Robin Williams Mac OS X Book, The, Jaguar Edition (2nd Edition) (Robin Williams)

Although it's well suited for use in an academic environment, with review questions at the conclusion of each chapter, this book is equally good for independent Mac users in need of a home or office reference. The designers of this book have done a great job of presenting screen shots. They're not just lobbed into place as they are in many volumes; rather, they're of modest size and have their key features (buttons, or whatever is under discussion at the moment) highlighted with circles and labels. Williams completely neglects the command-line interface of the Unix core ("Darwin") that underlies Mac OS X, and devotes only a paragraph (with no specifics) to setting up a high-speed DSL or cable connection to the Internet. However, if you're only interested in the graphical user interface, you'll find her treatment of Mac OS X more than acceptable. --David Wall

Topics covered: Mac OS X 10.1, from the point of view of a user or (perhaps) a corporate system administrator. Coverage goes all the way from keyboard and mouse basics ("What's the Delete key for?") to setting up a home network with an AirPort hub and wireless network access cards.

Product Description

No other author documents the Mac OS the way Robin Williams does. In The Robin Williams Mac OS X Book, Jaguar Edition updated to include Mac OS X 10.2, she brings her inimitable approach to Apple's radically redesigned OS, eschewing jargon for straightforward explanations and a good dose of humor. It's an approach that works equally as well for newcomers looking for a gentle introduction to the Macintosh as it does for experienced Mac users upgrading to Mac OS X 10.2.

This practical, how-to guide covers all of the exciting new features in Mac OS X 10.2, including the revamped Finder, new instant messaging client, global address book, spam-blocking email program, QuickTime 6, Sherlock 3, and more. Robin doesn't neglect the basics either. You'll find logical, easy-to-follow sections on how to use your Mac for a variety of everyday tasks: printing, sending email, exchanging files, and surfing the Web. And for those frustrating moments When Things Go Wrong, Robin has compiled a troubleshooting guide for common Mac snafus. See for yourself why Robin's books have won her millions of fans.

Robin Williams Mac OS X Book Jaguar Edition is probably the best book to recommend to a new Macintosh user with little or no prior computer experience. It describes how to use Macintosh OS X simply and clearly, and tells the new user what results to expect. It does not, however, talk down to new users. If an example shows a document, the content of the document shows some creativity and class.

A follow the dots tutorial skips around so the new user can learn the essentials in just 186 pages. The dots are half circles that bleed to the edge of the page so they are easy to find, and the information is still organized so that you can find it later with more advanced information on the subjects. A beginner who completes the 186 page tutorial will have a better base for using a Macintosh than many more experienced users.

In sports, coaches spend a lot of time going over the basics, the fundamentals, even with professional athletes. Robin Williams Mac OS X Book Jaguar Edition provides thorough coverage of the basics that will improve the performance of any user. I have twenty years of experience with Apple computers, am probably an intermediate user, and have read other Mac OS X books, and Robin Williams Mac OS X Book contained many very useful ideas that were new to me.

An example of the thoughtful instructions for beginners, "When you see and instruction like Command + Shift + B do not type the pluses."

An example of something I had read before, but not used as I should, in any finder window view you can quickly go to and select an item by keying the first few letters.

An example of something new to me, you can create a new icon for a file and the Macintosh will adjust the image size to fit.

The Robin Williams Mac OS X Book contains clear easy to understand information about Mac OS X features such as the login process and login options. I like the way Robin writes and makes a friend of the reader.

I liked Robins description of the font collections available in programs written specifically for Mac OS X not for both Mac OS X and OS 9. "Whoever made up the names for these collections certainly did not know anything about type." Following her directions and examples, I have reorganized my collections.

I have recommended David Pogue's Mac OS X: The Missing Manual to all kinds of readers, as I am sure many other user group members have done. But, after reading Robin Williams Mac OS X Book, I would recommend it as the first choice for new Macintosh owners without a lot of computer experience. I still recommend David's book as the first choice for experienced users. It is worth buying both books, or at least reading both from your user group library.

I own Mac OS X: The Missing Manual Second Edition(by David Pogue published by O'Reilly) and would not part with it. I have ordered my own copy of Robin Williams Mac OS X Book using the Peachpit Press user group member discount. ..


A GREAT Book for Mac OS X beginners and Mac in General   May 15, 2003
This is the Jaguar Edition of a book that used to be called "The Little Mac Book," but at 800 pages and about 2 inches thick, it is anything but little. Just don't let the size intimidate you. This is one of the best books for beginners of Mac OS X, and the Mac in general!

So ... all you folks out there thinking of stepping up to OS X, get this book. It will help you understand what's going on. Ms. Williams covers everything a beginner needs to know, from how the whole "users" thing works, to organizing your folders, font management, file sharing, all things internet, what the "drop box" is for, etc.

There are (semi-circle, gray) tabbed pages designated for beginners. Robin gives you easy-to-understand explanations of the Macintosh user interface, including mousing and the keyboard. The beginner pages are sort of a built-in tutorial that not only directs you through the OS and provides exercises to use for practice along the way. There is a quiz at the end of each chapter, to help you understand the key points. The beginner's section ends with a terrific section about how to use the World Wide Web. Check out page 9, where she cleverly shows pics of the Finder menus, with page numbers for the sections that explain every item in the menus.

Page 709 has "Where did It Go?" for experienced OS 9 users, so you can easily see what replaced the Chooser, etc. I think this should have gone near the front of the book, but its placement is a minor flaw. This is a great Mac OS X beginners tome. What little is missing can be found in a new Peachpit Press book called The Little Mac iApps Book.

Robin sprinkles humor throughout its pages. There is URL, the friendly cartoon rat, who follows you along on your learning journey.

There is a great section on networking. Its a snoozer subject in most books, but Robin makes it simple, providing everyday network settings. What is provided is just enough to get any beginner up and running.

Everything else in the book is called "Beyond The Basics." However, Intermediate users will not find any sign of Unix, software gizmos or hacking, minimal troubleshooting, and not much under-the-hood coverage of the OS. She does tell you how to enable root user. I'm glad this book doesn't try to be all things to all users. There is just too much to know these days to do that.


Robin Williams MAC OS X Book jaguar Edition   April 5, 2003
Good Book. Even though I bought a MAC when first brought out, I am not a techie and it provides good backup for the manual. I refer to it frequently.


Does not answer all my questions   January 13, 2003
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Some would say that no manual can answer all the questions, but for 30 bucks, it should come close. Mac's are great machines, but Apple can't seem fit to include even the barest user manual at purchase. For almost 2 grand, this is a major omission. William's book showed promise, but as a novice user, I found it quite lacking. There's nothing included that spells out what to do when things don't work well, and Apple's in the same boat as Microsoft--it don't always work well. More troubleshooting would be helpful. (ie: what's a Fetch error. Had to call Apple on that one.) Too many examples to write about in this short space. Her visual example of the screen does not match what's on my flat-panel with OSX and that's frustrating. I recommend trying someone else's book if you're new to Macintosh. Better yet, write Apple and let them know they need to publish a good user manual for novices or PC switchers if they want to keep their market share.