Sebastopol, CA--It can be hard to leave the familiar behind, no matter
how enticing the unknown may be, especially when it comes to
computers. Why spend the time and energy futzing with a new
system--and risk losing valuable information--when you're getting by
with the old one? Since Apple released the latest version of its
operating system, Mac OS X, many Windows users have been tempted to
make the switch, especially since the computer industry is such that
new advances make upgrading to new software and hardware inevitable
every few years anyway. Mac OS X is not only a hit among traditional
Mac fans, the system has attracted longtime PC users. Apple's
iApps--iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, iDVD, iCal, and more--add urgency to the
desire to cross platforms to take advantage of the array of useful
tools available for Mac users only. However, lack of logistical
information has been a serious roadblock, preventing many a potential
Mac convert from taking the technical leap. Switching to the Mac: The
Missing Manual (O'Reilly/Pogue Press, US $24.95) takes the questions,
dread, and frustration out of moving to the Mac.
Switching to the Mac is a subject near and dear to author David Pogue's
heart. Pogue, a bestselling Mac author ("Mac OS X: The Missing
Manual"), co-wrote "Crossing Platforms" years ago for O'Reilly in an
effort to smooth user transition between Mac and Windows. "Switching to
the Mac is not all sunshine and bunnies," admits Pogue. "The Macintosh
is a different machine, running a different operating system--and built
by a company with a different philosophy. But there's never been a
better time to make the switch."
Much of Apple's success in converting Windows users to Mac OS X is
owing to Mac's new ability to operate in the Windows-centric business
world. Microsoft Office for Mac OS X already creates identical Word,
Excel, and PowerPoint files. With the latest version of Mac OS X, Macs
and Windows PCs can see each other on a network without so much as a
single mouse-click of setup or extra software. That means that people
away from the office can effortlessly use a Mac to access their
Windows-managed network and share files with PCs.
With his trademark humor and jargon-free prose, Pogue thoroughly
addresses how Windows users can make a relatively trouble-free switch
to Mac OS X. Issues explained include adapting to Mac versions of
programs such as Microsoft Office, FileMaker, Photoshop, and Quicken;
finding familiar controls in the new system; setting up a network to
share files with PCs and Macs; and adapting old printers, scanners, and
other peripherals. "Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual" groups
the steps into five parts:
Welcome to the Mac: how it's different, windows and icons, the Dock
and its environs, and programs and documents
Moving In: transferring files and email/contacts, special software
issues, and hardware
Making Connections: getting online, the mail and address book, and web
and chat programs
Putting Down Roots: accounts, system preferences, and freebie programs
Appendixes: Appendix A covers installation and troubleshooting. An
important part of this book is Appendix B, the "Where'd It Go?"
Dictionary, which includes an alphabetical listing of every familiar
Windows feature, and where readers can find its equivalent in Mac OS X.
Appendix C is a list of the Master OS X Keystrokes
One of the only guides available for switching from Windows to Mac OS
X, "Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual" is a concise,
entertaining book that shows Mac converts who would rather switch than
fight how to make the move quickly and easily.
Additional Resources:
Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual
By David Pogue
ISBN 0-596-00452-4, Order Number: 4524
434 pages, $24.95 (US), $38.95 (CA), 17.50 (UK)
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
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