Take Control of Switching to the Mac
The success of the iPhone, the iPod, and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, all combined with the frustrations experienced by Windows Vista users, have caused many Windows users to think seriously about switching to the Macintosh. There's never been a better time to switch to the Mac, and here to help is Take Control of Switching to the Mac, a concise electronic book that can be downloaded instantly, read on a PC or Mac, and kept handy for quick browsing and searching whenever a question arises. Written by cross-platform expert and best-selling author Scott Knaster, who has worked at both Apple and Microsoft, the 100-page ebook guides readers through every step along the way: buying a Mac, setting up a Mac, moving files to a Mac, translating Windows terminology to Macintosh proficiency, figuring out what software to use on the Mac, networking, printing, and more, including a glossary of common Mac terms.
The ebook may be purchased for $10 from either TidBITS or O'Reilly Media.
Questions answered in the ebook include:
- What are the best features of the Mac for a Windows user?
- How do I move my documents, email, and Web bookmarks to a Mac?
- What's the best way to move all my music, including my iTunes library, to my new Mac?
- How do I update my Mac's system software?
- How do I find files on my Mac?
- What keyboard shortcuts does the Mac use, and how can I customize them?
- Are there any gotchas when sharing files between Mac and Windows?
Take Control editor in chief Tonya Engst said, "With an ever-increasing number of friends and relatives asking for opinions and assistance about switching to the Mac, I'm thrilled that I can point them to Scott's book instead of spending hours talking them through the basics."
Take Control of Switching to the Mac by Scott Knaster
PDF format, 100 pages, free 24-page sample available
Price: $10
ISBN: 1-933671-04-1
Take Control of iWeb: iLife '08 Edition
Apple intends iWeb '08 to help Mac users create polished-looking Web sites, but not all of iWeb's features are easily understood or fully explained by the online help. The new Take Control of iWeb: iLife '08 Edition, a 133-page book by iWeb expert Steve Sande, provides step-by-step instructions and plenty of time-saving tips for building a Web site and publishing it on either .Mac or another Web host. Readers can watch over Sande's shoulder as he enhances iWeb's templates with a designer's eye, using tools like masks, reflections, and Instant Alpha. The book explains the best ways to make all types of iWeb pages, including blog, podcast, photo, and movie pages, and readers will learn how to add special elements to a site, such as iPhoto albums and galleries, YouTube videos, Google AdSense ads, Google maps, and forms that feed into Google Docs. Sande even covers advanced topics like reducing graphic size so a site loads faster, importing podcasts and videos, and making image maps, and he offers ideas for working with CafePress, Google Checkout, or Zen Cart to create an online store.
Take Control of iWeb: iLife '08 Edition is now available for $10 (PDF) from either TidBITS or O'Reilly Media.
iWeb questions answered in the book include:
- What are smart guidelines for naming sites and Web pages?
- How do I use iMovie, GarageBand, and iPhoto to bring media into iWeb?
- How can I edit a graphic so its background color matches the color of my page?
- How do I create an RSS feed for my blog?
- What should I know about creating more than one site with iWeb?
- What URL will my home page end up with?
- What if I don't want to publish to .Mac?
- What if I want to publish to .Mac, but with my own domain name?
Take Control editor in chief Tonya Engst said, "iWeb generally makes good on its promise of Web publishing for the rest of us, but I found that reading Steve's advice about features like Instant Alpha and iPhoto Web Gallery integration helped me understand how to use iWeb far more quickly than I would have otherwise."
Take Control of iWeb: iLife '08 Edition by Steve Sande
PDF format, 133 pages, free 30-page sample available
Price: $10 (PDF); $20.99 (Print)
ISBN: 1-933671-37-8
For review copies or more information please email takecontrolpr@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.
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.
O'Reilly Media is an authorized online reseller of the Take Control series.
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.