Almost anyone who's used a Macintosh long enough to consider him- or herself a "Mac user" knows about Robin Williams, author of The Little Mac Book and several other well-loved guides to desktop publishing. She's always used her books to welcome newcomers to the Mac community, and here she teams up with John Tollett on The Little iBook Book. This latest addition to the Mac canon focuses on Apple's swoopy new notebook computer, its Mac OS 8.6, its applications software, and the tricks of the mobile-computing trade. Williams and Tollett don't disappoint, delivering advice well-suited for those getting into personal computing by way of an iBook.
The most interesting portion of this book deals with connecting to the Internet under Mac OS while traveling (the section has relevance to users of non-iBook Mac portables too). The authors explain how to safely hook your computer to phone ports in hotels and public facilities (though they don't get into slicing open phone cables and manipulating individual wires--a need that arises in certain really gnarly telecom situations). They also show how to adjust the iBook's dialer software for mobile connectivity (mostly with MindSpring in the United States) and explain how to bill your Internet-access calls to your calling card. They also give a fine overview of the accessories available for spiffing up your streamlined companion. --David Wall
Topics covered: Basic iBook anatomy, Mac OS 8.6 and standard software, AirPort technology (in summary), and Internet connectivity at home and on the road.
From Library Journal
A little more than a year ago both Apple and the Mac were given up for dead. The only question was who was going to buy Apple. Suddenly Steve Jobs reappeared, becoming the interim CEO for no salary. Jobs introduced the iMac, the iBook, and the G3/4s, and Apple is back with a passion. Now the company's biggest problem is producing enough because everything is selling like crazy. Apple has a new operating system, OS 9, which is more than an incremental improvement over OS 8. Integrated within OS 9 is the AppleScripting language, a personal web server that can be easily set up on an ethernet, and Sherlock, which allows the Mac to search simultaneously on both the local hard drive and any connected networks, including the Internet, without taking over the way Microsoft's "Active Desktop" does. And then there is also the iBook, easily the coolest portable design imaginable. All of these guides are excellent for OS 9 and the iBook. If you have Macintosh users among your patrons, these texts will circulate as fast as the Mac is selling.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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