Synopses & Reviews
Nobody Know the Panther Like Andy IhnatkoIf you're a Mac user, get ready to learn a lot and have a really good time doing it. Developed in cooperation with Apple Computer, this guide to Mac OS X Panther is loaded with real-world tips and techniques for making the most of this superior operating system-and occasionally, for making scrambled eggs. Behind it all is Andy Ihnatko, that Macintosh icon whose one-of-a-kind personality makes this book not only amazingly informative, but a whole lot of fun to read.
- Fully illustrated with sidebars, notes, and tips that fill in the blanks.
- Covers set-up, customization, workarounds, hardware and software add-ons, troubleshooting, and more.
- Answers those pesky questions from your Aunt Estelle.
- More surprises inside!
"I'll tell you a secret....
If you don't own this book, you're probably standing in the aisle at the bookstore right now, trying to decide if it's worth the money. Good for you. Can't be too careful with a dollar these days.
So here's a hint. If you want to learn how to use Unix's 'cron' command to adjust the scheduling of automated system maintenance tasks or perform scripts and functions...you're going to be disappointed. But if you've just acquired your first Macintosh, or you've just upgraded to Panther, or if you've been using Panther for a while and realized that you're just not exploiting if fully, well you're precisely the person for whom i wrote this book.
And, if you just woke up this morning thinking that you could do better with a Mac than Windows...oooh, baby, let me show you Paris the way no one's ever shown you Paris!"
—Andy Ihnatko
Review
“…entertaining…certainly a good option for switchers…” (iCreate, No.12, 2004)
Synopsis
- Developed in cooperation with Apple Computer and written by Mac personality Andy Ihnatko, this book provides entertaining, real-world tips and techniques for getting the most out of Mac OS X Panther
- Illustrated in full color, this amazing book engages readers with funny and interesting stories as well as expert advice
- Includes a special section that crystalizes the entire book into a series of "Questions Your Aunt Might Ask You," providing readers with answers to frequently asked questions without resorting to a boring FAQ section
- Also provides simple, entertaining advice and insider techniques for making the most of Unix, AppleScript, networking, security, customization, and much more
About the Author
Andy Ihnatko describes himself as “the world’s 42nd most-beloved industry personality” because “it’s vaguely credible but utterly impossible to prove or disprove, and thus precisely the sort of tagline I was looking for.” An unabashed geek (“The bashings ended when I left high school for Rensselaer Polytechnic, thank God”), Andy’s been writing about tech since 1989. In the past, he’s written for every single magazine or website with the word “Mac” in it, highlighted by 10 years as MacUser and then Macworld’s back-page opinion columnist. He’s currently the
Chicago Sun-Times’ technology columnist.
In his pursuit of “heroically stupid applications of technology,” Andy has built an animatronic Darth Vader doll that could be controlled over the Internet via telepresence to hassle his roommate’s cats and written and published a complete set of plans and instructions for converting any Classic-style Macintosh into a fully functional 2.5-gallon aquarium. “The Original MacQuarium” was one of the Internet’s first e-Books and can be downloaded from several sites after a quick Google search.
This is Andy’s fourth book. Andy lives in Boston with his two goldfish, Click and Drag. He invites you to visit his aptly named “Colossal Waste Of Bandwidth” at www.andyi.com.
Dr. Jan L. Harrington has been working with and writing about the Macintosh since March 1984. In her day job, she is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of CS/IS/IT at Marist College, where she carries the torch for Macintosh users with great enthusiasm. Her 30+ published books include more than a dozen Macintosh-specific titles, including several on various flavors of the Macintosh OS.
Table of Contents
Foreword.
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
About the Authors.
Part I: Using Panther.
Chapter 1: Why Having Chosen Mac OS X Was by No Means a Dopey Idea.
Chapter 2: Installing, Saying Hello, Saying Goodbye.
Chapter 3: Getting to First Base with the Mac User Interface.
Chapter 4: Leopard-Skin Pillbox Mac: Making Your Mac Your Own.
Chapter 5: I Don’t Know Why They Call It the Finder, Either.
Chapter 6: The Dock, and Why It Doesn’t Stink Even a Little.
Chapter 7: Just Deal with It: Apps.
Chapter 8: Coping with Files and Folders.
Chapter 9: Using Hard Drives, CDs, DVDs, and Other Silos of Data.
Chapter 10: Archiving to Analog Pulpware Substrate (Printing).
Chapter 11: Networking on Copper, Air, and a Prayer.
Chapter 12: The Apps Wot You Get for Nothin’.
Chapter 13: More Built-in Apps: The Junior Varsity.
Chapter 14: Coal-Fired Submarines, Mac OS 9, and Other Relics.
Chapter 15: I Love People! I Want to Share My Mac!
Chapter 16: I Loathe People! I Want to Secure My Mac!
Part II: The Technical Bits.
Chapter 17: Automating with AppleScript.
Chapter 18: Unix...Alas, the Name Is Its Only Funny Part.
Part III: Bonus Material.
Chapter 19: Twenty Questions from My Aunt Estelle 337
Chapter 20: Drop the Book and Come Out Peacefully: Online Resources.
Chapter 21: Troubleshooting by the Seat of Your Pants.
Chapter 22: One Final Lesson.
Index.