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by Jan Feigus
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I must tell you at first glance, as I shuffled through the pages of Mac Toys, I was not impressed. First, the title offended me, since I so often hear "PC weenies" refer to the Mac as a toy, or that it is only good for graphics. In the introduction, the authors actually do refer to the Mac as a toy, but not in an offensive way. And as I proceeded to skim through it, I felt the book did treat the Mac as a toy. But, after sitting down with the book for a while, I must admit, I was wrong. (You may only get to hear this once, so savor it). Their aim is to show us fun and productive ways to use our Macs, and they succeed effectively. The projects presented in the book do not require you to be an expert in any particular field nor with any piece of software. The book's chapters are organized by specific project or related projects. Each begins with a description of the project and its ultimate use. Then there is a brief summary of project's steps to complete. Next, are the hardware and software requirements. Finally, they give explicit details for accomplishing the project. Some very complex problems are solved, in very easy to understand steps, regardless of Mac knowledge. The summaries below will give you an idea of the book's coverage. Chapter 1 covers home automation, mainly using X-10 technology: controlling lighting, and building a small security system. They've actually made this seem quite easy. I may have found a possible use for an old Performa 640 I have. Chapter 2's project gives the basics on setting up to broadcast your own radio show over the Internet: how to set up a station, where to get a free account, how to upload your files, and how to use QuickTime streaming. Chapter 3 covers bringing TV into your Mac, which I know several members already do. Chapter 4 is on the iPod, its many uses, and various enhancements available for it. They also provide a companion web site which they plan to keep updated with new iPod information. Chapter 6 has information on Airport and wireless. Chapter 7 delves into digital audio and MIDI, under OS X. Of course, it's pre-GarageBand, but it is really quite interesting and they really do cover much audio detail, especially MIDI. For those of us with a really large LP collection, chapter 9 covers the conversion of LPs to CDs and to the iPod. They discuss preparing your turntable and amp, and describe various software and hardware sound capture devices available. Authors' history: John Rizzo is a former staff writer from MacUser magazine, who wrote Macintosh Windows Integration. Currently, he publishes the MacWindow.com web site devoted to helping Macs and Windows co-habitate. Scott Knaster's been writing about Macs for a very long time. He wrote How to Write Macintosh Software and Macintosh Programming Secrets. His other great claim to fame is that he owns every issue of Mad Magazine.
View all our book reviews. Or, view our Software, hardware, and game reviews. [ home | newsletter | past | join | listserve | shareware | directory | links | md9 ] © 2004 by Jan Feigus & MLMUG |
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