Mac OS 8.5 Black Book: The Power User's Guidebook That Picks Up Where Introductory Books Leave Off [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Mark R. Bell (Author), Debrah D. Suggs (Author), Deborah Suggs (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Mac OS 8.5 Black Book distinguishes itself from most books for intermediate Mac users by providing a comprehensive picture of the latest version of the Macintosh operating system without descending into wearisome interface documentation or indecipherable jargon.

This book tackles the Mac OS 8.5 one task at a time, devoting chapters to functional areas (such as AppleScript and memory management). Within the chapters, headings describe problems users might want to solve (such as "Sharing Files and Folders" and "How to Determine Your Hardware Configuration"). Explicit procedures--combined with expository prose, plenty of screen shots, and some bulleted lists--tell exactly what the user needs to do to accomplish the stated goal.

Mac OS 8.5 Black Book covers a wide range of Mac OS situations, beginning with those related to customizing the user interface and progressing through performance tuning, networking, and multimedia. The chapter on Java is weak, but the authors make up for it by including tons of reference information on Mac OS error codes, hardware specifications, and shareware recommendations. The book's coverage of connectivity also distinguishes it from its competitors. You'll find very good information on using Macs as Internet, intranet, and extranet servers, plus discussions of some ways to get Mac OS computers to talk to Windows machines over networks. --David Wall

Product Description
Goes beyond the basics with technical references on practical troubleshooting, administrative tools, networking technologies, and more. Explains step-by-step how to use the tools and features of the latest Mac OS for novices, professionals, and the growing number of power Mac OS users. Gets at the heart of networking issues for system administrators who want to include Mac OS in Windows or Unix environments.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 650 pages
• Publisher: Coriolis Group Books (November 9, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576103048
• ISBN-13: 978-1576103043
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,895,642 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars NOT a power user book, March 3, 1999

By	John M. Roche (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased this book sight unseen since it was referenced as a "Power-User" book. I've used Macs for the last ten years and consider myself savy but no tech-geek or mac expert. Yet almost everything in this book i already knew, both in terms of mac use in general and 8.5 specifically. To be fair, I did find a handful of useful tips or insight into several areas i was less familiar with, but this accounts for maybe 5% of the book. On the other hand, if you are new to Mac and/or 8.5 this book is excellent and I would give it a 5 star rating. For power users, it gets one star for the few tidbits it offers mac savy users. The included CD, like all book CDs, strikes me as pointless since its almost always out of date by publication time. For its steep $50 list price, the book offers power users little value for their money.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential resource for MacOS 8.5 users, December 22, 1998

By	Stuart Austwick "Stuart Austwick Anuthabukluva" (Flag Pond, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

At first glance, I thought that this was just another of those too little too late books that seem to be all too common. Not so, this has to be the first book I have ever had on the Mac Os, that is worth the purchase price. It covers all aspects of Apple's MacOS 8.5 and is a goldmine of information. The book is also loaded with information on many useful shareware and commercial applications that enhance the Apple system software and demonstrates many useful solutions that will greatly enhance your Mac operations The section on Applescript is excellent for people who are using or learning to use Applescript, or for those who just want to understand scripting in general. This book also describes connecting Macs to various PC operating systems including NT and Window 95 this section alone is worth the price of the book. Having used Macs and Pc's for many years I was pleasantly surprised by this excellent resource. A must have for anyone using MacOS 8.5.