Macs For Dummies [Paperback]

David Pogue (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764503987 | ISBN-13: 978-0764503986 | Publication Date: November 20, 1998 | Edition: 6th

Completely updated for Mac OS 8.5 and the latest Mac programs, this sixth edition of the hilarious international bestseller Macs For Dummies leaves no stone unturned! Popular Macworld columnist David Pogue gives you everything you need to know about Macs both old and new - in one easy-to-read, jargon-free book of useful knowledge that will turn you into a Mac guru in no time.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Whether you have inherited an older Macintosh or just bought a brand-new one, you'll get more from it with the assistance of Macs for Dummies. In addition to the fundamental information that has put generations of Mac users on the right track, this latest edition of a long-standing bestseller incorporates information about the newest Mac developments, including Mac OS 8.5 and the iMac.

On top of author David Pogue's coverage of the system itself and Mac hardware, Macs for Dummies shows you how to use all the most popular Mac application programs, including AppleWorks (also known as ClarisWorks) and Microsoft Office. There's also an excellent glossary that helps you figure out jargon you may encounter in manuals and on the Internet.

This book would be better if Pogue had included more about creating local area networks (LANs) for Macs--such networks are popping up in homes and small offices everywhere. Setting up Mac LANs is so easy, it seems unnecessary to relegate information about it to More Macs for Dummies, as Pogue and his publisher have done. But by itself, the information here is extremely valuable, especially for people totally new to computing. Macs for Dummies makes you feel welcome in the Mac community. --David Wall

From the Back Cover

"Pogue is not only competent and articulate in translating computerese into English, but he is also an enthusiastic cheerleader." — The New York Times

Includes Coverage of the New Internet-Friendly iMac!

Publishers Weekly #1 Bestselling Macintosh Book Completely updated for Mac OS 8.5 and the latest Mac programs, this sixth edition of the hilarious international bestseller Macs^® For Dummies^® leaves no stone unturned! Popular Macworld columnist David Pogue gives you everything you need to know about Macs both old and new — in one, easy-to-read, jargon-free book of useful knowledge that will turn you into a Mac guru in no time. Let These Icons Guide You!

• Points you to shortcuts and insights that save you time and trouble
• Indicates occasional, unexplainable stuff from the world's greatest computer
• Highlights hot new shortcuts and features in the latest systems software

Inside, find helpful advice on how to:

• Manage files — without losing any
• Create, print, and fax documents easily
• Get on the Net and surf with the latest browsers
• Make Mac OS 8.5 and Microsoft Office suite for Macs work for you
• Discover all the new gadgets you can add to your Mac
• Troubleshoot your way out of almost any problem
• Uncover cool little shortcuts, hidden pictures, and time-savers

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 6th edition (November 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764503987
• ISBN-13: 978-0764503986
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,299,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Pogue is the personal-technology columnist for the New York Times. Each week, he contributes a print column, an online column and an online video. His daily blog, "Pogue's Posts," is the Times's most popular blog. David is also an Emmy award-winning tech correspondent for CBS News and a frequent guest on NPR's "Morning Edition." His trademark comic tech videos appear each Thursday morning on CNBC. With over 3 million books in print, David is one of the world's bestselling how-to authors. He launched his own series of complete, funny computer books called the Missing Manual series, which now includes 60 titles. David graduated summa cum laude from Yale in 1985, with distinction in Music, and he spent ten years conducting and arranging Broadway musicals in New York. He's been profiled on both "48 Hours" and "60 Minutes."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It worked for me ....., November 17, 2000

By 

Geoffrey Brown (Taconic, CT United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Macs For Dummies (Paperback)

The reason I bought this book was that I had been away from Macs since I unplugged my Mac IIcx and put it away. I recognized back then that unless I intended to work exclusively with Mac people, the PC competence was THE one I needed most.

Here in my small town, in the last few months I've had a number of requests for help from Mac people. The local Mac guy isn't getting rave reviews at the moment -- possibly because he has too much work -- so the requests for help that I've referred to him have been bouncing back to me.

Before I took any of these people's money, I wanted to make sure that (1) a computer is still a computer and (2) Macs had not totally morphed into something unrecognizable since I last used one. The book convinced me that the answer to (1) is "yes" and the answer to (2) is "no" (but OS X may change that). This book was a VERY fast read, and gave me those answers.

For me the most valuable part of this book were the two chapters on troubleshooting. They were well written, and certainly covered the range of Mac problems I remember from the IIcx. Time will tell if they cover the range of problems the Mac users here are having right now.

I'm trying to decide which book to read next: the O'Reilley book on Macs for PC people/PCs for Mac people, or the Dummies series book on upgrading and fixing Macs. Obviously one (maybe both) will eventually be necessary.

For the person just starting out with a Mac -- or starting out with computers who is thinking about a Mac -- I think this book would be absolutely first rate. And the book seems to have done the job I required of it just about as painlessly as possible!

It gets five stars from me!!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, insightful for the computer literate and illiterate, January 18, 2000

By 

Tom Bux (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Macs For Dummies (Paperback)

I have owned several PCs, I recently bought an iMac, and pretty much for the most part knew what to do, but I always knew Macs could do more, and be more friendly to use. This book helped perfectly with some basic problems I faced as well as answer some more higher end questions I had. This book will help the computer literate person who need a quick reference for any questions you have, or if you are buying your first computer, this book will make using it easier and more enjoyable.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Common-Sense Book NOT Written for Dummies, October 10, 2002

By 

Thomas Gabriel "Dr. Morbius" (Solvang, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Macs for Dummies (Paperback)

David Pogue has a genius for making the seemingly-complex simple enough for the average person to understand. This is the perfect gift for a writer writing about the Macintosh system; once you get over your intimidation about computers by following Pogue's straightforward and sometimes humorous examples, the user-friendliness of the Mac makes itself obvious, and you're on your way. An excellent, useful book for beginner and seasoned user alike!