Product Description

No other author documents the Mac OS the way Robin Williams does. In The Little Mac OS X Book, she brings her inimitable approach to Apple's radically redesigned OS, eschewing jargon for straightforward explanations and a good dose of humor. It's an approach that works equally as well for newcomers looking for a gentle introduction to the Macintosh as it does for experienced Mac users upgrading to OS X.

This practical, how-to guide covers all the exciting new features in Mac OS X, including the new window structure and the Dock (a combination of the control strip, Apple menu, and Application Switcher), and how to use them with common Macintosh applications. Robin doesn't neglect the basics either. You'll find logical, easy-to-follow sections on how to use your Mac for a variety of everyday tasks: printing, sending email, exchanging files, and surfing the Web. And for those frustrating moments When Things Go Wrong, Robin has compiled a troubleshooting guide for common Mac snafus. See for yourself why Robin's Little Mac series has won her millions of fans.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1129725 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 824 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Little Mac OS X Book is the latest revision in Robin Williams’ series of Little Mac books (no, not that Robin Williams--the author of this book is female for starters). Like its predecessors, this one welcomes its readers into the community of Mac users while showing them how to use their hardware, software, and the resources to which they can connect. There’s always been more to the Macintosh than the ability to make calculations, store files, and connect to the Internet. A community has grown up around the Mac’s (always smartly designed) products and (usually intelligent) software. No one, with the possible exception of David Pogue, understands this better than Williams

Although it’s well suited for use in an academic environment, with review questions at the conclusion of each chapter, this book is equally good for independent Mac users in need of a home or office reference. The designers of this book have done a great job of presenting screen shots. They’re not just lobbed into place as they are in many volumes; rather, they’re of modest size and have their key features (buttons, or whatever is under discussion at the moment) highlighted with circles and labels. Williams completely neglects the command-line interface of the Unix core ("Darwin") that underlies Mac OS X, and devotes only a paragraph (with no specifics) to setting up a high-speed DSL or cable connection to the Internet. However, if you’re only interested in the graphical user interface you’ll find her treatment of Mac OS X more than acceptable. --David Wall

Topics covered: Mac OS X 10.1, from the point of view of a user or (perhaps) a corporate system administrator. Coverage goes all the way from keyboard and mouse basics ("What’s the Delete key for?") to setting up a home network with an AirPort hub and wireless network access cards.

From the Back Cover

Simply put, there is no other computer book author who documents the Macintosh operating system the way Robin Williams does. With the recent release of Mac OS X, she comes to the aid of new Mac owners looking for a friendly introduction to computer basics, as well as veteran Macintosh users awaiting a how-to guide for this brand-new operating system. The Little Mac OS X Book shows readers all they need to know about Mac basics: starting up, using the mouse, and working with menus, folders, and icons. Readers will also learn how to connect to the Internet, how to word process, and how to use Sherlock to search for files on your hard drive or for information on the Web.

Fully re-written from the ground up, The Little Mac OS X Book also covers all the new features of OS X such as protected memory and true multitasking, as well as the new Aqua interface and the Dock. Robin Williams provides a gentle, friendly guide to the Macintosh and OS X for new and experienced users alike.

About the Author

Robin Williams is a fourth-generation Californian on both sides, born in Berkeley and raised in the Bay Area. She lived in Sonoma County for 15 years, then in 1993, she packed up her kids, the dog, and two cats and moved to New Mexico.