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Mac OS X Unleashed (2nd Edition)
What I Liked
There's no shortage of good things about Unleashed, but the best is probably that the authors assume, for the most part,that you already know how to use your computer. Although there are many good books out there for those new to Macs, this is not one of them and does not try to be. That means that if you've already achieved a basic working knowledge of Mac OS, there's still well over a thousand pages of information intended especially for you. A line from another review of Unleashed (posted anonymously on Amazon) that rang particularly true after reading the book: "If you're looking for a book that says 'this is called a mouse' and tells you where to find iTunes in order to click on it, or drops the bombshell that command-p will print in many applications, you don't need this volume, but if you want to get your hands dirty, it's an excellent resource."
However, I can understand that many people do want the basics in an OS X book. In fact, another Amazon reviewer makes this very point: "Coverage of the iApps is far less than it should be, and there isn't enough information for a novice user like myself. I thought the author spent far too much time on the UNIX and Terminal side of Jaguar and not enough on the real-world tips that I've found in other books." Still, I personally don't really see that as a problem. There are plenty of real-world tips as long as your real world involves a shell, and if there's one thing I've never needed a book for, it's the iApps. In fact, I've always found it irritating that other OS X books spend so much time on them. But that's me, and I'm not everyone.
There were several sections of the book that surprised me, including the chapter on web programming. It makes sense, though - the book is intended to "unleash" OS X, after all, and OS X does come with an Apache installation (even if System Preferences calls it Personal Web Sharing). Given that every OS X box has a webserver, it makes sense that many OS X users would want to know more about related topics. In fact, the chapters that focus on system and network administration comprise a pretty thorough introduction to the BSD side of OS X, and were fairly impressive. These were my favorite sections of the book, probably because they're topics rarely dealt with - or at least rarely dealt with well - in Mac books.
What I Didn't Like
The book suffers from some minor issues typical of most massive technical volumes - it's informative, but also dry, dense, and not terribly readable. Also, while I appreciate the depth and scope of the book, it is a little unwieldy. This isn't something you'll be reading in bed or on the subway. It's not a cheap book, either - its list price is $50. These problems are neither hugely important nor terribly surprising, but they're also not inevitable - reference texts can be thorough without being dull, it's just that this one happens to be both.
Probably the only other real complaint I have with the book is that at times it seems as though it can't decide who its audience is. As I mentioned above, one of the things I liked about Unleashed was that most of the book seems firmly aimed at the intermediate to experienced user. And yet if that's the case, then the chapters that cover things like Desktop Accessories (Calculator, Clock, Key Caps) seem out of place. It doesn't seem like the introductory material offered in the book would really be enough to serve as a tutorial for an absolute beginner (as evidenced by complaints like the one I quoted earlier), but at the same time it's difficult to figure out who else would need it. However, I'm not suggesting they skimped on advanced topics to squeeze in inappropriate Clock coverage - if there's one thing this book has, it's plenty of everything.
The Bottom line
I believe that Unleashed does live up to its title, and does a good job in the process. It's not an introduction to OS X - it's about getting more out of your system after you've already learned the basics. It doesn't (usually) try to be a beginner's book, but a quick-learning novice would probably do fine with it, and any moderately experienced Mac user will probably find that it serves his or her purposes effectively and efficiently. If given the choice (and funding), I'd probably still go with a couple different books, but I think Unleashed has in fact reached its goal of being a complete guide to OS X. You could do just fine with only this book, and at $50 it may be cheaper than buying a couple smaller books separately.
And Furthermore
Other reviews and sources of information on the book:
- Review at macosxhints (from whence another Mac book, incidentally)
- Review at osnews.com
- Review at mymac.com
- Epinions page for the book, which as it turns out isn't all that useful
- Amazon's page for the book, including many customer reviews
You can purchase the Mac OS X Unleashed from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
Something that size should only be used for hand-to-hand combat
My karma is in a nose dive
Is that Mac OS X Unleashed (Second Edition) in your pocket, or are you just really really really happy to see me?
...but isn't the point of Mac OS X such that one doesn't need a manual?
:-)
yes; i'm on a mac powerbook right now
The Steve will be announcing the release of the next iteration of OSX, Panther, for September of this year. Apparently there are quite a few "under the hood" changes in Panther. How much of the book will need to be rewritten, or at least modified ???
I won't even mention the irony of the bn.com link to buy the book.
Don't do that to me again.... Here I am eagerly awaiting details on MacOS X 10.3 (Panther), on the day that said details were promised, and I see the Apple topic icon with a title like "Mac OS X Unleashed". I click on it and find this book review, now that's just cruel!!!
I've known several people who were very familiar with PC's (both MS & UNIX OSes) but couldn't bridge that to Mac's... If the book isn't suitable for a complete novice, how well suited is it for Apple novices?
I couldn't find any mention of property lists or xml config files. Most hidden features and settings can only be activated by editing the configuration file manually, but they negelct to even discuss the format.
*runs*
I'd almost be ready to suggest that this is worthless; one can simply go online and read a manual or a forum and find, usually, more information than the book.
However, there's nothing quite like having the text right there. With my PHP book, I know that PHP.net has more information, but my book has a great index, and I can find information more easily. In the case of Mac OS X Unleashed, you have a great publishing company, and likely the most complete reference guide available, all without scouring the internet.
The Political Programmer
Sorry, good call. Didn't see the one other one.
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." - Daniel Boorstin
I own a couple of Unleashed books. While they tend to cover many different topics, they only seem to barely touch them. Not a lot of real useful detail on deployment of applications, at least not enough for my purposes. I haven't seen this particular book, and that's just what my personal experience with Linux Unleashed and others has been - take that as you'd like. :).
If anyone has different experiences with them, by all means
http://www.mac.com/1/pantherpreview.html
Apple is givin' us a preview of the new Finder themselves (blech, I don't like brushed metal}, just some fifty minutes before the keynote.
Sorry, stupid me, can't get the url right it seems...
You can buy a car and drive it - or, you can get shop manuals and other guides to really alter how it works for increased performance.
Not a great analogy, but that's how I see it.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
No book should be larger than the hardware it is about.
I recently looked at Unleashed Guides by Sam Publishing, and I think they seems losing quality. There books about 5 years back were pretty good.
I guess one of the poblem is apps/OSes are getting more and more complicated, and it is just not possible for everything to be covered successfully in 1 volume. Do other poeple think similarly????
Consensus is good, but informed dictatorship is better
In paragraph two, you end by asserting that you are not everyone, but you fail to back up that statement with any experimental evidence. How do you expect us to believe that you are not everyone if you don't back it up with any data? I'm lost...