Book Bytes – MyMac Magazine #51

Mac OS 8.5 Black Book
by Mark R. Bell and Debrah D. Suggs
Coriolis Technology Press
<http://www.coriolis.com>
ISBN 1-57610-304-8, 754 pages plus CD
$49.99 U.S., $73.99 Canada, £46.99 U.K.

Book Bytes is pleased to welcome a new Macintosh publisher. I encourage you to visit the Coriolis website and scout out the other books they offer. We will be reviewing many of them during the next several months. Let me know if you have specific requests.

This new title is positioned to be the “indispensable problem solver for Mac power users, administrators, and multimedia developers.” Does it succeed at that ambitious goal?

Let’s start at the rear of Mac OS 8.5 Black Book, where there are almost 200 pages of appendices and glossary, including shortcuts, tricks, and “Administrative Features and Tools.” In addition, the authors provide comprehensive listings of every sequential Macintosh system software enhancement, plus mind-numbing charts of Mac error codes, Apple hardware specs, and quite a bit more. The CD contains an impressive selection of heavy-duty freeware, shareware, and commercial software, much of which is beyond my knowledge base.

Jumping to the front, each chapter is broken into “In Depth” and “Immediate Solution” halves. For example, Chapter Seven, “Mobile Computing,” discusses all the hardware and networking essentials for PowerBooks in depth, then proceeds through an extensive range of real-world problem solving in the second half. This reference desk approach will be useful to the target audience.

Each concept is clearly defined by bold headings, line dividers, and topic-specific screen shots. While studying the Mac OS 8.5 Black Book, I flipped through it to random subjects, and learned something new on almost every page. These authors know their stuff, and have done their homework.

The sixteen massive chapters include, in addition to the expected stuff:

• Memory Management

• Microsoft Windows Compatibility

• Providing Internet, Intranet, and Extranet Services

and a surprising quantity of new ways to explain old-favorite subjects. The units on clean and custom installations should be required reading for all serious Macintoshers. Plus, if you ever needed to know the stripe/dot pitch of the Apple 2-Page Monochrome Monitor, or lull yourself to sleep with Apple Event Manager error messages, this book is for you.

Book Bytes certainly RECOMMENDS this new entry in the power user and system administrator arena.

 
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Mac OS 8.5
by Todd Stauffer
<http://www.shutup101.com/todd/>
Alpha Books / Que / Macmillan
<http://www.mcp.com>
ISBN 0-7897-1811-1, 375 pages
$16.99 U.S., $24.95 Canada, £15.49 U.K.

Now we’re at the other end of the price and power user spectrum from the $50 Mac OS 8.5 Black Book, reviewed above. We recently met author Todd Stauffer in his outstanding Mac Upgrade and Repair Bible, and it’s a pleasure to see him at work again. Hi there, Todd.

This is the sixth title on OS 8.5 in Book Bytes to date, and we have more on the way, so stick around. If you come across any good books dealing with OS 8.6 or higher, please let me know immediately.

In six parts and 28 chapters, Stauffer takes readers from loads of basic and introductory material to the serious stuff, like website creation, dealing with the dreaded other platform, troubleshooting advice, and even “Get Mac to Talk and Sing.”

Beginners to the Mac OS are handled with sensitivity and awareness, in topics such as “What’s the Finder” and “Trash: The Inside Scoop.” Intermediates may want to learn “How Mac Java Works” or how to “Edit QuickTime Movies.” All these users will find the book to be strong on the essentials, explained clearly.

It’s tempting to enter the Book Bytes vault and compare The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Mac OS 8.5 with Bob LeVitus’ Dummies book on the same subject (the former is $3 less expensive). You’ll remember I am a huge fan of Bob’s books. Todd is on a par with him, and the comparison is one you should do at the bookstore, to see which author’s style fits your personality. Todd Stauffer provides his personal email address for reader questions and comments.

Let’s pretend for the moment that I’m completely new to the Macintosh OS, and pick up this book to get me comfortable with my new iMac or curvaceous G3. (Time out: John is reading and thinking.) If I actually read and worked through every step in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Mac OS 8.5 I would be one smart fellow, and ready to proceed into power user summer camp. RECOMMENDED.

 
Using Mac OS 8.5
by Brad Miser
Que Corporation
<http://www.quecorp.com>
ISBN 0-78897-1614-3, 893 pages
$29.99 U.S., $42.95 Canada, £27.49 U.K.

At the official Book Bytes weigh-in this month, this book topped the Mac OS 8.5 Black Book from Coriolis Press, reviewed above, by a few ounces. I’m saying HEAVY, friends. With a promise of “Simple Solutions; Essential Skills,” Using Mac OS 8.5 is the seventh title on the subject I’ve seen to date, and it looks promising from the outside.

Does anyone remember Lotus 1-2-3? It was my introduction to desktop computing, 20 years ago more or less. My constant companion at that time was Using 1-2-3, and I just noticed a dusty copy on my dad’s bookshelf, back in Chicago. Que’s Using XYZ series has produced some fine titles during the subsequent two decades.

The new series design is both attractive and informative, with high-resolution text and screenshots on the inner 70% of each page, and pale blue outer sections containing captions of the images, plus tips. Ample space in these blue bands is handy for user notes.

The structure of the chapters is from basic to advanced, which makes perfect sense. Introductory Macintoshiana takes up most of the first 200 pages of Part One, before the author plunges into “Working with Multimedia” in Chapter Ten. He has done masterful work in his next chapter, “Working with Mac Applications,” because he addresses head-on the often overlooked attributes of “Standard Application Behavior.” If you don’t know what I mean, turn to page 258 and hold all calls for an hour.

Part Two, “Customizing Your Mac,” is my favorite, in which appearance, memory management, the System Folder, keyboard shortcuts, and scripting add up to a 100-page five-course meal for Mac fitness fanatics. The next major sections deal with hardware, networking, and file sharing, before Miser turns us loose on the Internet.

His book-within-a-book, “Using Your Mac to Surf the Internet,” is probably worth half the price of Using Mac OS 8.5 for many readers. Backing up, troubleshooting, and software upgrades wrap up the primary text. Installation of OS 8.5 is handled in Appendix A. Two additional appendices cover PowerBooks and a glossary.

I like this book. In fact, I’m ready to HIGHLY RECOMMEND it, especially for knowledge-hungry Mac intermediates. Unless you are already an expert on 8.5, you will quickly become one after digesting Miser’s book. Don’t give me any grief about this title being obsolete now that OS 8.6 is here. The two operating systems are functionally the same, and the information in this book will serve you well, friends. Nice job, Brad. Welcome to Book Bytes.

 
The Little Web Cam Book for Windows and Macintosh
<http://www.byteit.com/Cam/>
by Elisabeth Parker, Illustrated by John Grimes
Peachpit Press
<http://www.peachpit.com>
ISBN 0-201-35420-9, 358 pages
$18.99 U.S., $28.50 Canada

This intriguing and well designed book has the best introductory Read Me First section I have ever seen. Each chapter is described briefly, along with URLs for primary websites mentioned, in boldface type. Because I am new to “camming,” I read every word of Chapter One, entitled “Before You Begin,” and began to feel my enthusiasm and knowledge level ascend with every page.

Hardware and software essentials are covered in Mac/Win cross-platform parity. Every chapter ends with a helpful Summary in which the most important terms, again in bold, are detailed. The author and her graphical colleagues have gone several extra miles to instruct and inform their readers, which I applaud.

Next we have “Setting Up Your Cam,” complete with adorable line drawings. The book is current to USB, and offers many peripheral suppliers and their web addresses. The next two chapters cover creating custom screen savers and designing unique desktop images, before the real fun begins.

Web cam = multimedia, right? Fire your cam up to make GIF animations, create and edit movies, then put pictures and movies on your web pages. The final comprehensive chapters cover doing interviews and videoconferencing, then “Troubleshooting, Online Help, and Fun Stuff.” Yes, the author keeps the fun-factor in the viewfinder at all times, and provides many examples of URLs from both lighthearted and serious web cam users.

The appendix lists dozens of web-camming resources, each with its URL and brief description. A helpful glossary covers the terminology of this growing medium.

Seeing so many computer books as I do, exceptional examples are particularly refreshing, averaging one every two to three months. I predict this book is headed for success, and personally thank Elisabeth Parker and her colleagues at Peachpit Press for making a complex subject enjoyable to read and learn, regardless of platform or hardware model. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for everyone “remotely” interested in using a web cam.

Author Elisabeth Parker had some additional points for My Mac readers-

The book also devotes three chapters to popular videoconferencing programs (CU-SeeMe, iVisit, and NetMeeting) which may be of interest to your readers. CU-SeeMe and iVisit both work just dandy on the Mac. And the line art drawings that John liked so much are by John Grimes, a San Francisco artist.

Thanks Elisabeth!

 
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Investing
<http://www.onlineinvesting.net>
by Douglas Gerlach
Alpha Books / Que / Macmillan
<http://www.mcp.com>
ISBN 0-7897-1762-X, 328 pages
$16.99 U.S., $24.95 Canada, £15.49 U.K.

I commend Macmillan/Alpha/Que publishers for keeping this Complete Idiot’s lineup of titles priced so low. As the series becomes mature (in more ways than one) they should be able to realize a profit on volume, and indirectly motivate future purchases of more advanced (meaning EXPEN$IVE) computer books.

When they first appeared as a feeble attempt to chip away at the profusion of Dummies titles from IDG Books, the “Complete Idiot” books were not among my favorites. Now they hold their own with every set of beginner-intermediate books. Many readers tell me they are offended by the Dummies/Idiot designation, and I agree, but I encourage them to evaluate a book by its content, not its marketing moniker.

From where do I know this name: Douglas Gerlach? Let me think. (Sound of wheels turning.) Oh, yes, here he is, as author of Investor’s Web Guide, which I reviewed in 1997. That book was a winner, and I continue to use and suggest it for thorough coverage of financial resources on the Internet.

The author powerful Invest-O-Rama website <http://www.investorama.com> is one of my personal favorites. Gerlach lists several other URLs in his bio, the most recent being <http://www.armchairmillionaire.com>. I’ll pay a visit after finishing his new book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Investing. In it, he emphasizes that solid understanding of how the Internet works plus ongoing education in the world of personal finance are essential for long-term investment success online. If you are in a hurry to get rich, go to Las Vegas and save yourself the price of the book.

Readers first learn how to budget, avoid debt, and understand the stock market, then are introduced to diversification and mutual funds. Every page contains helpful tips and warnings, with occasional screen shots and charts. Researching, creating, and managing portfolios of stocks and funds are given several hearty chapters.

The web has many strengths AND weaknesses for online investing, and Gerlach treats them both with respect and the voice of experience. Retirement planning and college expenses help bring The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Investing to a satisfying conclusion.

Yes, there is a Dummies title on this same subject, reviewed last year here in Book Bytes, which you should examine before deciding, but I definitely RECOMMEND Douglas Gerlach’s latest book for everyone, regardless of your investment experience. He is good!

 
Sams Teach Yourself the iMac in 24 Hours
by Gene Steinberg
<http://www.genesteinberg.com>
Sams Publishing
<http://www.samspublishing.com>
ISBN 0-672-31559-9, 369 pages
$19.99 U.S., $28.95 Canada, £17.95 U.K.

Every month a new iMac title arrives here at the corporate offices of Book Bytes Unlimited. Gene Steinberg’s contribution is the fourth one so far, with two more in the wings awaiting our evaluation. Steinberg provides his personal email and web addresses, for direct reader feedback.

The inside front cover greets readers with itemized “hourly” chapter contents, numbered from 1 to 24, plus a box of important topics, and the pages on which they are covered: Explore the iMac Desktop (page 23), or Learn to Use the Internet (page 159). Essential keyboard shortcuts are detailed on a tearout card, also at the front of the book. Bravo!

Lesson One, “Setting Up Your iMac,” is indicative of what is to follow. The author uses both screen shots and actual photos of the computer to help readers become comfortable with their new machines. Boxed sidebar tips are plentiful, and very helpful. Every chapter ends with a Summary and Q&A section, which serve to reinforce the preceding material.

Once new users become familiar with the physical iMac, they are walked through their first Internet experience, with both Earthlink Network and America Online covered. Then the author systematically goes deeper into the heart of the computer, with units on Files, Folders, Windows, Trash, and the basics of the Mac OS.

The iMac comes loaded with software, and AppleWorks is its workhorse application. From there we proceed to Quicken, then back to the Internet in greater depth. The System Folder gets thorough treatment, followed by printing, AppleScript, and “Coping with the Windows World.”

The final five chapters cover USB devices, then a strongly-worded unit on backing up, plus outstanding troubleshooting advice. My personal favorite section of Sams Teach Yourself the iMac in 24 Hours is the dozen pages in lesson 22 on installing additional RAM into the iMac, complete with sequential photos. Nice touch, Gene.

Overall, the content is clear and informative, and the illustrations are right on target. I definitely RECOMMEND this affordable book, especially for newcomers to iMac hardware and software.

 
Microsoft Office 98 for Macs for Dummies
by Tom Negrino
<http://www.negrino.com>
Dummies Press
<http://www.dummies.com>
ISBN 0-7645-0229-8, 342 pages
$19.99 U.S., $28.99 Canada, £18.99 U.K.

Serious computer books, regardless of the titles, tend to fall into two categories these days: heavy-duty workhorses and “lite” introductory books. The Dummies series has become smarter over the years, especially when dealing with such monster apps as Office 98. In general, readers can count on Dummies books to provide solid information for beginners, with lively writing and helpful graphics.

Tom Negrino is one of my Macintosh heroes, from his leadership of the Los Angeles Mac Group (LAMG) to his articles and reviews for Macworld magazine. In Microsoft Office 98 for Macs for Dummies his job was to condense a forest of knowledge into a friendly garden of trees, shrubs, and flowers.

Negrino systematically takes readers through Office 98’s basics into its components: Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and PowerPoint. Max, the bizarre Office Assistant, receives favorable treatment, within the context of Office 98’s multitude of help files.

Office 98’s many toolbars are explained so that even the most dedicated ClarisWorks user can understand them. Wizards, templates, styles, and automatic features are covered in step-by-step lessons. In fact, Negrino utilizes numbered sequences in every chapter, so that readers can follow along at their own speed.

Roughly the first 100 pages are dedicated to Word 98. Then “Crunching Your Numbers with Excel 98” gets over 60 pages, before the book plows into Office 98’s browser, email, and news applications. The final chapters deal with sharing and publishing your work, plus a bunch of useful tips.

I don’t use any of the Office 98 applications, but if I did I would be a smartie to read and use every page in Microsoft Office 98 for Macs for Dummies, which I certainly RECOMMEND for beginners to the suite from our friends in Redmond.

In his July “Desktop Critic” column in Macworld magazine, <http://www.macworld.com>, David Pogue has important information regarding crucial Microsoft upgrades to Office 98.

 
Microsoft Office 98 for Macintosh,
Visual QuickStart Guide
by Dan Henderson <dhenderson@aol.com>,
with Steve Sagman
Peachpit Press
<http://www.peachpit.com>
ISBN 0-201-35351-2, 283 pages
$18.95 U.S., $26.95 Canada

Yes, it’s the second beginner-intermediate title on Office 98 this issue, and no, it is not a big, heavy, expensive book.

Author Dan Henderson offers to his readers:

I’m happy to respond to email from readers, especially if they have questions about the software that weren’t answered in the book, or have suggestions that will make future books better.

Thanks, Dan.

Do you know anyone who actually uses PowerPoint 98? I don’t. Never having tried it, I was intimidated before I spent an hour sipping a cactus-cocktail while reading chapters 22-32 in the Visual QuickStart Guide. The authors take advantage of the “visual” aspect of this book series to walk users through an actual slide show, from concept to presentation, in several formats.

Continuing from back to front, Excel 98 receives 60 pages of get-to-the-point tutorial + graphic instruction, which should be performed and memorized by all newcomers to Mac-ro-soft Office 98. Word 98 gets 75 pages, with one robust lesson per page, on topics including:

• Turning on Borders and Shading

• Adding Text as a Graphic Object

and a nifty bunch of

• Special Word Techniques

in addition to the basic stuff on text, fonts, paragraphs, and pages.

The initial 50 pages in Microsoft Office 98 for Macintosh contain essential newbie methods and techniques for the Mac and for Office, plus a quick chapter on “Office and the Internet.”

Comparing this book to Tom Negrino’s Dummies title is a tough call. My personal preference is the Visual QuickStart format, but Negrino has done a good job in covering aspects of Office 98 that Henderson breezes past. Here’s a good idea: if you are new to Office 98, both books are so affordable and so complementary that perhaps you should buy one of each, and share them with friends and co-workers.

Whatever you decide, Microsoft Office 98 for Macintosh is worth a Book Bytes RECOMMENDATION, especially for its explanation of working with PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.

In his July “Desktop Critic” column in Macworld magazine, <http://www.macworld.com>, David Pogue has important information regarding crucial Microsoft upgrades to Office 98.

 

That was fascinating, don’t you think? Next month we dive head first into the latest in summer publishing. Until then!