Product Description
This introductory course reveals how to develop basic computing skills with the Macintosh. Proven-effective with novice users, Macintosh and You shows how to bring up the system, navigate the desktop, handle disks, launch applications, and more. Short tutorials cover elementary functions with popular System 7 software such as ClarisWorks, Word, Excel, and PageMaker. ... Read more

Product Description
Take your Mac to the max with hundreds of insider's tips.User-friendly includes unique four-color design and exploded diagrams. ... Read more

Product Description
This tutorial on the use of the Macintosh computer and its new System 7 operating system is one of ten tutorials in the "First Look" series. Designed to be used in a short course, the book contains the most needed concepts and commands in an easy to follow tutorial format. Self-testing materials and command summaries are included in each chapter. ... Read more

Product Description
Contains key technical data and information for the serious Apple Macintosh programmer previously published in scores of other sources. ... Read more

Product Description
Mac OS X Portable Genius is always at the ready for you with facts, tips, and secrets to give you the most from your favorite OS. This genius teaches you to customize your computer and workspace, troubleshoot and maintain Mac OS X, and just have fun. Browse and manipulate images and multimedia, listen to music and Podcasts, copy music to an iPod, add a printer, sync your Mac to other devices, and take control of Leopard to make it work for you.

From the introduction:
"Some of you may be rolling your eyes right now; all computers use the file and folder concept and some sort of colorful user interface, so there couldn’t be that much difference between Mac OS X and its competitors, right? Wrong. I don’t just say this because of some blind devotion to all things Apple; I’ve actually used different flavors of Windows and Linux for more than 13 years, right alongside my trusty Mac, so experience has been my teacher. If I have any devotion to Apple, there are plenty of good reasons why, the subject of this book being the first. Readers of this book who are already Mac users understand exactly what I’m talking about. For those of you moving from other computing platforms, it’s my desire that by the end of this book you will have a whole new perspective on computing and see what it means to really have fun while working with your computer. In Mac OS X Leopard Portable Genius you can learn not just the basics, but the subtle nuances and little tips and tricks that make using your Mac that much easier. I’ve covered the gamut, from printing files, surfing the Internet and using e-mail, to partitioning your hard drive, automating repetitive tasks, and using UNIX commands, with just a little bit of geeky humor thrown in for good measure. I hope this book will do justice to Mac OS X Leopard, which isn’t just a computer operating system; it’s an art form." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Mac OS X Leopard Book is a Good Tutor
Well designed, easy to read and use.This gem of a book is an excellent resource for those user looking for shortcuts, easy to learn features of this awesome operating system.I bought this book a couple of months before the release of Snow Leopard.In hindsight, since many MAC OS X users will inevitably upgrade to Snow Leopard, I suggest holding off on this book and wait for the release of MAX OS X Snow Leopard instead.You can't go wrong with the publishers of this series of instructional books.They conceptualize the needs of the reader and address many questions that are often left to the Genius Bar at Apple.

Mac OS X Leopard Portable Genius
Very informative book for anyone needed additional information with the worlds best OS. Highly recommended.

MacBook
A well written book for those new to MacBook and the OS X Leopard.Not 100% complete in its coverage, but very good none the less.

MAC OSX LEOPARD
THIS BOOK HELPED ME USE MY OSX SYSTEM MUCH EASIER , AND SHOWED ME TRICKS IN MY PHOTO'S.
CEL

mac leopard genius ---get it!!!
well spent money when you purchase mac os x leopard genius. it has more info in it alone than other books at twice the price!the book is also easily portable too! ... Read more

Product Description

Tough motion-graphics and effects production challenges require bold solutions, and Adobe's completely overhauled After Effects 6.0 ($699, Standard Edition; $999, Professional Edition) has a bushel of them! Here to get you up to speed on it--perhaps in time to meet your next deadline!--is everyone's favorite task-based guide. Employing the same concise instructions and visual approach as Peachpit's popular Visual QuickStart Guides but geared toward more advanced users, this Visual QuickPro Guide covers all the improvements that make this version of Adobe's motion-graphics and effects program such a boon to video pros of all stripes: a revolutionary text engine, support for OpenGL (which greatly accelerates 2D and 3D graphics rendering), new vector paint tools (which allow painting on layers), a faster and more accurate motion tracker, advanced keying tools, and more. Through step-by-step instructions, enhanced by plenty of tips and sidebars, veteran video editor Antony Bolante will have you effectively and efficiently importing and managing footage, viewing and editing layers, applying effects, animating type, and more in no time.

Customer Reviews (4)

Easy to use reference for a Novice-Intermediate After Effects Student
I found this book to be a very easy to navigate reference for my attempt at learning and using After Effects. I recommend it as an excellent cross-reference resource, especially if you are attending an After Effects classroom. I'm not sure, however, whether a nubie or novice would be able to learn easily just from reading this bookalone. Nevertheless, I give this book and the way it is structured, two-thumbs up as far as adding it to anyone's Visual Media Library.

typical
I wasn't expecting anything less and the only reason I got the book was because it was cheaper on amazon then at my college's bookstore.Now what I didn't realize was the fact that Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects volumes 1 and 2 are far superior to any other book out there.So I recommend those instead.This book is just as dull and boring as most informational software books with little explanation about how to do things, little picture representation and only explaining the basics oh in say 700 pages.... if you know how to use adobe illustator or photoshop which u clearly should if you intend on using aftereffects, I suggest whether you are a beginner intermediate or advanced animator to get the creating motion graphics books instead.Ya 10$ more but the learning experience and education you'll get from those books compared to this one is uncomparable.

Overall in 700 pages i really just skimmed through like i do with most books exactly written like this one.not very good at keeping my attention with black and white dull text with boring material.

Good Basic Book for After Effects
It says the books in the Visual QuickPro series are similar to the Visual QuickStart series, but QuickPro is for more advanced users. After Effects is, by its very nature, a more advanced application for creating video than, say iMovie. That's because After Effects is a "motion graphics" program with far more features than basic video editing. I think of it as Photoshop with motion and a timeline.

However, if you are a beginner at After Effects, this book can still work for you if you start with the early chapters first.

Bolante does a good job of giving you an overview of After Effects' interface, palettes, and the workflow. He moves on to how to create, open and close projects, including how to choose your settings and change them.

Next is importing files, how to import still images, image sequences, files with alpha channels, footage, etc. He also tells you how to loop footage and remove film pulldown. If you don't know what that is, look at page 60 for a few pages of good explanation.

The chapter on Managing Footage does a nice job of helping you organize your footage and understand how to view it. (Do you know about action-safe and title-safe areas?)

Like Photoshop, After Effects works in layers (with the addition of audio layers), and Bolante gives you the skinny on creating, naming, hiding, showing and rasterizing them. Editing is all about manipulating the layers by trimming, moving, sequencing, overlapping, splitting, changing the layer's speed, etc.

Motion Graphics is all about adding images, motion, changes in size, transparency, blending modes and more. Most of it is done with keyframes. Chapter 7 gives the ins and outs of keyframing. There is a big chapter on masking. Like Photoshop, you use masks to bled various images together. But, you begin, end, rotate, change, scale, show and hide them over time. He covers it all.

Special effects are the "magic" part of After Effects, so Bolante devotes a couple of chapters to their intricacies. There are also chapters on creating and animating text, painting on layers, keyframe interpolation (advanced layer techniques), integrating 3D layers, managing complex projects, and, of course, outputting your movies. All-in-all, it is a very thorough book for both Mac and PC users.

many special effects
Adobe is striving mightily to make After Effects the dominant tool for editing animated images, much like Photoshop is the pre-eminent program for editing static images. Bolante shows here why AE has a far more challenging task.

Even leaving aside competing tools, AE must handle video editing and audio editing. Here, it needs to synchronise two such tracks, in such ways as the ending of one triggering the start of another.

The audio editing is somewhat rudimentary. Other programs that specialise in this have more sophisticated options. But, unsurprisingly,the video editing forms the major part of AE. Several chapters are devoted to it. Many video special effects come right out of the box. Like texturing surfaces, or applying a gradient wipe.

Of course, many films will need text to be shown in the video. As expected, you get a panoply of font families to choose from. Along with effects like showing text along a contour that you define. Quite familiar to Photoshop users. But now redone in a broader context.

To be sure, this is not a simple book. The complexity of film editing necessitates this. But you should find that most tasks described here are straightforward to do. Though realistically, if you're trying a technique for the first time, many iterations may be needed before you're satisfied. ... Read more

Product Description
Unix is no longer someone else's OS. With Mac OS X built on top of it,Unix  is becoming a household name, and more and more Mac usersare ready to take it on. This book is for them!

Based on apopular series of Unix tips, this book promises to deliver what mostother Unix guides fail to: comprehensive tutorials and instruction onspecific Unix subjects, commands, and projects, not just a handyreference guide. Arranged into 101 mini tutorials in 11 key technologyareas, this book provides all the tricks, techniques, and training thatyou need to understand how the system works and start using itimmediately.  You will quickly learn the basics to working withthe Unix command line as well as work on specific tutorials/exercises,including: browsing and searching the directory file-system; viewing,searching, and processing file content; using text editors; shellscripting; cool commands; and more.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Welcome to the Terminal: Among the best of available titles introducing UNIX to Mac users
Along with Matisse Enzer's Unix for Mac OS 10.4/Tiger, this is just about the best available title introducing Unix to the Mac user. There are lots of other great *Nix titles oriented variously at different levels of experience and user needs, but for the Mac Power User this is an excellent starting point. The book assumes both a level of confidence and good sense (RTFM!) that isn't always that common. You know who you are. The organization of this book into "projects" is one of its big strengths. It claims to proceed from simple to complex, from common to obscure, though I dont really see that.

*Each chapter presents a small topic (such as aliases and functions), and treats it in pretty great depth, with examples, exercises, and especially terrific cross references to other chapters/projects. This makes it easy to find the section matching what you want and need to do. On the other hand, topics are not all grouped intuitively right next to each other in series, though it is a remarkably easy to navigate book.

*You could read this book through, trying everything out as you went, but that would be tedious. Having the book on your desk for reference when needed, and also taking a crack at new subjects for fun and education's sake when you have a few free minutes, Mayo has put together a really terrific resource that I strongly recommend.

*Nearly exhaustive, what this book doesn't cover falls into the realm of the truly advanced and specialized, and what it misses in depth it fully admits to and refers the reader on to sources that can aid him. This book does not cover Leopard specifically (though it does cover the PPC/Intel differences, in areas such as nvram and sysctl, among others), but fear not.

*Although Leopard is a huge leap forward, most things Unix have not appreciably changed since Panther/10.3.x, and even if not revised again this title should continue to be a great tool going forward even into Snow Leopard (whenever that arrives. . .)


UPDATE 4/20/10:

I upgraded my Macs to Snow Leopard earlier this month when the 10.6.3 update came out, and have reviewed this book again, and have found that ALL commands and projects I tried (about 10% of the total) continue to work 100%, and exactly as noted in this book, input and output. Quite a statement since the book was written for Tiger/10.4.x (with the author having a developer's beta of Leopard 10.5) over three years ago. Recommended now MORE than ever, now that with the help of this title in part, I have graduated to full-blown Mac-Unix geek from almost rank beginner when I bought Mayo's book.

Great for helping with Unix
I've gotten this book a few months ago, and I am still using it for reference with the Unix side of Mac OS X.

This book is great for those "little projects" that someone may want to do on there lunch break or just to get to know the Unix side of Mac OS X.

A taste of 'geekdom'
There's a not-so-fine line between knowing your instrument, which serves a specific purpose or purposes, & being a geek. This book walks the line. There's so much more we, as Mac-users, can gain from understanding UNIX, but, of course, there's a limit to how much time & effort can be invested into gaining this insight.

I look at it this way: the time, frustration & money I save just by being able to competently maintain, get around limitations of the OSX interface & repair my system is more than enough compensation. This is the easiest to follow & understand of many UNIX books I've read, or attempted to read. If you have a little patience, this book will bestow rewards. ... Read more

Product Description
Combining pristine sound quality with a comfortably retro-styled virtual rack (including a polyphonic synthesizer, mixing console, sampler, and drum machine), Reason has won legions of fans since its introduction. Now, everyone is singing its praises -- from bands like Nine Inch Nails and Prodigy to video producers. Here to show you why is the first Visual QuickStart Guide on the topic. Using simple step-by-step instructions and loads of visual aids, this friendly volume promises to have you up and running quickly -- using all of Reason's instruments, loops, effects, mixing capabilities, and drum kits. You'll also find complete coverage of Reason's essential features: from its extensive racks and sound banks to its lifelike, rear-rack cabling, as well as its effects, automation, integration with other audio programs, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Old Fader and Knob Guy
Man, I miss my racks of gear!Consequently, the transition to computer software recording was something that I avoided like the plague.When I discovered Reason and it's user interface (gotta love that rack) it seemed like an answer to my prayers.This book eased me right into the Reason 3.0 program.It actually makes it do-able, even for an old fader fart like me!Snatch this one up before they're out of print.

Great book for a total beginner!
I'm a musician of 20 years who has finally entered the world of virtual instruments (with some hesitation I must admit) and I must say that the Reason 3 for Windows & Macintosh book really helped me overcome those fears if you will. I'm not much for manuals because most, as most musicians know, speak about the product as if you've already used it and have prior knowledge about it. The Reason 3 book, however, puts everything on an easy to understand level and the pictures do help a lot but would be more helpful if some were in color.
In a nutshell, I cracked open the book and fired up my Mac on a Saturday morning and 3-4 hours later I was able to go in, pull up what I wanted and make some nice tracks. I'm still working on the mastering and some other odds and ends but I'm confident that this book will definitely get me through with flying colors! BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!

Reason for Hip Hop
I bought this for my son who has a small home studio.
He had the software but the manual was limited. He described
this book as the ulitmate tool. It revealed all the true capabilities
of the software. He said the software is useless without this book.

Una enciclopedia paso a paso
Si quieres conocer a fondo el funcionamiento del Reason, creo que este libro es una buena guia para comenzar. Te menciona paso a paso lo que debes hacer para trabajar con él.

Hasta ahora me ha resultado de muy buena manera trabajar con este libro.

It does the job but I want more
If you a looking for a fast guide so that you can produce simple music withou much thinking, try this one. I used it ans it gave me some insights, but I really missed more in-depth explanations of key concepts, and more explanations about the consequences of my tweaks. The tutorials as much more "do this and then do that", than "do this, and this will happen, otherwise, this will happen because of this", which I prefer.

I am now using the Reason Power! books, and it seems much more complete and satisfying for my needs. I like to understand everything I am doing to achieve a certain result, so that I can use this knowledge in order to do different stuff from that same process. Reaso Power! gives me more of that than this VQSG. ... Read more

Product Description
For intermediate to advanced programmers, this complete guide details all the features of the Applesoft language. It offers clear explanations and examples of the advanced concepts in program planning, design and development. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I started to program using this language.
This book is great, if you own an old Apple II, to start out and learn the field of programing.It covers the basics of programing.I liked it, but now it is out of date to today's computers. ... Read more

Product Description
The beauty of Leopard is that there is so much more than meets the eye, including over 300 new enhancements and its ability to run on both Intel PCs and PowerPC Macs. This comprehensive reference is your best guide on how to tame this powerful new cat. You'll find the latest technologies, new wireless networking, cool Dashboard widgets, a reflective Dock, and more. Discover secret tips and workarounds that even Apple doesn't know about. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Good reference guide and helper
If you are troubleshooting/supporting Mac's, then this book will definitely help you out a lot.

Begininng from how to install leopard OSX down to Time Machine, this book is clearly written and easy to understand.Although its a bit thick!, yeah but it does contain a lot.

I work on Mac's mostly, and this book has been really helpful.Almost everything has been explained in much detail, although i doubt many would read it from beginning to end.

I did read through it in that fashion though, and appreciate the work of all the authors who worked on this.I did not have much background of 10.4 tiger, but reading this book will give you also brief idea about the previous OS/ and the core of it.

Syed.

Poor content will kill the Kindle
The book is superb, but only if it's the printed hard copy version.In creating their Kindle version, the publisher embedded low-resolution .jpg images where diagrams and screen shots would be found in the printed book.Most areunreadable, and that's not acceptable in a book of this kind, where images are much more than just decorative.In addition, the savings vis-a-vis the printed book are negligible.

I've noticed also that newspaper subscriptions via Kindle are minus their photos and some of the articles.If the content quality doesn't perk up soon, I will be returning the Kindle reader.

Excellent but
The Bible is an excellent book as it does give the reader good instructions on the use of Leopard.However, I do not find it as user friendly as the Pogue book.The pictures and diagrams could be improved to make them more readable.As one reviewer said "if you can afford both, buy them". As a first choice I would pick the Pogue book.

Essential Reference
This is my third Mac "Bible", and I have found all of them extremely useful. If you have ever had a desire to dig below the pretty surface to work out what is going on this is the book you need. Some reviewers have expressed a preference for Pogue's "Missing Manual". I own both and for me they compliment each other. What one misses, the other picks up. If you can afford it, get both.

Best Reference Book
I returned the David Pogue Missing Manual book when I could not find even one item that I needed information on in the index or book. I bought this Bible book instead and have been extremely happy with it. It has very detailed information and has answered all of my questions. I also returned the Missing Manual book on Microsoft Office for Macs and got the Bible series book for that. The bible books really explain how to do things and really have detailed info. I will stick with these books in the future. ... Read more

Product Description
The Debian GNU/Linux operating system approaches Linux system administration differently than other popular Linux distributions, favoring text-based configuration mechanisms over graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Debian may appear simplistic and even slightly outdated, but it is actually very robust, scalable, and secure. Debian's open development cycle and strict quality control by the developers help Debian to constantly gain popularity, despite its reputation as an operating system just for professionals and hardcore computer hobbyists.

The Debian System introduces the concepts and techniques of the Debian operating system, explaining their usage and pitfalls, and illustrating the thinking behind each of the approaches. The book's goal is to give the reader enough insight into the workings of the Debian project and operating system so that they will understand the solutions that have evolved as part of the Debian system over the past decade. While targeted at the well-versed UNIX/Linux administrator, the book can also serve as an excellent resource alongside a standard Linux reference to quickly orient the reader to Debian's unique philosophy and structure. Co-published with Open Source Press, an independent publisher based in Munich that specializes in the field of free and open source software. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Debian System by Krafft; good reference book about the Debian Operating System
This is an easy to read book about the Debian Operating System. I like using it; reading it is easy. I have found some new things in it that I did not already know even though I have used the Debian OS on my eMac for a couple years.

extensively dog-eared
This is one of the better technical books I have read. Author Krafft's English usage occasionally betrays the fact that German is his native language, but he is an earnest and appealing writer & offers up peerless technical content for those interested in really looking into the guts of this popular (and influential! how many Ubuntu users actually know that Ubuntu is Debian under the hood?) distribution.

As my title suggests, I dog-eared MANY pages in this book for later reference. I read it largely on the Metro North train from Grand Central Station to White Plains and often found myself really eager to try something I'd just read about. It's one of those books.

Krafft also gives good insight into the mindset and philosophy behind the Debian project. This is perhaps the only reason I can discern for a couple of the "trollish" reviews here: if you disagree with the philosophy presented you may be more likely to dismiss the technical content of the book ... which would be a shame. I found the insight into the project itself -- its strengths and occasional weaknesses -- to be valuable.

I'm looking forward to a new edition. This one's very much a keeper.

Debian Love
The author is not only technically proficient, and in detail; but his love for the subject matter is clearly evident.Debian is a treasure.Yes, it's can be frustrating to new users; but, the rewards far out-weigh any negatives.I love Debian!

Good overview of the distribution and packaging, not much else
As a professional system administrator who works with a variety of different linux distributions as well as a the full panopoly of different unix-like operating systems (Solaris, freebsd, linux, etc) I purchased this book to gain a greater insight into the debian specific ways and methods of linux administration. I found that the book does a very good job at describing the methods and motiviations of debianistas but it was, in my opinion, far too concerned with the intricacies of software packaging and distribution. This would be a great book for someone looking to contribute to debian's development process or software developers looking to target debian based distros directly by ensuring inclusion in the mainstream repositories. If however you want a book with a good insight into how to run/admin debian systems this is not the one...

Debian System
If you use Debian you want this book. I believe I saw that a newer version may be coming out. Debian has pretty much settled on how they do things now and this book should be useful for many future releases. ... Read more

Product Description
Maybe you've been persuaded by Apple's "Switch" ad campaign.Maybe you've been seduced by the sleek, sculpted lines oftoday's Macs.Or maybe you're just fed up with windows.Inany case, there's never been a better time to switch to MacOS X Panther--and there's never been a better book to helpyou do it.

This funny, authoritative guide takes an honest approach tothe three challenges involved in crossing from Microsoft'sworldview to Apple's:Transferring your stuff. Moving files from a PC to a Mac bycable, network, or disk is the easy part. But how do youextract things like your email, address book, calendar, Webbookmarks, buddy list, desktop pictures, and MP3 files? Nowyou'll know.Re-creating your software suite. The big-name programs (fromMicrosoft, Adobe, and others) are available in both Mac andWindows versions, and their documents require no conversionon the Mac. But hundreds of other programs are availableonly for Windows. This book describes the Macintoshequivalents and explains how to move data to them.Learning Mac OS X Panther. Once you've moved into theMacintosh mansion, a final task awaits: Learning your wayaround. Fortunately, you're in good hands with the author ofMac OS X: The Missing Manual, the #1 bestselling guide toMac OS X Panther.Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Panther Editionoffers warm, witty writing and reveals the shortcuts,surprises, and design touches that make the Mac the mostpassionately championed computer in the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (59)

Switching to the Mac Tiger Edition
The company sent me a great second hand edition of "Switching to the Mac" Tiger Edition.I would use this company in the future.

Switching to Mac: The missing manual, Tiger edition
So glad to have this handy manual as I continue to become familiar with my MacBook.I feel so fortunate to have found Cheap Books.

This should be the book that comes with Mac Computers
This is the Book for any onewho has switched to Mac Computers. It should be included with every Mac Computer. The book helped understand the differences between pc and MAC computers. I recommend this book for any one thinking of switching from pc to MAC. It is invaluable!

Awesome MAC tool for PC switchers
I Just bought my Macbook Pro 6 weeks ago and experienced many PC to Mac switcher issues. This book is really helping me get acquainted with my new mac. The author attempts to add a touch of humor to make an otherwise boring 400 page instruction manual easy to read. It didn't work, but I didn't buy a piece of fiction and I'm not expecting to be entertained; I'm expecting to learn how to fully utilize my new Mac, and this book delivers as promised. After looking at [...] price for the book, my only regret is that I didn't buy it here. Instead I picked it up at a Fry's Electronics and paid a whopping $[...] for it! Sorry, amazon, I should have been a loyal shopper and tried you first.

Switching to the Mac; Tiger Edition
Excellent.Lots of details that I can use or if too complicated for me, can ignore.But they are there for me to decide.Similar books try to dumb down the information and consequently leave out things that I could use.It just fits what I was looking for.Plenty of pictures in case your own computer is not responding like the text seems to say.Text is not written as a text book but with a lightness(not just going for a joke).Since this is by definition a comparison of two computer systems, there is no dumping on MS; just pointing out the differences. ... Read more

Product Description

Anybody who has a Web site knows that content alone is not going to make or break it. The site's visual images, the appearance of its navigation buttons, the type effects it employs, the interactivity it offers—all of these things are key to a Web site's effectiveness, and all of them can be manipulated with Macromedia's newly updated Web graphics program, Fireworks MX 2004. To do so effectively and efficiently, you need this easy, task-based guide. In these pages, best-selling author Sandee Cohen takes you through all of the Fireworks essentials: from using the basic drawing, color, and effects tools to creating interactive buttons, and more. Simple step-by-step instructions; loads of visual aids; and a friendly, no-nonsense writing style make it easy for beginners to get up to speed quickly. Plus, a well-indexed reference format and complete coverage of Fireworks' newest features (added drawing tools, more image manipulation options, motion effects, and more) make it a must-read for veteran users as well.

Customer Reviews (4)

Easy to Use
This book is very helpful and easy to follow. It's a very nice book for anyone trying to figure out Fireworks!

Another great one!!
Fireworks made easy!!!

Good Concept to Get Started Fast
Macromedia is clearly devoted to the web page production business. Fireworks is their graphics package that is ideally suited for producing the kinds of images you want on web sites. It is also smoothly integrated into the rest of their packages such as Dreamweaver, which is hands down the preferred web authoring package available at the professional level.

If you're thinking about Fireworks but aren't sure, you can go to the Macromedia site and down load a free trial of the package to see if you like it. As for the literature that comes with it, you will find that this book is a much better option.

The Visual Quickstart Guides us an interesting format where each page has one column of text and another of screen images. The idea is to show and explain at the same time. This is a very easy and quick way to get up and running on a software package. The concept is good, and Sandee Cohen does a great job here.

callipygia600.com
Having bought Studio MX 2004 because I wanted the easiest way to integrate graphics with DreamWeaver, I struggled and struggled to use Fireworks.I use Photoshop, but read how great Fireworks was and wanted to try it.I found that it's HELP is terrible, and not very useful to new users.Then I found Sandee Cohen's book, and all is now clear.This is a great book, walking the user systematically through how to use Fireworks, and emphasizing the ease and simplicity of keystroke shortcuts.Very highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
With its dazzling transitions, dozens of professionally-designedthemes, and wide selection of typefaces, Keynote—Apple's top-notchpresentation software—lets anyone create elegant, attractivepresentations with ease. Now, to help users deliver high-qualitypresentations even when they're short on time, is this smart, conciseguide designed to take them from standing start to stellar finish withtheir first presentations. Rather than cover every last option Keynoteoffers, author Tom Negrino steps readers through on a single, basicpresentation, showing them the quickest, easiest, most effective way tocommunicate their ideas. Each short lesson builds a component of abasic presentation, from creating slides, formatting charts and tables,incorporating sound and video, creating transitions, and adding a bitof polish to their debut presentations. Friendly, step-by-stepinstructions and large, full-color screen shots make the informationinstantly accessible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Fire Starting Material
I am an avid Mac user and I have purchased other "Visual QuickProject" books from PeachPit Press that I found very useful training tools. That was until this one which was an absolute waste of money. The book starts out good and you believe that the book is going to walk you through the actual process of creating a nice Keynote presentation. At the end of Chapter 2 you are left high and dry with only 2 slides created. You are never given any more information to create the rest of the slides. Really sad !

Then thoughout the book you are shown a mutitude of other products that are suggested to you to buy. Really sad ! None are needed to use Keynote !

Save your money and do not buy this book which is a total waste of money !

If ZERO stars were possible...
The only honor this book is worthy of is that of the fireplace...Here's why:

1) This book provides virtually ZERO hands-on training for the reader.The only hands-on exercises that you will get to try out is found in chapter two, in which you create a blank, Keynote presentation file (for the first time), and type in five lines of text -- and that's IT!!No, I am not joking...That's it.

2) The book focuses upon a "show and tell" (with zero practice or hands-on exercises) approach.It uses 3rd party templates, which don't come with either the software [Keynote] or the book.This keeps you from being able to try any of the concepts presented.

3) The book focuses mainly upon the "theory" of creating a presentation, rather than on teaching you how to use Keynote.I wanted to learn Keynote, not the theory of public speaking.

4) The book's chapters are filled with commerials, prompting you to purchase 3rd party products.This book (at times) looks more like the classifieds section of a newpaper than a training publication.If you don't want to believe me -- please go and check it out for yourself!Page numbers are included!!

a) Page 18 -- Asks you to buy OmniOutliner. (Which is not needed.Keynote provides this same functionality, but he doesn't take the time or effort to teach you how to do it.)

b) Page 25 -- Use (and purchase) Microsoft Office for the Macintosh, so you can use their clipart.

c) Page 26 -- Buy sounds and music from soundrangers at $1.50 per song, etc.

d) Page 27 -- Buy more stuff from Hemera, NovaDevelopment, and DigitalJuice, etc.

e) Page 28 -- Buy Garageband from Apple, etc, etc, etc.You get the idea.


Normally, I like to give books a positive rating -- as a college-level, computer science teacher for more than 10 years, I have dealt with many of such book publications.However, I honestly cannot give this book even one star -- it has failed to even begin to meet its stated objectives on the back cover.

My advice, if you truly want to learn, PLEASE LOOK TO A DIFFERENT BOOK.This is not the one you are looking for.

Readable, well designed, and entertaining
In the 20 years I have been using Macintosh computers, I have always been leery of third-party Mac books.So often they are no more than laundry list recitations of a product's features.I am sure for some users that's a useful way to learn and a useful reference, but it's a lousy book to read for me, and of very little use.For that reason, Negrino's book is a welcome anomaly in this field.Written with an engaging style that is neither too familiar nor too dry, this book presents a wide range of capabilities of Apple's Keynote 2 in a manner that encourages exploration, emphasizes application, and rewards curiosity.

Negrino's enthusiasm comes through clearly, and that is a welcome trait among Apple users, where enthusiasm for Jobs & Co. and their creations is a prerequisite.He is not dogmatic, however, so his advice includes a healthy dose of caution regarding some oddities and shortcomings of Keynote.I found his examples to map easily to decisions I make in my presentations.

The book itself is slim, but not in a bad way.I think it reflects focus on the part of the author and his editor, Nancy Davis.I admired the evident effort in crafting the book, along with the layout that avoids being dull but shys away from being distracting, as well.

As a side note, Negrino's interactions with the Keynote user community online reflects his genuine desire to learn how to derive the most benefit from the program.His openness to suggestions and ideas from those who seek to extend Keynote as far as possible allows him to write in a very authoritative manner about a program that can dazzle when wielded skillfully.

I really look forward to my next presentation - between Keynote and this book, I have no doubts it will be my best yet.

Great overview for Beginners!
Even though Negrino's book is over 130 pages, I was able to read through it rather quickly. I think the best way to use this book is to read through it quickly away from the computer to get an overview, then go back, book in hand, and sit in front of your machine with Keynote2 launched.

This book takes you through an actual presentation, and shows a lot of pictures as well as being easy to read.

Although I am not a beginner (this book is geared toward beginners), I learned a few tricks that will be valuable to me down the line.

I would highly recommend Negrino's other Keynote title, Visual Quickstart Guide once it comes out for Keynote2. If it is as good as his VQSG for Keynote1, it will be a purchase well made. ... Read more

Product Description
Macs in the Ministry - Your ministry demands your time, energy, creativity, passion and commitment. But you've got a Mac, so you have a tool that can save you time and energy, spark your creativity, and enable you to keep your commitments without losing your passion. Find out how to harness the programs you already have, along with additional resources you may want to consider, to help you in nearly every aspect of your ministry.

Part One of this book is about Inspiration: about discovering what's possible. Learn how to use online resources or Bible software to prepare a lesson or sermon. Discover the variety of ways you can present your message to a congregation or audience: using video created in iMovie, photo slide shows prepared in iPhoto, original music recorded in GarageBand, and more elaborate presentations using Keynote or specialized worship software. Learn how you can publish your message to a wider audience: through flyers, handouts, and other print publications; by creating podcasts and vodcasts (video podcasts) and distributing them through iTunes; by creating your own professional-quality CDs and DVDs; by making your videos available through websites like YouTube; or by developing your own great-looking websites using iWeb and Apple's MobileMe service.

Once you're pumped about all the exciting ways you can present and publish your message, you'll probably need to enlist some help from others. Use the Mac to get members of your congregation or church youth group participating in your ministry. With so many different ways to use Macs in ministry, there are countless opportunities to get people using their gifts in service to the kingdom.

Going one step further, you'll even see how the Mac can be used to meet practical needs. Forget car washes to raise money for youth retreats and mission trips! Why not develop and sell personalized greeting cards, calendars, audio CDs, or video DVDs? How about starting a ministry to train people in the community to do basic video editing, page layout, or web design? With a little creativity, you can use your Mac to minister to people's practical needs as well as to present a polished message.

Part Two of this book is about perspiration: about actually making these things happen. Here you'll find a series of projects that will show you how to do all the things you're now inspired to do. Get step-by-step instructions for creating an iMovie, developing slide shows and print projects in iPhoto, recording and publishing podcasts, producing a DVD, and developing a web-site in iWeb. See what you can do using other applications like Pages, Keynote, Bible study software, and worship presentation software. Where Part One will get your wheels turning, Part Two will actually get you moving! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Macs in the Ministry
I have a hard copy and a digital copy. Why? I am really enjoying the digital copy because I am on the go and when I am waiting for the sky train, bus or a friend for coffee at Starbucks I can continue reading. Great! educational material. The best is that as the writer says over and over, "We must communicate the message about Christ, the good news that any who call on His name can be saved from the penalty and power of sin."
Dr. Ronald Edgecombe ... Read more

Product Description
In this latest edition of Sybex's acclaimed guide to the Mac OS, you'll get comprehensive coverage of the essentials and way beyond. Designed to satisfy beginners and power users alike, it helps you get up and running quickly, then teaches you how to run your system to its fullest capacity. With extensive coverage of troubleshooting and maintenance, this book explains all of Tiger's important new features, including Spotlight, Safari RSS, Dashboard, and iChat AV. In addition, you get a Command Line Reference Directory, a Key Stroke Directory, special "Nuts and Bolts" sections (search tips, messaging, command line shortcuts, and troubleshooting), and a "New with Tiger" Jumptable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A comprehensive Mac OS X book
At last, an excellent book for those who want to know how the OS X ticks. It gives lots of good info and deep knowledge of not only the commands but also supplies comprehensive info on things like how to work with Apache and tweak it for other web support programmes. If you are a tech person wanting to know lots about how to drive OS X Tiger, then this is the book for you. (e.g. I found the instruction that allows the Finder to see all the files on the disc, not just the ones Apple wants you to see.)

iMac
As a neophyte, I found the book dificult to understand. Frankly I am disappointed in 10.4. It is not as user friendly as 9.2.

Excellent Book
Liked the book. Easy to understand and covers just about everything about the Mac OS. I recommend this book
to anyone who wants an excellent book on the Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger.

An Excellent Manual
I like a printed manual to refer to and Todd Stauffer is the best. He touches on every facet of the Mac. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by a noted Mac expert and author of the Windows 2000 Mac Support Little Black Book (Coriolis, 1-57610-388-9). Designed for all user levels, this book covers the new features of Mac OS X including emphasis on major changes from previous versions of the Mac OS. Features proactive coverage of setup and preventative maintenance, especially for new users or those migrating from older Mac OS versions. Uses a logical, sequential approach with concise overviews and questions then immediate solutions; includes step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting, informative sidebars, plus a quick reference card. Covers Mac-savvy applications, using older Mac programs under Mac OS X, font management, and backup techniques.Amazon.com Review
Mac OS X Little Black Book explains what's new in Mac OS, and offers strategies and tips for making users' machines as useful as possible. The Little Black Book format has two kinds of sections. "Immediate Solutions" sections provide the steps for achieving certain goals ("Running Classic as a Startup Application") and solving problems ("Why Are [E-mail] Messages Scrambled?"). More explanatory material, such as commentary on the newly accelerated sleep and wake functions and a look at the Dock's useful capabilities, appear in "In Brief" sections. Most readers likely will prefer the how-to material--it's easier to follow and generally less obvious.

As is typical of pretty much all books about Mac OS X published to date, though, this book all but ignores Darwin, the operating system's Unix kernel and attendant interfaces and utilities. Gene Steinberg shows how to poke around at the command line and use a couple of utilities for diagnostic and file-system-repair purposes, but that's about it. This book would be better if it more fully embraced the Unix characteristics of Mac OS X, but what's here should more than satisfy intermediate-level Mac users interested in taking advantage of what's new in the latest version of the system. --David Wall

Topics covered: Mac OS X for competent users of earlier versions of Mac OS. Information on use and troubleshooting appears on all major aspects of the operating system except the Unix command shell. Installation, multiuser configuration, local area networking, AppleScript, and Internet connectivity all get attention. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Not for experienced users
The title of my review says it all.

Don't Listen to Armchair Critics
I was really surprised to read a couple of reviews here making absolutely false attacks about this book. A recent one claims there's little more here than in the tiny guide Apple provides. Don't believe it! The Mac OS X Little Black Book tells you how to use each and every preference panel. The Apple guide doesn't. This book tells you how to make Classic work reliably. The Apple guide doesn't. This book tells you how to reinstall Mac OS X without erasing your drive. The Apple guide doesn't.And on and on. I enjoyed this book, because it provides solid information and doesn't just provide material for amusement as some other books (like that "Lost," which is really "Missing Manual" tries to do). I highly recommend Mr. Steinberg's book.

Boring!
This has to be the ultimate in "worst" Mac Books. It is nothing more than a repetition of the booklet that comes with the OS,more wordy but no more helpful. I subsequently bought the OS X in the "Lost Manual" series (also available on Amazon) and it was like night and day. Don't waste your money on this one like I did.

Worth every penny!
I bought this book awhile back, when Mac OS X first came out, and it was a tremendous help in getting me over the rough spots in getting the new system to run on my vintage B&W Power Mac G3.

So when I read a review from some dude who claims, "Between simple experimentation and using Help, you will quickly learn more than you will ever get from reading this book," I stare in disbelief. There is no way that person could have read this book, beyond perhaps a few pages. The information in the troubleshooting section alone is more than worth the price, and it contains information that is definitely NOT in the Help menus, nor something you could just hang out there and figure out for yourself.

I wonder why people trash books when it's clear they never read the book in the first place. I read this book and it's great! And that's all I have to say about the subject.

A waste of money
After installing MacOS X, I had enough questions and problems that I thought a good introductory book would help.I immediately ordered this book.By the time it arrived, it was already too basic - I'd figured out the things the book claims to cover.

Between simple experimentation and using Help, you will quickly learn more than you will ever get from reading this book.

In addition, the book is padded with information about the
status of various 3rd-party programs running on Mac OS X.This information was obsolete before the book left the printers!To find out about the status of 3rd-party apps, visit Apple's website or the various company websites. ... Read more