Mac OS X Panther Killer Tips [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Scott Kelby (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Mac OS X is quickly winning back the ground Apple lost in the 1990s, with its Unix underpinnings (bulletproof and versatile) and its graphical user interface (the best on the market by far). Mac OS X Killer Tips is like its subject in that it's both stylish and rich in features. In fact, almost all the fat that typically pads books about software has been pared away, leaving only the material that would populate the sidebars and icon-tagged tips in a traditional book. The tips, carefully laid out with full-color illustrations, make interesting reading regardless of whether you're skimming, reading straight through, or using the index to locate tips that are relevant to a particular part of Mac OS X.

A typical tip is about 200 words in length--about as long as this capsule review--and gets straight to the point about some detail of Mac OS X (some tips document features that are less well known than others). Sometimes, the fact being revealed is nothing more than a keyboard shortcut (such as the one for putting a machine to sleep quickly). Other tips cover more involved procedures (the one for bringing back the Trash can--missing by default from the Mac OS X desktop--is an example). Scott Kelby knows his Mac--he edits a Mac magazine--and though there could be more about the Unix side of things, you're sure to learn a new trick from the several hundred nuggets of knowledge he's packed into this book. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to get the most out of Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther). Tips explain little-known features of iLife, iTunes, Sherlock, and the Mac OS X core software.

Product Description

Nothin' but sidebars! The hottest collection of cool tips andhidden secrets for the pro who needs results FAST! Not another newbie book. OS X Killer Tips speaks directly to the daily Mac user who needs to get the most out of their Mac NOW. Other such books tend toward fluffiness, where Killer Tips is all business.

Time is money and a lot of experienced users find themselves trying to save time by skimming through larger computer books in order to pull out the useful nuggets of info that are often placed within what we call sidebars (i.e. those Note/Tip/Warning boxes). The Killer Tips series was developed by Scott Kelby because he recognized how useful non-beginning technology users find those cool "I didn't know THAT" sidebarsthat are peppered all over the other computer books out there. This book is allabout speed; showing the Mac professional how to get more work done faster,while actually increasing quality.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: New Riders Press; 1 edition (January 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735713936
• ISBN-13: 978-0735713932
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #801,033 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Next generation of Killer Tips, January 14, 2004

By	Gregory C. Mueth (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

I purchased (and devoured with enthusiasm) Scott Kelby's previous iteration of Killer Tips (version 10.2 Jaguar). I was not familiar with OS X (or 10.2 for that matter) when I got it and it proved to be a terrific way for me to get immediately up and running. And reading it a second time gave me Mac skills that amazed my fellow Apple aficionados.
When I upgraded to OS 10.3 Panther I didn't really think that I needed this new Killer Tips... imagining that Kelby only added a few items to bring it up to date for Panther. So, I was browsing the Mac shelves for something different on Panther this time. But, when I took a curious look through Kelby's new book I was totally surprised. It wasn't a mere update... it featured hundreds of new tips. And some interesting twists to previous tips, too. So I bought it and read it and am just as impressed with this one as the last. Excellent sequel, Mr. Kelby!
P.S. Please take this as an endoresement of his tips only. I wouldn't want to be accused of endorsing his sense of humor! (Beware, groans are guaranteed.)

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Killer Tips aren't very killer ..., July 24, 2004

By	J. Seibert "big reader" (Lindenhurst, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the only poor review I've ever given and its not because Scott Kelby wrote a poor book - he just wrote a book thats not very useful.

I bought this book the same time I purchased my first Apple computer. I bought it to learn how to use Mac OS X, which I hadn't used at the time. Unfortunately, while I found the OS very easy to use, the book contained mostly common sense "tips" that wouldn't be much use to someone who has any experience on a computer. Most of the killer tips - such as dragging the bottom right corner of a window to resize it - apply to any OS. All other tips, such as changing your background to a photo require not much more then a few minutes of playing.

If you're a veteran user of Mac OS's this book isn't for you.
If you're new to Mac OS this book won't really show you anything a half an hours with of playing won't.

Take my advice and flip through the pages @ your local bookstore or read a demo chapter here @ Amazon. If you already know half of what you're reading, why buy it?

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, March 21, 2004

By	jbzoller (Manitowoc, WI) - See all my reviews

This book is not on the same level as the Visual Quickstart Guides that come from Peach Pit Press, but in some ways it is better. This title from New Riders Publishers (but still distributed through Peach Pit Press) is MUCH smaller at only 300 pages, but it also has less information in it because much of the interface it dedicated to graphics showing pictures of the various apps and utilities discussed in the book.

Having said that, this book is extremely well laid-out and written. It IS the kind of book that you can curl up with in front of the fireplace with. No, seriously. There are just so many cool tidbits in this thing that it becomes difficult to put down. If you pick it up at all, you can't simply look up the one question you were thinking about because you immediately get distracted by the other things you see while trying to find your answer. More than once, after spending 10 minutes looking at tips, I have ended up closing the book only to realize that I never actually got around to looking up my original question, and so I go back, promising myself to only focus on the one thing I need to learn.

However, for a geek like me, it doesn't take long to get through it all. Now when I grab it, it's more like "Oh, ya, I remember that one." ...and so, it now spends most of it's time just sitting on my shelf. Ah, well, maybe it is time to pass this one on to someone else... oh, wait! I just found something new. Nevermind!