Two books are commanding Nemo’s attention and energy in the days leading up to Macworld 2004 San Francisco. The Little iTunes Book, Third Edition by Bob LeVitus is driving me crazy with all its tips, tricks, and techniques for getting the most out of iTunes. AppleScript, The Definitive Guide by Matt Neuburg is expanding my mental capacity while adding to my computing skills. Let’s take a quick “first look” at each title, with hopes for more complete reviews when time permits.
This blog-format mini-review incorporates Nemo’s first attempt at embedding URL links within the text, so please let me know if they are not working in your browser (and help me figure out how to create them in AppleWorks 6, if necessary).
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Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus is one of our favorite authors for two reasons: he puts 200 percent into every project, and each book is an extended conversation with its witty, reader-dedicated author. I was waiting at a doctor’s office this week, making sure I knew everything useful in Bob’s latest Little iTunes Book, and the nurse had to hail me three times to break my concentration.
Do you know all the options available within iTunes’ Visualizer menu? Shame on you, because there are many. Are you aware of all the free, if not completely legal, ways and means for downloading music over the Internet? Bob certainly is. Can you work your way through bum burns, where progress halts for no apparent reason? Dr. Mac can help you here also.
I gave a presentation on iTunes at a recent meeting of Tucson’s Mac Users Group, and I could have sold fifty copies of this book afterward. With so much knowledge for such a low price, you are missing out on a great deal within iTunes by now studying every page in The Little iTunes Book, Third Edition. I’ll track down the author at Macworld next week, and thank him personally for creating this easily-opened window into Apple’s most popular multimedia application. Here’s to you, Bob!
The Little iTunes Book
by Bob LeVitus
Peachpit Press
ISBN 0-321-22375-6, 226 pages
$19.99 US, $30.99 CN, £14.99 UK
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Matt “The Prof” Neuburg is a heavy-hitter, tackling major league productivity-expanding software with feature film length books. (Watch your metaphors, Nemo!) AppleScript is touted as easy to learn and use for mere mortals, which is complete baloney. Unless you are an under-the-hood geeker, stick with basic repetitive task management the old fashioned way — in small doses of tedium. Serious Pantherians and Jaguarians will benefit most, but only after understanding the concepts in AppleScript, The Definitive Guide, and patiently applying the lessons learned therein.
With superior writing and communication skills, Matt tackles a monumental job with his typical wealth of wisdom and wit. Reading Neuburgian prose is a delight for this reviewer, and always worthwhile. I’m not yet a full-blown scripter, but given enough time and hand-holding by My Man Matt, I’m confident to make a valiant stab at it.
During a conversation at the 2003 San Francisco Macworld gathering, Matt asked how I was doing with AppleScript in OS X. I replied that neither Nemo, the operating system, nor AppleScript were up to speed. He told me to persevere, since OS X has powerful scripting features. I asked, half in jest, when his book on the subject would appear. He said “As soon as I finish it!” Here is the result, and it’s a dandy. Bravo, Matt.
AppleScript, The Definitive Guide
by Matt Neuburg
O’Reilly & Associates
ISBN 0-596-00557-1, 453 pages
$39.95 US, $61.95 CN
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