Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide

Reviewed by Harry {doc} Babad © 2007

Author: Maria Langer

Peachpit Press:

http://www.peachpit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0321496000

Released: October 25, 2007

Pages: 696

List $24.99, Street $16.49 USD, $26.99 CND, £17.90 UK, €20.90

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0321496000

ISBN-13: 978-0321496003

Audience: Beginner/Intermediate

Strengths: Provides a well-organized, relatively in-depth look at Apple’s new Leopard OS. The coverage of material in the book is both broad and focused making this either a useful book for beginners or for intermediate Macintosh users.

Weaknesses: Some of the grey-scale images are hard to read. The book seem to be more hurried and pedantic, perhaps stogy is the right word, than is Ms. Langer’s usual style making a bit harder to read. Her other books have a lighter touch to the narratives.

Publisher’s Book Background

Apple’s next version of its OS, code-named Leopard, will keep Mac users in the forefront of making the most from their computers. Respected, best-selling author Maria Langer takes readers through Mac OS X’s groundbreaking capabilities, including new applications such as Time Machine and Spaces and revamped applications such as Mail, Dashboard, Spotlight, and iCal. With plenty of screenshots to clearly illustrate techniques, this reasonably priced guide is a great reference to the essentials of Mac OS X Leopard.

Easy visual approach uses pictures to guide you through Mac OS X and show you what to do.
Concise steps and explanations let you get up and running in no time.
Companion Web site offers tips, links, updates, and more at http://www.marialanger.com/category/book-support/macosquickstart/.

Introduction

Although I have not yet adopted Leopard, when all the critical or well-favored software I use becomes Leopard ready, I surely will. As a result, call it a training exercise; I’ve been reviewing some of the books published about this new OS. Langer takes readers through Mac OS Xs groundbreaking, Vista outpacing, capabilities, including new applications such as Time Machine and Spaces and revamped and enriched applications such as Mail, Dashboard, Spotlight, and iCal.

In this review, I discuss Ms. Langer’s book from the perspective of three kinds of users who should be its audience. I group together folks who are either new to the Macintosh, but have experience on a Windows PC, and those folks who have had little previous experience on any computer. These I classify as beginners. Then, I provide chapter-reading suggestions for folks who are already familiar with the earlier versions Macintosh OS X. I designate these as intermediate users.

Advanced users of the Macintosh are such an eclectic group, that I refuse to try to classify them. Some of Ms Langer’s material will likely be useful to them, but they have access to a broader selection of reference materials than the usual user, so I don’t specifically recommend the book to them, after all they were likely among the Leopard beta testers.

In this book…

At 696 pages, this is probably the most detailed book I’m likely to read about Leopard. Although with the exceptions noted at the end of this review, I read or skimmed the book from cover to cover. My overall impressions of each chapter of the book are noted that the end of the review, as part of annotations to its table of contents at end of this review.

There, I add my thought about the rich materials Ms. Langer presents as summary annotations to the Table of Contents. Instead of cover to cover descriptions, often provided in book reviews, I focus on your, the readers, knowledge base as you start to work with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide.

In addition to the main narratives, and succinct examples, Ms. Langer provides tips that serve either to cross reference, or clarify added features of the materials she discusses. No these are not the kind of further out tips provided by Scott Kelby, but are useful never the less.

New Macintosh Users and Belt and Suspenders Folks Careful Folks — Folks new to the Macintosh or just to OS X should read the introduction and Chapters 1 through 20, and chapter 27. But take your time – chew the material in small bites, there’s a lot there to scan; and you can get be comfortably using your Macintosh by focusing on Chapters 1-6, 10-12, 17, and parts of 18 and 19. The basis for my selection of these chapters is that your likely to want to write stuff, browse the internet, send and receive mail from your friends and coworkers, and file the stuff you created where you can find it again.

You will initially want to skip Advanced Finder Techniques (Chapter 7), Customizing the Finder (Chapter 8), and Fonts (Chapter 16). There are also well written chapters that may apply to your computer’s configuration. Those could include Networking (Chapter 20), Multiple Users (Chapter 21), as well as the excellent chapter on Mac OS X Utilities (Chapter 24) that I found new users seldom needed.

Intermediate Level Macintosh and PC User Switchers — I suggest readers familiar with Tiger or Panther and the in general with the Macintosh, check out the early chapters (Introduction and Chapter 1) of the book to familiarize themselves with the OS’s new features and setup. Some PC user might be able to limit their reading to the chapters I recommend for intermediate level users. Then skip around the other chapters to review the OS’s features that are most useful to you. My choices, as an intermediate level computer user, whose operating systems knowledge skills have evolved from Classic, and Jaguar through Tiger, would be Advanced Finder Techniques (Chapter 7), Front Row (Chapter 13), Mac OS X Applications (Chapter 14), Security Features (Chapter 22), Systems Preferences Chapter (23), and Automation Tools (Chapter 25).

In addition because Leopard has introduced some significant new features, I suggest:

Skimming Chapter 4 – Window Views (CoverFlow)
Searching for Files (Chapter 5 to read and learn the new features of a more powerful Spotlight
Desktop Management (Chapter 9) Stacks and Spaces
Dashboard (Chapter 15) especially if you were a Windows XP user
Printing and Faxing (Chapter 17) for XP users because its so much easier on a Macintosh

In these recommendations, I assume the some of you are sufficiently familiar with nuances and system graphic user interface conventions on a windows PC, therefore using a Macintosh becomes merely learning to feel comfortable with the alternate interface and operating system conventions. If not, do not pass go, but read the materials I recommend to less experienced users.

Note: If you, a PC user, want to use some of your favorite windows applications on your Intel Macintosh, read Boot Camp (Chapter 26) Apples PC emulation software, but don’t forget to check out the emulation alternatives such as Parallels Desktop.

Note: But leave the book near your computer, as you get comfortable with Leopard, you want to again refer to it to broad you knowledge and skills in the new OS.

Disappointments and Discomforts — None of these items are showstoppers but they were sufficiently in my face for me to take note of them as I read the book.

Difficult to Read Images — Although there are plenty of screenshots to illustrate techniques, I found some, to many for my taste, of them hard to read even with the extra-bright setting of my reading lamp using a magnifying glass. This shortfall, common to the VQSG series, provides a half of a vertical page for use with grey scale images. Printing the book 2/3-page size landscape-mode would add more space for busy images without doing too much damage to book length.

What’s New in Leopard – Too little attention is given to the features, not Apple’s claim to 300 such items, which are new in Leopard, as compared to Tiger. It would be easier for intermediate uses had Ms. Langer used an icon top labels those features that are truly new.

New and Enhanced Spotlight Features — I, as have others, have previously avoided this search tool because of its limitations even compared to some of the find file features in Classic. However in Leopard, has enhanced spotlights usefulness, without requiring a third party tool such as HoudahSpot and EasyFind. Alas this point, doing Boolean searches and greater ability to search for phases, was not brought to clearly into the light in Chapter 5.

Completeness of Some Discussion Topics—At times Ms. Langer seem to cut off a discussion before providing the reader even a basic definition of a term or function definition for a given subject.

What follows is my random pick of a dozen or so lapses from taken my notes. Such lapses include, for example, why use spotlight privacy, not telling users that the backup drive for Time Machine needs to be at least 1.5X the size of the source drive. Furthermore, why smooth fonts, share that Leopard now includes a thesaurus, and why doesn’t the text locate the typography panel. Ms. Langer could have, as have other Peachpit authors, provided cross references or recommendations to other Peachpit books that could provide greater insight to some of the Leopard features. [E.g., Ben Waldie’s book on Automator.]

General: Computer Security — As a tip or better yet in an appendix, I would have liked Ms. Langer to deal with other computer risks. For example, the perils of virus’s and their bedfellows, avoiding or deleting spam, checking for and eliminating possible spyware, or the warning symptoms of phishing. Why, although the Macintosh has been relatively free of the more hazardous of these attacks, the combination of an Intel platform and its increasing popularity will make it more attractive to future malware and attacks.

Conclusion

Whether you’re new to the OS, or an experienced Macintosh OS X user ready to hone your skill in this newly released OS, pick up a Peachpit book today to get the most out of the powerful features in Leopard. This reasonably priced guide is a very good overall introduction and subsequent reference to the essentials of this Apple’s latest major release of Mac OS X, designated Leopard. Although I found some of the graphics very difficult to use, even with a magnifying glass, the text was so well and clearly written. That and my familiarity with the previous Mac OS X systems became less of a problem then it might have been.

Overall, I found my self rapidly skimming the materials I was familiar with or could project about a given Leopard feature. I only studied materials that were either new, or were OS functions I ignored in Tiger. A new user can focus on areas they wish to learn, most of which are that the front of the book. More advanced users of Leopard can pick and chose the subjects they need to lean about. Therefore, this longish detailed, but well written book will became a reference source for future learning.

Recommendation

Although they’re a large number of fine books on Leopard that have been published, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide would be a useful book to add to your collection. It is a more detailed and more core operating system, rather than multimedia applications oriented book than the Robin Williams’ Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Peachpit Learning Series I reviewed last month. It is well worth the investment and will serve a useful reference guide well after you’ve begun to master Leopard, at least until Apple frees its next cat.

Table of Contents — Doc’s Annotation
Introduction: New Features in Mac OS X	A nice, must read overview for all who have not been following MacWorld or Mac\|Life’s treatment of Leopard. After all, the chapters that follow expand about the new and old OS X features making learning more an easy task.
Chapter 1: Setting Up Mac OS X 10.5	An adequate but simple introduction, better treated in Joe Kissell’s Take Control of Upgrading to Leopard. My concern is that the update to and setting up Leopard is a bit more complex that Ms. Langer implies. This is the only chapter where Ms. Langer shortchanges and reader running earlier versions of OS X.
Chapter 2: Finder Basics	Simple, sweet and to the point, a fine introduction to the Apple Finder application.
Chapter 3: File Management	Except for the materials on pathnames, the chapter provides more than enough information to get one understanding how the Macintosh file/folder system is organized. This then allows a user to get started working with its navigational features like moving items around or deleting them. Except when writing tips, I find pathnames of little use, but you may.
Chapter 4: Window Views	The descriptions of the views are well written. I continue to be amazed that authors of OS related books seem to emphasizes icon view when most heavy users know that there is greater flexibility in viewing windows containing dozens of items, in list or column view. In addition, MS Langer does her best to add joy to the new CoverFlow view, which is mostly wasted iCandy.
Chapter 5: Searching for Files	An excellent overall description of the tools Apple provides for searching for information on your hard drive and connected servers. I might even give Spotlight another try when I upgrade to Leopard.
Chapter 6: Storage Media	A fine introduction to this material which includes burning CD/DVDs, using disk utility and Apple’s new backup software, Time Machine
Chapter 7: Advanced Finder Techniques	A chapter to lean more about the Finder’s abilities inkling file compression and aliases.
Chapter 8: Customizing the Finder	Making the finder you’re own, something useful, but limited by Apple implementation, therefore search out haxies if you want to increase customization. Never the less well-done and clearly explained material.
Chapter 9: Desktop Management	Stacks, Exposé and Spaces; more Apple iCandy some of you may learn to love. My first act, using third party software, when working with Leopard will be to revert back to Tiger’s dock and turning off any shortcuts that access the other two features. Despite that the material is well presented for folks who prefer to manage their desktop access and file systems with these tools.
Chapter 10: Application Basics	This chapter is a must read; despite the fact you may think you know it all. Sometimes it makes sense to reread material you know. An alternate description like Ms Langer’s can provide you with tools you’ve forgotten about.
Chapter 11: Using Text Edit	Text Edit is becoming a more powerful tool and well-integrated writing tool and will serve those who neither need MS Word or Apple’s Page ’08. The narrative is logical, well illustrated making leaning this OS included text processor software an easy task.
Chapter 12: Information Management	Although the title is misleading, the chapter focuses on bother personal information management, your address book and calendar as well as the ability to synchronize that information between your computer and other devices such as an iPod. Although not mentioned, you also need to manage the other information you collect ranging from email, correspondence and articles on your hobbies and interests. Relative to learning the operating system, such information is not a key element in this book, nor should it be.
Chapter 13: Front Row	Front Row, iTunes and DVD player serve to serve up your media collection. Since I don’t use my computer for this purpose, I was free to enjoy Ms. Langer’s lucid narratives.
Chapter 14: Mac OS X Applications	Apple’s operating systems have long come with applications that add utility to your computer. Examples include playing chess, doing calculations, looking up words, including the previously mentioned address book and calendar. This is where your learn more about them.
Chapter 15: Dashboard	Dashboard, my least favorite apple application serves to give you quick and easy access to mini applications called widgets. Widgets can work alone (stock market, weather, currency converter or Wiktionary) or provider instant access to your other applications such as iTunes, Address Book, and iCal, giving you access to the more commonly used features. The few widgets I use, I’ve concerted to WidgiApps, which sit in a folder in my dock without needing to overlay my desktop with an ugly dashboard.
Chapter 16: Fonts	The Leopard uses a variety of tools to utilize, access and control the font you use to both view and print your documents. Apple install fonts needed by the operating system and those useful in the various text oriented application you may use. In addition some applications like MS Office also install fond the developer believes will make their software tools more attractive. Finally there are fonts, for or for sale, that allow you to create desktop publishing design oriented and output these more unique and hopefully attractive documents. All of theses live in various folders that are part of the operating system. In this chapter, you can learn the where’s and what’s of font use, but how to organize these fonts into more useful sets tuned to you third party applications. The chapter is an excellent introduction to Leopard’s font capability.
Chapter 17: Printing and Faxing	According to folks more knowledgeable than I, it is easier to print and fax on a Macintosh than on a PC. Never the less, reading this chapter will simply your leaning how to do both. The chapter covers both solo users with home printers to folks who can access network printers.
Chapter 18: Connecting to the Internet	Yep, if you use it, read it. Then do it.
Chapter 19: Internet Applications	You know the routine; you email, browse the internet, access remote servers such as .Mac and perhaps chat. Although the browser information is Macintosh centric, mail and Safari, there much they’re to use to understand and generalize about relative third party products such as Firefox and MS Entourage. This is an excellent introduction to this class of products
Chapter 20: Networking	Alas, I am not knowledgeable about this subject so almost skipped it. However since I share a printer with my grandson’s Macintosh, set up by his Apple certified father, I gave it a quick skim. Alas this did not sink in, since I had no foreseeable need for the information.
Chapter 21: Multiple Users	I am the only user of my computer, so only skimmed the chapter. The information seems clearly written and well organized.
Chapter 22: Security Features	Once again, a fast read. My security system (hardware firewall) has been set up to meet the more stringent requirements of a major corporation. I’ve never book comfortable with the all or nothing features of Apples Firewall not with Key chain’s interface, so keep my passwords and sensitive information in a well-encrypted folder. I do worry about other security related items maintain current antivirus software, use a powerful spam blocker, practicing safe browsing (don’t download anything from a stranger’s site) and never accept an unknown or money oriented email offer without independently checking. Alas these subjects were out of the scope of the book.
Chapter 23: Systems Preferences	A wonderful chapter on these underutilized tools for both personalization and access.
Chapter 24: Mac OS X Utilities	Lesser know utilities which hide in the Applications folder of your Hard drive [e.g., Your Drive > Applications > Utilities] that can serve more knowledgeable users for trouble shooting and accessing the OS’s more advanced features such as the Terminal.
Chapter 25: Automation Tools	Prior to apples more recent operating systems, if you wanted to automate a series of keyboard and/or menu options you needed a third parry macro tool. Apple has provided two such tools in Tiger and Leopard, called Automator and Apple Script. If a have need for such functionality this chapter will get you started.
Chapter 26: Boot Camp	Want to run PC applications on your Intel Macintosh; Apple’s Boot Camp application is one way to go. According to MS. Langer, it’s not as hard as its name implies.
Chapter 27: Getting Help	Why berate the obvious, don’t wait until you get confused or have a problem to read this chapter. It focuses on troubleshooting using the Mac Help System. Ms. Langer’s chapter merely introduces this subject, which has been more seriously discussed in other books.
Appendix A: Menus and Keyboard Equivalents	A useful addition for those prefer not to always mouse around. Alas there are more shortcuts, then I want to memorize so I stay real selective.
Index	Well done, I was able to find all the items I searched for. (Bad grammar but true.)