought to myself, I already know five of the six applications pretty well. How useful is it going to be for me? I thought the information in this book would be a rehash of things I already knew about iLife `08.
I learned from reviewing this book that I wasn't as seasoned as I thought I was! There are so many tips and tricks that I was not aware of, which I would like to explore further.
Here are, but a few, of the tips that I highlighted for myself to learn more about:
* iTunes: Tuning In to Internet Radio - page 70. I knew about Internet Radio, but I never tried it through iTunes. Simple feature that I had seen on the navigation bar, but never paid attention to.
* iMovie: Creating cutaways - page 256. A technique commonly used in video-production which I have not tried. I have used iMovie `08 to create 10-15 short movies, and I want to learn more film editing techniques in general.
* iPhoto: Working with Shared Photos - page 195. I would like a better understanding of how sharing works in iPhoto, and what the limitations are. I use iPhoto every day, and anything that can learn to enhance my understanding of iPhoto, I am interested in.
* iDVD: Hacking iDVD Themes - page 320. I'm curious to know more, should I ever have such a need.
* iWeb: Instant Alpha - page 390. I've used iWeb extensively in iLife `06, but haven't explored this new iLife `08 feature that selectively removes the background of an image. Worth taking a peek!
* GarageBand: Importing MIDI Files - page 342. As a non-musician and a beginning GarageBand user, I'm looking for anything that helps me practice and create songs.
In my opinion, this is an excellent reference book, particularly since most people do not know all six of the iLife `08 applications like the back of our hand. Beginners, novices, and even seasoned veterans can benefit from this book.
My Thoughts:
Ease of Use: It's such an easy book to read!
Audience: Beginners through seasoned users
Cost: Reasonable
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47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Intro to iLife08, January 10, 2008
This review is from: The Macintosh iLife 08 (Paperback)
Jim Heid's "The Macintosh iLife '08" is a very good introduction to the new Apple software.
It's a difficult task, since there are so many pieces to iLife, but Jim handles it well. In particular the extensive use of annotated illustrations makes the book and thus its subject quite accessible.
I'd recommend Heid's iLife book to anyone seeking to get familar with iLife's many features as quickly as possible. This book doesn't go into great depth, but has something helpful on most every feature.
Disclosure: Jim helped organize or spoke at conferences on Web design that my former company ran. He is extremely knowledgable and respected in the industry.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best iLife book around, April 13, 2008
This review is from: The Macintosh iLife 08 (Paperback)
When I first got this book I thought I may have wasted my money. Such a large portion of the volume is devoted to iTunes and iTunes is easy enough to use that it doesn't need instructions, right? I'm glad to say that I was mistaken. There are lots of features and settings that aren't immediately obvious and I'm now using an old iBook connected to my stereo system as a remote media server accessible from the other three computers on the network.
My original reason for getting the book was to learn Garage Band and I'm not disappointed. I'm still learning but I'm now able to set up background music to practice my guitar to as well as make some decent sounding home recordings. Any problem is not Garage Band but my non-compliant fingers. Oh well.
iMovie coverage seems good, though I've only played with a couple of videos, as does iDVD coverage. There's a nice section on iPhoto, too, though I'm now using Adobe Bridge and Photoshop instead.
I enjoy the format that is heavy on pictures and offers a nicely digestible amount of information per page. Highly recommended.
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