macs

My wife's Win 98 PC finally pissed her off so much she wanted something new and we decided on an eMac. She had never used an Apple computer and I hadn't since about 1990 so it wasn't something we approached lightly. I did the reseach and made sure that both an Apple and the eMac were the right choice for her. This book was part of the research. It was a solid resource for beginners but not the best book ever written. Some things were not covered as well as I would have hoped (I fit into the power user category), but it was fine enough for my wife. All in all I'd say it's a nice starter but not your only option. Regardless, definately get a Mac and if you're switching from a PC definately consider getting a good reference to hold your hand for the first few days (you'll likely never touch it after a week of use, Macs really are as good as they say). Only word of warning against this book is that it was written for Mac OS 10.2 which has been replaced by 10.3. Most of the data and how to's are the same but it isn't always as accurate as you would like when you are needing it.

I have read many of the for Dummies books and for the most part I have found them to be well organized with relevant information at your fingertips. Alas, this book is not one of those. The author attempts to keep things cute and lively with all sorts of little catch phrases and other humorless items (can you say bob saggett) but it really just confuses and annoys. Several times I have turned to this book searching for a quick explanation on how to do something and found it nearly impossible to find. The index and appendix are not particularly helpful and many of the descriptions give you just enough information to get into trouble. While most of the "for Dummies" series are extremely helpful, this one is not one of them.

This book is perfect for every Mac owner who wants guidance with the Mac's Jaguar OS. The authors keep things light, even entertaining and there's nothing missing. Check out the index pages and you'll see what I mean.

Make sure you try out the tips, they're the best part of the book!