Mac OS 9 (Missing Manual) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As its title indicates, Mac OS 9: The Missing Manual touts itself as the guide that should have come with your copy of Apple's operating system. It certainly makes a strong case for that claim, as author David Pogue offers a wealth of information from the basics to some of OS 9's more esoteric functions.

The book is strongest in its detailed information on operating system components like the Apple menu and using OS 9's speech-recognition features. Pogue's explanations of standard, custom, and clean installations of OS 9 are similarly helpful, as is the partial list of the OS's compatibility problems. The troubleshooting guide isn't exhaustive, but the problems it does explore are handled in depth.

Unfortunately, Pogue refers too often to the pre-Mac and -Windows days when you had to type out a filename and multitasking hadn't yet become part of the computer vocabulary. It's not likely that many users today will be upgrading from a 286 DOS machine (remember those?) to an iMac. Pogue is better at explaining some of the subtle differences between Microsoft Windows and iMac conventions. Nonetheless, any Mac OS 9 user will find lots of useful information in The Missing Manual. --John Frederick Moore

Review

'This manual is worth buying just for its chapter on the powerful programming language AppleScript. Novices will gain valuable insights, while veterans will learn about recording scripts in the 'watch me' mode, writing scripts by hand, scripting for folder actions and controlling programs over the network or Internet. All in all, this manual really is a solid user reference for getting to grips with Mac OS 9.' Rating 90per cent. Macformat, June 2000

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Product Details

• Paperback: 472 pages
• Publisher: Pogue Press; 1 edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565928571
• ISBN-13: 978-1565928572
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #832,056 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

112 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great buy for Mac users, new or old, April 19, 2000

By	Kirk McElhearn "Mac author and journalist and... (A village in the French Alps) - See all my reviews

I consider myself a Mac power user, having worked with Macs for ten years, and taking the time to look under the hood. Over the years, I never bought a single book describing the Mac System or OS - I always found that (in the old days) the doc was sufficient, or that I could learn enough from magazines and on the net.

I bought this book more out of curiosity, and am extremely glad that I did. While I half-expected it to be a really basic presentation of the Mac OS 9, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is it an excellent book for newcomers, but David Pogue presents all the tricks and shortcuts that you would be hard pressed to find in the help files. I learned so many useful things from this book, that I don't even regret the fact that the OS 9 doesn't come with a manual - David Pogue wrote a far better book than any manual Apple could write.

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mac OS 9: The Missing Manual, April 23, 2000

By	PghPunk "Amy" (Lacey, Washington) - See all my reviews

I am extremely familiar with Windows & NT but not Macs. Last November I decided to buy a G4--and was very dismayed to find that virtually the only documentation I got with it was a flimsy small booklet. When I called Apple, the response was "Well it's online." Yes, the online help is outstanding but it doesn't do you much good in the event that the system won't boot up! (Fortunately I have not had that problem so far.) So I broke down and went out and I bought several OS 9 books that have given me alot of good info and helped me out, then last night at the bookstore I ran into this little gem and snapped it up. I by no means have finished it but what I've read is great--very matter of fact and helpful. I sure wish this book had come out when I first bought my G4 because it sure would have helped me in my efforts to learn to "think different"! I saw in the back of the book that Pogue will also bring out the same type book for Mac's upcoming OS X--and I'll be one of the first in line to get it.

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Like Any Manual I've Ever Read, June 29, 2000

By	lculp "bookabout" (Toluca Lake, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Hunched over Mac OS 9 : The Missing Manual for 3 days, I laughed out loud when I closed the book. I had remembered what actual computer manuals used to look like in the Dark Ages of the mid-eighties when I had first attempted Microsoft Word. If memory serves, the book was horrendously thick (impossible to read comfortably), turgid as mud, and ultimately unhelpful. Manuals went the way of the dinosaur for a reason.

Now comes this wonderful new series. In the OS 9 book, David Pogue lays out the organization of the program while simultaneously teaching navigational tips and tricks. ( He knows our brains actually do better when they multi-task.) His ability to combine methods and analysis actually makes the whole system easier to understand. Chapter 2 may be my favorite in the book in this regard because he not only describes the ways in which applications work in OS 9, but he fills the reader in on how to cope with memory management issues at the same time. At a time when `novice' use takes us into the world of digital photography, complexities of Internet, and even the realm of film-editing, at some level, the user must understand that memory in a computer is not simply passive storage. Pogue makes this abstraction clear by defining terms carefully and not overloading the reader with technical jargon.

As a somewhat long-term Mac user, I knew some details before this reading, but after it, I made adjustments on my computer that improved use and function visibly. Since finishing my first reading of the book, I've returned to it twice for references: once, to describe to a friend how to create a RAM disk, and once to see how I could disable keychain. I'm already planning to sit down again with the chapter on scripts and the one on file sharing. The good thing is, I know that the clear writing and the helpful illustrations will lead me to solutions and new ways of doing things. One quick example: in the book, Pogue reminded me of how to create a "screenshot," a feature I once played around with at a workshop but promptly forgot. This time, Pogue provided just the right fix on the feature to help me use it: I set up screenshots for each of my 24 zip drives, to show what each contains. (Labeling rarely helps because you take things off and put new ones on and who takes time to reach for a pen, but a new screenshot takes seconds and the process is actually fun). I now have a file at the top of my hard drive that lets me look into a zip before I dive for it. Finding files is no longer a giant nuisance; just a few keystrokes.

Keystrokes are one of Pogue's fixations...and I'm beginning to see why. Throughout the book, he injects shortcuts and keystrokes that help access material quickly-enable efficiency. He's going to have to be VERY efficient. I have already purchased and read two other titles, but I'll want more when I've digested iMovie and AppleWorks. Keep those fingers moving at warp speed, Mr. Pogue. Let's make the next one on Web-Design...please!