Customer Reviews

Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters: And What to Do About Them

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I don't buy too many books as here in Australia they are prohibitively expensive. So, it was with considerable caution I shelled out $35.00 for Ted's Sad Macs. As it turns out, It has EVERYTHING I ever needed to know about the Mac. Ted's understanding of the platform is very comprehensive - both from a hardware and software perspective. Honestly, I have had this book for over 12 months and I still read it whilst sitting on the loo. No, this is not an indication of the book's laxative affects, but rather every time I peruse it's pages, I learn something new. Not only does Ted cover nearly every conceivable aspect of the Mac, how it works, what happens when it doesn't, how to fix it, how to fine-tune it etc, he is also the GURU of the MacFixit website, which has solved several of my software-related problems. But, that's another story. If you love Macs and yearn to learn more - this is the book for you. I don't wish to infer that other books may not be as good, all I wish to convey is that Sad Macs was worth every dollar and cent! Happy reading!

The two books I use the most when working with my Mac is "Sad Macs" and MacWorld's "Mac OS 8 Bible." If I had to pick between the two, I'd have to go with Landau's tome.

If you read chapters one and two before your Mac has a problem you will be way ahead of most folks in knowing how to operate your computer and you'll be on your way to becoming a "power user." You will also likely prevent most of the problems that are likely to occur.

If you do run into a problem this book will save your behind! All the detail may be a tad overwhelming at first but stick with it and you will soon begin to grok the mysterious inner-workings of your Mac. Just be sure to carefully follow each step in the diagnostic procedures and don't skip-ahead of the text because you might miss something important. I recently had a serious problem according to a dignostic procedure I had run using Norton Utilities and the info in a small sidebar in Sad Macs prevented me from performing an unecessary reformating of my main hard drive.

I also recommend keeping a separate, written log (yep-the ol' fashion way, paper in a file folder, just in case your venerable Mac won't let you access your computer files...) Write down every change you make to your Mac, including maintenence using repair utilities and particularly installation of new software (which should ideally be done one program at a time, then wait a few days or a week of regular, steady operation without problems before loading another). You would be amazed how easy and quick it is to track-down extension conflicts and other problems if you could only remember what had been recently done to your computer.

Ted also maintains a website called MacFixIt. He posts all kinds of updates three times a week and the website has a searchable archive. I check-in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning right after I check my e-mail.

Thank you Ted for writing this book!

If you repair, upgrade Mac's or diagnose faults then you must have this book. This is the only Mac repair book that I have that has worn out edges on it. Wether you are looking for a fix for a problem or just wish to browse the contents then this book does not come up short.

This book is a godsend for Mac users. It systematically covers every area of the Mac, chapter by chapter... extention conflicts, printing, networking, Internet, file-system coruption, memory management, etc... It shows you how to perform routine maintenance like using Disk First Aid, flashing the PRAM, and rebuilding the Desktop. Its appendices covers the most comon "what-if" scenarios and steps you through different solutions until you find one that works. It even covers quirks unique to specific OS version from 7 to 9.0.4. It even gives you a sneak-peak at features that will be available in the upcoming MacOS X due out in 2001.

All in all I say this book should be on the bookshelf of every Mac owner.

As a school, we have the sad situation of living with a mishmash that includes the Mac SE, II, LC, Quadra, PPC, and G3. This could be a major headache for the people in charge of keeping all these machines running for their various uses. Sad Macs, however, makes this management a whole lot easier. Now that we've added G3s to our ever-growing collection, we're looking forward to the 4th edition!

One of the few technical books in my library that I feel has really paid for itself, and then some. Technical books are so expensive, and most of mine sit in the bookcase collecting dust within a month or two after purchasing them. This book had saved me more money than I spent on it within the first month, and I continue to use it on a regular basis. In addition to having real and practical advice on fixing problems, Mr Landau provides advice on preventative maintenance and must-have troublshooting aids, and background on how Macs work when thre aren't any problems. I would say that this book is the most essential of those aforementioned must-have tools.

As a volunteer on NoWonder.com, the free email tech support site, I answer dozens of request for troubleshooting help each week. "Sad Macs" is an indispensable help.

Although this edition badly needs to be updated to tackle OS 8.x and the many iMac problems, it is still the best book on the subject around.

I became a fan of "Sad Macs" with the third edition. It was absolutely indispensible to someone like myself, who is not a "geek" by any stretch of the imagination, but who also can't afford to be calling a technition everytime something goes wrong on my computer. This book is like having a technition right there with you at all times, a technition who knows how to communicate to the average person...a great index makes it very easy to find your "ailment" and the clever arrangement of the "fix its" makes it easy to progress through your troubleshooting in a rational way.

The 4th edition is even better...the writing is more fluid (not that there was anything wrong with the other edition...I just find this one more conversational.) The section on Internet woes alone is worth the price of the book.

The iMac I purchased in July 2001 is my first home computer. I found this book at the library, then discovered it contained so much good information, that I purchased it. It sometimes has too much info for a newbie, but still it is an excellent reference. I use 2 other books along with this one, to trouble shoot and confirm resolutions to any computer problem. This book is like the "bible of troubleshooting". I'd say it is a "must purchase"!

I bought this book more as a chore than for pleasure--I never expected to find myself reading it for pure enjoyment. But the author has truly gone above and beyond the call of duty in writing this book. It not only covers every "disaster" contingency in clear, concise language, it also provides page after page of insight, tips, and tricks on how to get the most out of your Mac.