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68 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Fooled again..., October 10, 2004
This review is from: iPod & iTunes: Missing Manual, Second Edition (Paperback)
Because we bought an iPod mini recently, I thought it would be smart to get some insider's information how to make use of all its features. So I first checked some magazines, but they were kind of expensive. For just a little more, I might as well buy a complete book, I reasoned. But then I checked some often mentioned ipod related web sites. I already found some interesting information there, but I still found them not as complete as I had expected. So I checked Amazon to see if there were some good books. After reading reviews of different books, I had the impression that "iPod & iTunes: Missing Manual" was not just a good and complete book about the iPod. It was probably also the best around.
But when the book was delivered and I started reading it, I immediately noticed that I had stepped into that trap again: there are no good manuals for frequently updated hardware and software...
I should have sticked with trying things out by myself, perhaps checking some of the web sites once in a while.
Having read the book, I should say it's outdated (why bother about the old MusicMatch software for Windows?) and very superficial. I would have expected many more smart tricks (like how to create smart playlists). Overall, I think at most 10% of the book has some value. But to call this book a manual or reference is way too much honor for it.
I almost did not find any really surprising insights in this book. If you're not too stupid to be able to try out the iTunes software for yourself (going through all its (sub)menus once to see what it does), you don't need this book at all.
Anyway, this book proved to me (once again) that one should never buy books like these, unless it's your hobby to support their authors/publishers.
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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy this Book it Rocks!, January 23, 2004
The Apple manual for the iPod is 6 pages long, a good start, but hardly enough to really get your feet wet with your new cigarette-pack sized personal music assistant. J.D. Biersdorfer supplements this with a 331 page tome that tells you "everything you ever wanted to know about the iPod, but were afraid to ask". Biersdorfer covers all versions of the iPod back to generation one (1G) and bringing you up to date to generation three (3G), including those designed for the Windows operating system. The book is organized into five parts: Hardware, Software, Beyond the Music, Extreme iPodding, and Appendixes. Each of the parts explains in layman's terms the relevant areas of the iPod experience. The Hardware section covers the various incarnations of the iPod, as well as, various accessories like the remote control, case, and earbuds. Hardware also covers charging, and synchronizing the iPod with the computer (Macintosh or Windows) of your choice. Clear instructions and diagrams/photos make the hardware section easy to follow. The hardware section even includes instructions for installing a Firewire card if your computer is not equipped with Firewire. One section is sure to be controversial; instructions are given on how to copy music FROM the iPod TO the computer. Biersdorfer admits that this could be used to pirate music, but counters with some good reasons to transfer music WITHOUT piracy. The Software section includes a good discussion of digital music formats including MP3, AIFF, AAC, and WAV. A rather lengthy discussion of the features of iTunes for Macintosh is included to get the reader up to speed on the usefulness of this portion of the digital hub. The books publication predates the December 2003 release of iTunes for Windows, so the older MusicMatch for Windows is covered. Finally, a good overview of the iTunes Music Store is given, with a tour of the features and a really great takeoff on Billy Joel's "Piano Man" called "iTunes Man". Beyond the Music covers the other uses of the iPod including Address Book, Calendar, Games and eBooks, iSync, and the iPod as a hard drive. I found the Calendar section particularly helpful, as it covers using the major players: iCal, Entourage, and Now Up-to-Date. Extreme iPodding was tor me the most interesting section of the book, as it talks about iPod hacks and cool tricks as well as the myriad accessories available for the iPod. Currently I'm looking to use my iPod in my car and the information on devices to connect to a car stereo helped me to decide which of the routes to take. The troubleshooting section brings together much of the information from the Apple Knowledge Base articles into one easy to find location. As I have had issues with both of my iPods, it was nice to be able to find the information in one spot, rather than clicking to the 4 or 5 different articles on Apple's website, and having to cross reference the troubleshooting procedures from printouts. The appendixes cover both the Macintosh and Windows software offerings, menu by menu, and explain some of the lesser known keyboard shortcuts for the commands in each program. Overall the book is a great compliment to the iPod experience. It is clearly written and has just enough humor sprinkled throughout to keep the reader smiling and interested. I opened the book thinking that 300+ pages on a device this small with five buttons was overkill... J.D. Biersdorfer and O'Reilly proved me wrong. I learned to make my iPod more than "just" a music player, and I had fun while doing it.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gotta get it!, April 7, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: iPod & iTunes: Missing Manual, Second Edition (Paperback)
The iPod is the best personal music player available. Its ease of use, and enormous storage capability, are possible because of the software written for the device, the iTunes utility, and to the fact that the iPod is basically a portable hard drive. This valuable 350 page how-to book will guide both new users and experienced hacks to utilize the capabilities of the iPod, as well as the iTunes utility, to the maximum. This is not a supplemental manual. It is a stand-alone reference that will walk the reader through the basics of the iPod and iTunes. It will also, in simple language and clear graphics, explain how to utilize iPod as a PDA, a data storage unit, and even a recording device. The author, very thoughtfully, provides not only thorough coverage of topic for Mac-only users, but also includes detailed guidance for Windows users as well as Mac OS 9 users. For Windows users, utilities that can be linked with the iPod are explained as clearly as Mac utilities. And as important as explaining what various capabilities are, describing the limitations to each utility are often just as detailed. There are generous amounts of figures and other graphics for both Mac and Windows utilities. What I particularly liked about many of the the illustrations was that layered windows, and menus for several steps, were shown in a single figure. This makes it even easier for "visual" learners to master the instructions. Perhaps the part of the book I was most pleased to find was in the appendix. For both iTunes and Music Match Jukebox Plus, every menu (dozens of them) are explained in detail. I think this is essential for novice users to have this kind of guidance, and I have not found it in other manuals and "how to" books. Disappointments were few and minor. Though I suspect there are no substantial differences with using the iPod Mini, I would have liked to have this stated one way or the other. Also, I would like to have been instructed in how I could have set up a separate iTunes account on my Mac, so others who use my computer would find it easier to download only their music into their own iPod. Finally, marker tabs on the side of the book may make it easier to find chapters more quickly. These, though, pale in comparison to the benefits of buying this "must have" book.
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