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So you're a Mac evangelist, and you've now converted several of your close personal friends and associates to switch to the Mac. Great! They've seen your set-up and the beauty and functionality of OS X in operation on your system. Again, great! Now they want your help picking out the Mac that is best for them. You need to find out more about how they intend to use their Mac, what their individual needs are, and their price range. Then, you go over the different models and options, and maybe now the whole process of switching has become confusing. iBook or PowerBook? iMac, eMac, Mac mini? If you have several people switching at once and looking to you for help, Adam Engst, founder and editor of the popular TidBits.com website, has provided you an answer to your prayers. Or if you as an individual are considering a new Mac and would like some clarification on how to proceed you will also benefit.
Take Control of Buying a Mac gives you answers to questions including: how do I decide which Mac is for me? Do I need a laptop or a desktop? Where do I buy my new Mac? What do I do with my old computer? And other questions you are likely to get from friends, or to have yourself if you have not bought a new Mac in a while. Adam addresses these issues in a friendly tone, holding the reader's hand if needed, but ultimately empowering the reader with the information needed to make a wise choice for his or her own personal needs.
This book is about 70 pages long, and is provided as a convenient PDF download from the tidbits.com website. You can then print the book or view it on-screen, your choice. In a nice departure from other ebook services' policies, all TidBits ebooks are free of any "Digital Rights Management". Meaning there is no built-in file protection to keep you from emailing or copying the book. They ask only that if you treat it as a regular printed book, by not copying it off numerous times for numerous people. Fair enough. This is a big plus, because you can then go through the book with a friend, for example.
I emailed the author, and he told me he wrote the book because it was the easiest way he could outline the answers to all the questions he gets asked so frequently. If you have others asking for buying advice, this little book will give you the information to accurately answer your switching friends' questions. That is the basis for my liking of this book. The only things missing from the book were a reference to the Apple Store for Government Employees (akin to their Education Store for Individuals, which Adam does mention as a great source to save money on a new Mac....so is the Gov't. store for those who are eligible) and a section on the new Mac mini. Future updates to the book are free to purchasers, which is a plus.
I give Take Control of Buying a Mac a rating of four and one-half moose. It was a great read and even though much of it will be a review for the most dedicated Mac users, the manner in which it is presented is very handy. You may also appreciate the $5 coupon included for Small Dog Electronics, a very popular Internet vendor for Macs and accessories. If you use it, you've enjoyed the book for free! Can't beat that!
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