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Take Control of Buying a Mac--New from TidBITS: How to buy the best Mac at the best time

September 22, 2008

Take Control of Buying a Mac Ithaca, NY—Many people will be purchasing a new Macintosh as the holiday season approaches, and although the decision to buy a Mac may be easy, finding informed answers to questions like "What Mac will best meet my needs?", "Should I buy now or wait a month?", "How do I move my files from my old Mac to my new one?", and "What should I do with my old Mac?" can be tough. Mac guru Adam Engst has answered these questions countless times, and he has distilled the answers into the 98-page ebook entitled Take Control of Buying a Mac (TidBITS, $10.00 USD).

Worksheets in the ebook help readers match their needs and budget to the right Mac model, and a chart of Apple's model launches over the last 5 years helps predict when new Macs will appear. Engst explains when readers can purchase to get the most bang for their buck, compares different venues for where to shop, gives advice and step-by-step instructions for transferring files from an old Mac to the shiny new one, and offers thoughts about how to get the most out of the Mac that's being replaced. The ebook costs $10 and is available for purchase from Take Control Books and O'Reilly Media.

Questions answered in this book include:

  • Are there particular months when it makes more sense to buy a new Mac?
  • Should I buy a brand new model, or one that has been out for a while?
  • What are the pros and cons of the MacBook Air versus a MacBook?
  • Do I really need a Mac Pro, or would an inexpensive iMac be a better choice?
  • How much RAM should I get, and should I buy it from Apple or a reseller?
  • How should I connect my old and new Macs so I can transfer files?
  • What should I do about iTunes authorization when moving to a new Mac?
  • Before I give it away, how should I prepare the hard drive on my old Mac?

For a review copy or more information please email takecontrolpr@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.

Adam Engst is the publisher of TidBITS , one of the oldest and most-respected Internet-based newsletters, distributed weekly to many thousands of readers. He has written numerous technical books, including the best-selling Internet Starter Kit series.

Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780975950364

Take Control of Buying a Mac
Publisher: TidBITS
Adam Engst
Take Control of Buying a Mac,
PDF format, 98 pages, free 30-page sample available
PDF Price: $10.00 USD
ISBN: 9780975950364



About TidBITS
The Take Control series is published by TidBITS Publishing Inc. TidBITS co-founders Adam and Tonya Engst have been publishing highly regarded news and editorial since 1990 when they created the online newsletter TidBITS, which covers Macintosh- and Internet-related topics. The Take Control series has helped many thousands of readers with high-quality, timely, real-world, cost-effective documentation since 2003.

About O’Reilly

O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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