AAUG Reviews

by Bruce Herman, AAUG Member

David Pogue’s “Mac OS X Leopard Edition, The Missing Manual” is one of few books that I would recommend for all Mac users. It covers everything there is about the operating system including peripheral subjects such as iChat, networking and printing. Even more commendable, the edition that I reviewed, which was published in December, 2007, includes OS X v10.5.1, the current version.

That being said, I would not recommend that someone new to Macs try to learn how to use their computer from this book. The content is just too dense in some places. I would recommend that new users obtain one of the books in the Dummies line or a DVD training product. These typically provide sufficient information to get you up and working. Pogue’s book then would be the reference book on the shelf that takes you deeper into a subject or reminds you how to do something.

I would recommend this book to any Tiger users who are upgrading to Leopard with two caveats. Leopard has a lot of new functionality all of which is covered in Pogue’s book. One complaint that I have about the book, though, is that Pogue’s list of what’s new, which is in the introduction, does not include the new layout for security in the System Preferences. Security isn’t mentioned. Pogue says that nearly everything is new, and perhaps that is meant to excuse this. But I personally feel that Mac users are too lax about security. (more…)

By Chris Tofteberg, AAUG Member
Reviewed 6/06

The Missing Manual series has a long history of providing wonderful tutorials to Mac users. David Pogue also has a knack for writing great books for Mac applications. Combine the two of them, throw in iMovie HD and iDVD 5 and you’ve got a winner.

Note that this Missing Manual book covers iMovie HD version 5 and iDVD version 5. If you’re like me and you always have the latest and greatest, the current versions of iMovie and iDVD are version 6. This book does not cover features in version 6.

It is apparent from the first page that The Missing Manual: iMovie HD & iDVD 5 is much more than just a tutorial about using these two applications. In fact, the entire first section is dedicated solely to digital video hardware. I especially liked the comparisons between digital and videocassette technology which provided a nice walk down memory lane and reminded me why we’re in a much better place today for recording and editing video.

The book progresses in a logical fashion, from novice to advanced user. The tutorial for iMovie itself begins in Section Two at a very basic level, covering how to get footage onto your Mac and the basics on how iMovie puts things together. If you’ve never used iMovie, these chapters will be very useful to you. If you’re an experienced iMovie user, there’s not much here for you in these chapters.

Advanced users will find many resources and learn new tricks in the later chapters. Some of these chapters in the book provide hints for making your movie more interesting, such as composing your shot, adding effects, effective use of transitions, and audio tips. As an intermediate-advanced user, (more…)

By Bruce M. Herman, AAUG Member
Reviewed 5/06

Let me say at the outset that I was not an iPhoto user until after reading this manual. I use Photoshop CS2 and Extensis. I had avoided iPhoto because until release 6 it required that the photos be within the iPhoto library. With that restriction gone, my interest was piqued. The book arrived just in time.

iPhoto 6 covers everything from the point where you decide which digital camera to purchase to publishing and backing up your photographs. That’s a lot of material, but I have to admit that Pogue and Story do an admirable job. For instance, I thought that the 75 page part on digital cameras and basic photography would be a throw-away, but it was not! The authors provide sound advice for purchasing your first digital camera as well as excellent basic information on making photographs. The section on landscape even included the adage often forgotten by practicing pros: don’t stop photographing just because the sun has set.

Pogue and Story cover the basics of iPhoto in just 100 pages, including getting your photos into the program, the directory structure and editing. Their writing is clear, to the point, and yet not dry. Humor and tips are injected throughout and help to keep your attention. (more…)

By Krista Galyen, AAUG Member
Reviewed 3/06

FileMaker Pro 8: The Missing Manual is an excellent book for the intermediate FileMaker developer. From providing a review of the very basics, to introducing the new features of FileMaker, to walking the reader through more advanced features, this book satiates the appetite of the developer seeking more knowledge and skills.

Clearly written, Many tips

Written for both Windows and Macintosh users, this manual aims at hitting the general audience. The authors are very straight-forward in their approach, use conversational language, and avoid excess jargon when necessary. Extreme power users may not find this book entirely what they’re looking for, but throughout the book I’m sure there are little tips and tricks they will find useful. However, the average small business user or intermediate developer will find this book a goldmine of easily-accessible information, warnings on glitches, and helpful tips and shortcuts.

They also accompany the book with a CD-ROM, encouraging project-based learning. The authors lead the reader through lessons; however, they don’t scoff at making fun of some of FileMaker’s glitches. It’s not a dry manual; you may even find yourself laughing a few times while learning.

New Features

FileMaker Pro 7 and 8 were a vast redesign of the previous versions. Filemaker 8 also has some obvious new features from FileMaker 7, like tabbed panel control, but many new features are hidden from immediate view. FileMaker 8: The Missing Manual takes the reader into all the new features version 8 has that you otherwise may have to dig to find out, or learn through trial and error. (more…)