Macs Portable Genius

By Paul McFedries

You're one of the legions of fans who enjoy the ease and simplicity of the Mac. But some functions still elude you. How do you synch your Mac with other devices? What are the best ways to organize your life and files with your Mac? Can you get more from your Mac hardware or upgrade it? The Portable Genius is here to help. With expert advice and a Mac-savvy attitude, the Macs Portable Genius guides you through getting the most out of your Mac. From the Introduction: "Welcome to Macs Portable Genius . This book is like a mini Genius Bar all wrapped up in an easy to use, easy to access, and eminently portable format. In this book you learn how to get more out of your Mac by learning how to access all the really powerful and timesaving features that aren't obvious at a casual glance. In this book you learn how to avoid your Mac's more annoying character traits and, in those cases where such behavior can't be avoided, you learn how to work around it. In this book you learn how to prevent Mac problems from occurring, and just in case your preventative measures are for naught, you learn how to fix many common problems yourself. This book is for Mac users who know the basics but want to take their Mac education to a higher level. It's a book for people who want to be more productive, more efficient, more creative, and more self-sufficient (at least as far as their Mac goes, anyway). It's a book for people who use a Mac every day, but would like to incorporate that Mac into more of their day-to-day activities. It's a book for people who pooh-pooh the notion that Mac users are a cult, but if someone decided to start an actual Mac cult, they'd join anyway. It's a book I had a blast writing, so I think it's a book you'll enjoy reading."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470290528
• ISBN13: 9780470290521
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 2.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Easy To Understand Complete with lots of screen shots & photos in color

"Macs Portable Genius" by Paul McFedries is a wonderful reference book for Mac owners. The "Genius" in the title refers to the helpful experts at the Genius Bar in Apple Stores.Yes, you pretty much can run your Mac right out of the box but if you want to be self sufficient and learn more about the less known features, get this book! I initially wanted this book to help give me ideas for the Mac Basics demos I do at my local User Group. I consider myself a somewhat advanced Mac user but even I learned new things from this book. There are answers to your questions without leaving home. The chapters in the Contents are logical and provide enough information to find what you need without having to go to the Index. There is everything you need to know about various connections, syncing, the web, organization, communicating, routine maintenance, upgrading, troubleshooting software and hardware, running Windows and more. There are sections in the back of the book that contain Mac online resources (URLs and a brief description of each), time saving Mac keyboard shortcuts and a Glossary of terminology. You don't have to read this book in a linear fashion but can instead go to the section you need. The pages are easy on the eye and have large color screen shots or photos on most. No need to go for the magnifying glass! Throughout there are also helpful tips annotated with various symbols to aid you. I especially liked the chapter titled "How Do I Use My Mac to Organize My Real Life". I have encountered Mac users who didn't know how to effectively use the Address Book, print an envelope or mailing label, or use all the great features of iCal to save you time and remember appointments and events. This book makes it easy and fun to learn. You will feel good about yourself as an empowered Mac user. The knowledge in this book will help you learn about things you want to do with your Mac such as chatting and video conferencing or synchronizing with an iPod or iPhone. Want to access your Mac remotely or create a web site? It's all here. In the trouble shooting chapters the author provides easy and logical answers to a problem. There is also plenty concerning how to keep your Mac in tip top shape with routine maintenance. You don't have to be a nerd as the author makes it easy to understand. You can go into areas of your computer if you wish without fear! Scary areas such as the Terminal, Activity Monitor or even opening the computer case to upgrade without feeling faint! I think that this book is very useful and every Mac owner should have a copy in their library.

Wonderful Resource

I find this book extremely helpful in providing information about Macs. As an "older" Mac user I needed advise about the capabilities of my computer and how to solve computer issues. This book is it! From the hip good-looking kid on the cover to the last page, I am thoroughly enjoying this book and find it very useful. A must for all Mac users!