Mac OS X Leopard Edition: The Missing Manual

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A Book Review
by Mike Berman

TITLE: Mac OS X Leopard Edition: The Missing Manual

AUTHORS: David Pogue

PUBLISHER: Pogue Press — O'Reilly
ISBN-10: 0-506-52592-X
LEVEL: Beginner to Expert; PC Refugee; Anyone using OS X 10.5 Leopard
PRICE: $34.99 USD

FORMAT: Softcover; 912 pages; No CD-ROM. (Would-be CD material available free at http://missingmanuals.com/cds/macxleopardmm/).

Reviewer's Rating: 5 out of 5 Apples "Very useful information/Outstanding"

David Pogue has done it again! He's written another "book that should have been in the box," an easily understood, concise operators' manual for OS X 10.5 (Leopard).

A comparison of the Tables of Contents of his books on Panther, Tiger, and Leopard reveals insertions of numerous new materials exclusively pertinent to Leopard. Essentially, Pogue has built new information specific to Leopard onto the foundation of previous editions of his OS X manuals. This one has 44 more pages of content than the immediately preceding Tiger edition. Its four parts include 22 chapters plus intro and six appendices, running the gamut from the most elemental "hold-my-hand-while-I-try-this" routines, through over 200 sub-headings that take the Mac user over, around, under, and through the intricacies of OS X. As in previous editions, Pogue delves into the technologies of OS X, explaining such esoterica as the underlying UNIX system, and "Hacking OS X."

As in Pogue's previous "missing manuals," this one is extremely comprehensive, but need not be read all at once in order to be of value. Rather, it is a reference book. A complete, detailed reading would take days, and I suspect much of its information would not be retained. Likewise, a complete review would fill dozens of pages. It's a "read-and-do it" compendium.

As one who has just jumped directly from OS 9 to Leopard, and still in shock over being weaned from the "old" environment, I have found this book to be an invaluable resource. Speaking of OS 9, "Classic" is no longer supported, nor will any strictly Classic programs run under Leopard. Whereas his "Tiger" manual devotes an entire chapter to OS 9 running under OSX 10.4, this book makes scant reference to it. However, he does mention there is an open-source Mac OS 9 emulator available called SheepShaver (http://gwenole.beauchesne.info/projects/sheepshaver/), but Pogue says it's "difficult to install and isn't what you'd call rock-solid."

The book's Introduction pages note Apple's claim of 300 new features in Leopard, but specifically mentions only some of the more important ones: Time Machine, an automatic backup system (it's great!); Quick Look , to view document contents without opening them; Spaces, a way to organize and view windows on the Desktop; enhanced Parental Controls; and Screen Sharing. It also notes that iChat, Safari, Mail, Preview, TextEdit, and auto Web links have been extensively overhauled.

PROS:
The book is well organized and easy to read and follow. Its numerous screenshots are large enough to be easily seen, and the sidebar and box texts detail important operating procedures. It�s breaking me of the OS 9 habit and easing me into the world of 10.5.

CONS:
Too bulky to read in bed, and maybe some lame jokes!

Mike Berman
About the reviewer: Mike Berman

Mike has used Macs exclusively since 1987 when he got his first computer, a Mac Plus. In addition to utilizing using Macs for report-writing and financial purposes in his former business, since his retirement he has used Macs to track and manage his several volunteer endeavors, as well as in his present photography hobby/semi-profession. His latest acquisition, a MacPro running Leopard, is his first experience with Intel and OS X.

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