Multimedia Books

This book was very easy to use. It was just like vocabulary books you had in middle school. You start off learning things like prefixes, root words, suffixes etc. Then they start putting words together. It will help you understand medical terms when you break them down. The flash cards also help.

This is a great way to learn medical terminology. It's easy to understand, interesting and presented in a way that makes it easier to learn than just straight memorization. I am planning on keeping this book and not reselling it, because I think it will be a great reference for future classes as well.

I paid extra to have them delivered in 24 hours and sure enough, they came. Awesome!

Classes started and its not a class you want to be behind on. I odered the book though my school, but it was on backoreder forever. Finally got mad, cancalled my order though school and I ordered book here, paid a little more because I wanted it over night! I guess I'm better off getting the book though amazon. Atleast I didn't get far behind!

In a different school, I took Medical Terminology their book is confusing, This book is GREAT, pic to show where stuff is, and explains. I understood this book a lot more then the old one!

My son finds this book very helpful in his prenursing course which is also entitled Medical Terminologies. It is thorough and comprehensive. The root words are very helpful and the pictures are descriptive.

This book has helped me a lot for the TV commercial to be created in Flash..I thank the author of the book for this wonderfull help..

In order to use the examples in this book you will need a MacIntosh. You will also have buy quite a number of third-party plugins. If you own a Mac and have money for plugins than this is a very helpful book.

But look elsewhere if you only have a Windows computer and want to use only Flash for video work.

An excellent Flash book. It goes through every aspect of the production process, from writing the script to exporting to videotape. It tells you how to prepare your Flash animations the right way, and provides information on the correct project size, frame rate, title & action safe guides, etc. for broadcast. This information is invaluable if you ever intend to submit your Flash animation to a festival or studio, and you have to export your movie out to videotape. I also found the interviews with seasoned Flash animators to be very insightful. You will not regret buying this book.

If you're a traditional animator or a web-based flash animator (all levels), "Flash MX Design for TV and Video" IS the definitive guide to taking your flash animation to video, television and DVD. Not only is this book chock full of animation techniques, it also explores working with sound, flash video capabilities and limitations, visual storytelling and cross-purposing, the process of designing your project with a variety of delivery options in mind. This book is a must-have for every serious Flash Animator seeking to take their flash stories to the next level. We are proud to recommend it to our FlashTV members.

Nicholas Da Silva, ...

Its just a mater time before more quality content shifts from the workstations to the living rooms of the world. This is the definitive guide on bridging Flash content for the Web to Television. A truly indespensible reference for any Flash professional wanting to make the transition.
Janet Galore and Todd Kelsey lay it all out clearly and write in an easy to read style that doesn't skimp on details. The entire book is laden with terrific artwork and helpful screen grabs that support the text. Very undaunting for the visually inclined.
The sections on video exporting, and postproduction effects was particularly eye opening. this section alone cleared a lot uncertainty for me.
While this book won't make the reader a better Flash animator/designer, it most definately will make any level Animator or designer a more informed artist. It will open a lot of doors personaly and in the hands of a talented, creative person, change the ever evolving face of the Flash community indelibly.

This book is a treasure. Sure, there are lots of books and programs around that talk about the importance of bringing the heart and head together in life and work, however Bruce and Doc have documented in scientific language and case studies what many only have intuited.Many of us have"known" the power of the heart, but not had the evidence to back up our gut feelings. From Chaos to Coherence is the first book I know that truly integrates sound practical applications of the intelligence and wisdom of the heart with the power of the mind. I have experienced the results for myself, my family and business. I encourage you to read this book!

every executive, actually anyone in business today, will benefit from the tools described in this book. I've taken the HeartMath program many times, and they have created simple, powerful tools that have made me a more effective leader, a better listener, and much more balanced in all aspects of my life. Even during periods of intense challenge and stress. I handle things much better than I used to. Some people don't need all the research and data HeartMath does but it's great to know they've done their homework. This is one of the most practical, useful business book's I've ever read.

I have been recommending the first edition to friends in the field of management. The authors are admirable in their willingness to make a fair amount of revisions and expand on their book in less than than 2 years. Such is the speed of change! This is a very satisfying and useful book. It is interesting and easy to follow. Given many good reviews, including those for the first edition, I'll refrain from adding more praise or give any summary ideas. As Scott Shuster, the Founding Director of Business Week, has said well in the Foreword: "There is no limit to the potential of HeartMath because at root it is a simple, physical act: a mental formation, a thought with physical effects. It is neither philosophy, faith, nor belief. The essentially physical character of the practice enables its easy application across all the barriers that customarily divide humanity.... Within this potential universality lies HeartMath's immense promise: If everybody did this, what a wonderful world." It won't be surprising if HeartMath becomes as widely known and used as the Microsoft of the world of emotional coherence.

This is an important book. At some level we all know there must be a better way to be in the world. Quite simply this book, and the simple but powerful tools it provides, can help you to transform the quality of your life. It has for me.

The Freeze Frame tool, and its associated variants, can be applied quickly and easily in a wide variety of situations to improve one's performance, productivity and personal satisfaction. These tools are based on the simple fact that it takes only a minute to shift your focus and change your perceptions. From Chaos to Coherence invites you to see for yourself what such a shift in focus and perception can mean in terms of your ability to deal with stress effectively, enhance your creativity or improve your leadership abilities.

Whether you are an employee trying to cope with change and an increasingly demanding work environment, a middle manager who is trying to balance many conflicting forces, or an executive who is seeking to inspire excellent performance this book provides many valuable insights and practical, powerful tools. What's more these approaches have been tested and proven to be effective through careful research in many Fortune 500 companies, government agencies as well as many private businesses.

This is an important book because it presents a simple technique that is so fundamental and sound that I have trouble understanding why everyone isn't already using this approach.

The Freeze-Frame methodology is sure to provide a significant competitive advantage for those corporate leaders and managers who are interested in creating healthier and more productive environments in the information/internet age. God knows we need such approaches to help us keep pace with the demands and changes of our times.

I highly recommend this book, and the HeartMath tools and approach. Bruce, Doc and the staff at the Institute of HeartMath have done a great job in developing and bringing these approaches into the corporate arena. It is now up to us to use them to determine the fruits they can bear in our own lives. I encourage you to buy this book and try these tools and see for yourself what they can do to increase the quality of your life and the performance of you, your team, and your organization.

This CD gives almost two hours of video clips, mostly by Bruce Cryer with Rollin McCraty, who has done much of the research behind HeartMath and Alan Watkins and many others. Though the image is small and resolution poor, it is a great help to attend lectures by these outstanding personalities through this CD. [Bruce seems to use a predominantly left hand gesture in talking. I wonder if that would indicate more right-brain dominance. When he speaks about coherence, he tends to use both hands more often.] Key points are summarised in bigger power-point slides that help you to grasp what is being said. 6 relevant questions on the use of HeartMath and IQM (Inner Quality Management)are answered in video clips by many experts. In the "Tools" section, you get guided audio exercises on Freeze-Frame and Heart Lock-in, various forms for practising HeartMath skills and "Needs Assessment" on when to do what. Internet links are given to the HeartMath websites and for more case studies and a bibliography of 48 books. The section "Getting Coherent" gives you various textual tips on being a coherent: "you", "you as manager" and "your organization". "Deep Content" gives most of the book (first edition) in text. There is a search function for these two sections. In a revised edition, I hope the texts will be based on the new edition. If Doc Childre could also appear in the video clips, maybe playing some pieces of HeartMath music, together with all the other key HeartMath personnel, that would really enhance the heart feeling of appreciation.

I'm surprised that full color pictures can do so much for a computer manual. But maybe it's because it's put together the playful, hand-holding prose that makes this such a joy to read.
This book has absolutely everything from the most relevent keyboard tip to describing workflow to diving down into every tool, pallet and menu.
I can read it at my bedside and the stuff still sticks. Wonderful book for a wonderful program.

As w/ all Pouge books, this one has lots of good info that's easy to access, presented in an easy to understand form, & while it's written for an earlier version, most of it applies to the latest version of GarageBand (v4.2) as well.

David Pogue's, "GarageBand 2: The Missing Manual" is much more than a Manual for GarageBand 2. It is a treasure-trove of tips and tricks, a detailed-yet-comprehensible resource, and it is the best non-periodical Computer publication I have had the joy to read.

Whether you are a weekend Musician with little more experience than "chopsticks" on your Aunt's piano, or you are a Conservatory-Educated Musician with a degree in Music Performance, "GarageBand 2: The Missing Manual" has something for you.

David Pogue writes with a level-headed voice, presenting the information slowly while always giving the reader a sense of excitement. I found myself putting down the book for several days, just after reading something new from Mr. Pogue.

My, "I just gotta try that!" excitement is balanced by the "Wow!" factor of learning a keystroke that I did not know existed, or finally learning in plain terms, or most importantly how to double the speed of GarageBand 2.

If you are using GarageBand 2 and looking for "The" Manual to purchase, this is it.

Thank you, David Pogue!

GarageBand is not aimed at professional musicians. Instead it is intended to help amateurs produce music easily. The application comes with 1,000 pre-recorded sampled loops, plus 50 sampled or synthesized instruments which can be played using a MIDI keyboard connected to the computer, or using an on-screen keyboard. This is a complex piece of software, thus enters David Pogue and his "Missing Manual" series to explain it all.
The book has three parts. Part 1 deals with how to construct and edit a song or composition in GarageBand. Pogue explains how to use GarageBand loops (repeated musical patterns) and how to create original material. The most helpful feature in this section is the tutorial that takes the reader through the construction of a composition using loops. Pogue offers a couple of ideas about constructing music for those new to the process.
The pluses and minuses of using the onscreen digital piano, the Mac keyboard as a piano, and using a MIDI keyboard are discussed. Pogue supplies information needed about additional equipment and software to enhance GarageBand. Websites are listed where equipment and software additions can be purchased and downloaded. Pogue lists prices and states what can be expected from each purchase. He also lists many sites where information, tutorials and software are available free.
Part 2 tells you how to mix tracks and export music to post it on a website, how to export it to iTunes, how to burn it to a CD, or how to use it as background music in iMovie, iPhoto, or iDVD. The problem with GarageBand is overcoming the amount of memory and power it requires, so there is troubleshooting information as well as recommendations about shareware add-ons and Web sites to visit for additional help.
The Appendices round out the book with invaluable information about all of the menus, keyboard shortcuts, and a section on musical concepts for the non-musician.
Pogue is an entertaining writer who is very capable at explaining difficult concepts to novices without boring veterans. GarageBand was designed to enable the writing of music with little or no musical training, and Pogue writes so that the music theory involved in the program can be grasped by the inexperienced. I'm a person whose limited knowledge of music and music theory is self-taught, and I found this book very accessible and enjoyable. I guess the best judge of this book's quality is how much my stepson, who is a musician, has been enjoying it and GarageBand. He's never been one for the books, but he's practically joined at the hip with this one.
I notice Amazon does not show the table of contents, so I do that here for the purpose of completeness:
PART 1: BUILDING A HIT
1. Setting Up the Garage
Equipment Requirements; Installing GarageBand; Opening GarageBand; Playback; Cycling; Navigating the Music; Two Kinds of Music; Tracks; Muting and Soloing Tracks
2. Loops
Starting a New GarageBand Project; The Loop Browser; Placing a Loop; More Loops
3. Regions
Selecting Regions; Renaming Regions; Dragging Regions; The Grid; Looping Regions; Shortening Regions I; Shortening Regions II; Lengthening Regions; Splitting Regions; Joining Regions; Copy and Paste; Option Drag; Delete; Tutorial for Non-Musicians
4. Software Instruments (MIDI)
How To Feed a Hungry GarageBand; Your Free On-Screen Digital Piano; The Mac Keyboard as Piano; MIDI Synths and Controllers; Recording a MIDI Track; Retakes; Spot Recording; Cumulative Recording; Mod Wheels and Other MIDI Fun
5. Editing Software Instruments
The Track Editor; Notation Editing; The Encyclopedia of MIDI Editing; Transposing Notes or Regions; Quantizing; Velocity, Pedaling, and Other MIDI Data
6. Recording and Editing Live Audio
The Setup; Recording a Live Audio Track; Editing Real Instrument Regions; Enhance Timing, Enhance Tuning
7. Effects, Guitar Amps, and Instrument Modules
Instrument-Named Presets; Save Instrument, Deleted Instrument; Effect Modules
PART 2: BEYOND THE GARAGE
8. Mixing and Publishing
Mixing Tracks; The Master Track; Publishing the Song; Your Music in iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD
9. Adding On, Moving Up
Making Your Own Apple Loops; Moving Your Loops to Another Drive;
Importing MIDI Files; Import iTunes Music Store Files (SoundFlower); More Free Software Instruments (SoundFonts); The iSight as Microphone; Save as Archive; The Instrument Tuner; Re-Wire; Build Your Own Instrument Loops (iDrum); Add an E-Z Chords Feature (ReMIDI); Beyond GarageBand; GarageBand Online
10. The Speed Chapter
Set the Stage; Mute Some Tracks; Lock Some Tracks; Temporarily Squelch the Effects; Combine Tracks; Enlarge Your Buffer; Lose Some Software Instrument Voices; Reduce the Track Overhead; Convert Software Instrument Loops; Turn Monitoring Off; Bounce Down Many Tracks into One; Install More Memory
11. Troubleshooting
Trouble with Loops; Recording and Editing Problems; Mixing and Publishing Glitches;
APPENDIXES
A. The GarageBand Music Course
B. GarageBand, Menu by Menu
C. GarageBand 2 Keyboard Shortcuts

Would you like to be able to create professional sounding musical recordings? If you would, you're in luck! Author David Pogue, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that will guide you through a long list of enhancements, large and small, that make GarageBand a better musical tool than ever before.

Pogue, begins by introducing you to GarageBand. Then, he discusses Loops. The author continues by showing you how to manipulate regions in general--but these techniques are especially useful for manipulating loops. Next, he explores software instruments (MIDI). Then, the author shows you how to edit the software instrument parts. He continues by showing you how to record and edit live audio. Next, he deals with effects, guitar amps, and instrument modules. The author continues by describing how to wrap up your workflow in GarageBand and present it to a wider audience. Then, he introduces a few of the coolest ways to enhance GarageBand's repertoire, suggests where you might go when you decide it's time to graduate to more powerful (and expensive) music software, and points out some Web sites where you can learn more about GarageBand. Next, he presents the accumulated wisdom of thousands of online GarageBand fans sharing their workarounds, plus Apple's own suggestions. Finally, he shows you how to troubleshoot GarageBand.

Don't let the rumors fool you. This most excellent book may be simple, but it isn't simplistic.

All around, yet another hit from the Missing Manual series!

I'm well versed in most things computer, so computer books often either are way under my interest level or are very technical in nature. This is a great mix of advanced techniques taught in a quick and understandable way.

I'm actually using iLife '06, but haven't hit any major roadbumps between the content in the book and the '06 apps.

Great stuff - now I'm drooling over the iPhoto specific book - I want to dig even deeper into that app now that I understand the basics!

iLife '05 is the fifth Missing Manual I've purchased. I find them helpful, informative, and fun to read. The chapter layout is logical and fluid, the index is thorough, and the entire manual is chock full of color (!) illustrations.

The first few chapters will walk the beginner through iTunes and the iTunes Music store. There is even a chapter on managing your iPod.

Next is iPhoto, Apple's image browser-librarian-editor. Like Apple's software, there is more than first meets the eye in these pages.

Section three covers iMovie, from working with your camcorder through producing something worth burning to DVD...leading seamlessly to

Section four, exploring iDVD. Both general concepts and insider-like tips abound.

Section five covers GarageBand. All the above sections are much more accessable and thorough than Apple's Help system. This Missing Manual closes with more than 50 pages of troubleshooting tips for the 5 software titles, and an excellent index.

The whole book is a pleasure to read, browse, or just to hold in the hand (though it's heavy--nothing skimpy about it). I find myself reading some sections completely and diving in for a just a few pages in others. A must have if you own iLife '05--whhich can be had for a song now that iLife '06 is out.

David Pogue's iLife 05: The Missing Manual covers all the major features and functions of iLife: iTunes, iPhoto 5, Garage Band 2 and more. These are all key cornerstones of the Mac's popularity and here are revealed by a weekly computer columnist for the New York Times who is himself a Macintosh author. From producing polished music recordings with no prior experience to using information panels, effects panes, film rolls and other features of iLife 05, you simply can't be without this book if you own the program. The full color screen examples packed throughout make it hard to mess up.

Do you need to harness cutting-edge technology for your own creative expression and entertainment? If you do, you're in luck! Author David Pogue, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that doesn't require you to be a professional working for a media conglomerate to read it.

Pogue, begins by discussing how to use iTunes 4 for managing, playing, buying and sharing digital music. Then, he discusses how to use the iPhoto 5 program for downloading photos from your digital camera, and organizing, sharing, and printing them. The author continues by describing how to use the iMoves HD program for editing footage from a digital camcorder, adding effects, sound, and credits, and then presenting the result. Next, he details how to use GarageBand 2 for composing and recording terrific-sounding songs of your own. Then, the author provides an overview of how to use the iDVD 5 program for burning DVDs containing the movies, music, and photos from iTunes, iPhotos, iMoves, and GarageBand. Finally, he explains how to troubleshoot the preceding programs.

This most excellent book packages iDVD 5, iTunes, iPhotos, iMoves, and GarageBand come in a single package called iLife '05. In other words, if you've mastered all of the preceding information, you have all of the technical background you need to enjoy iLife '05: The Missing Manual.

This is a good book for understanding all of the applications included in iLife 05. Note, however, that iLife 06 has been released with a host of new features, and thus depending on whether or not you intend to upgrade, this book may have a limited lifespan of usefulness at this point in time. As of iLife '06, iLife consists of six components: iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb. However, if you intend to stick with iLife 05 for awhile, you couldn't ask for a better guide. Basically, what the author has done is condense his Mac missing manual series of books- iMovie&DVD, iPhoto, iTunes&iPod, and GarageBand - into one volume. I have some of the missing manuals for the individual applications, and I compared the individual books with the applicable sections in this book, and they seem to be equitable in quality. The only thing you are really missing is some of Pogue's insight into using the applications - for example, some pointers on film-making in the case of the iMovie&iDVD book versus this book. There also seem to be more advanced user and customization information in the individual "Missing Manual" books versus this book, so perhaps power-users would be better off buying the individual missing manuals on the applications. I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents, so I do that here for the purpose of completeness:
PART 1: iTunes
1. Getting Music into iTunes
2. Getting Music out of iTunes
3. Managing Your Music
4. The iTunes Music Store
5. The iPod Connection
PART 2: iPhoto
6. Camera Meets Mac
7. The Digital Shoebox
8. Editing Your Shots
9. The iPhoto Slideshow
10. Prints and Books
11. Photos Online - and Your Network
12. iPhoto File Management
PART 3: iMovie
13. Camcorder Meets Mac
14. Building the Movie
15. Transitions and Effects
16. Titles, Captions, and Credits
17. Narration, Music, and Sound
18. Still Pictures and Quicktime Movies
19. Finding Your Audience
PART 4: iDVD
20. From iMovie to iDVD
21. iDVD Projects By Hand
22. Advanced iDVD
PART 5: GarageBand
23. Setting Up the Garage
24. Loops
25. Regions
26. Software Instruments (MIDI)
27. Recording and Editing Live Audio
28. Effects, Guitar Amps, and Instrument Models
29. Mixing and Publishing
PART 6: Troubleshooting
30. Troubleshooting iTunes
31. Troubleshooting iPhoto
32. Troubleshooting iMovie
33. Troubleshooting iDVD
34. Troubleshooting GarageBand

I start learning 3DS4 using this book and I found it very easy to understand. Anybody who want to learn 3DS should buy it.

This book is outstanding to learn and to enhance one's knowledge of 3DS4. It is fun to read, and is really quite a page-turner! It starts with the basics and moves logically to advanced topics, all while using easy-to-follow tutorials. The CDROM comes with some nice textures that are good for making your own scenes. I would recommend this book to EVERYONE learning 3ds4!

This book is outstanding to learn and to enhance one's knowledge of 3DS4. It is fun to read, and is really quite a page-turner! It is structured so that it holds your attention - i.e. it doesn't linger for 50 pages on one topic and mention another in passing.

It starts with the basics and moves logically to advanced topics, all while using easy-to-follow tutorials. The CDROM comes with some nice textures that are good for making your own scenes.

Plus, in an appendix, it reviews most of the popular IPAS plugins for 3D Studio R4. This reference is useful to determine what software to spend your money on.

I would recommend this book to EVERYONE learning 3ds4!

This is the best book of 3D Studio r4, in a couple of weeks you can learn almost everithing, starting with modeling, texturing, animating and scripting.

It is an excellent companion to everyone that wants to learns the powers of 3D Studio. Contains many things that help you to understand easy and quick. There is also a very good CDROM companion to this book that has many stuff to look such as materials, images or even some extra demo programs. I am completely satisfied of this book so I higly reccomend it

This is one of the most helpful computer books I have ever read. I not only learned from the numerous examples, I was inspired by their creativity to create content of which I'm proud, and to go from making a me-too product to something people will talk about.

It is truly amazing what the unpublicized, interactive capabilities of QuickTime allow you to make.

I would warn anyone buying this book, use LiveStage Pro on a Mac as nature intended it; the Windows version is quite buggy and more than a little clunky.

By reading this book you may probably notice, that you are wrong and you will be surprised how much there is you can still learn about the subject.
The book covers every aspect regarding interactive content creation with QuickTime
It is a rich source of in-depth information and there is a wealth of ready to use functions. In combination with the many tutorials and samples it is valuable and useful for all who author interactive QT or intend to do.
For experienced users it is a real reference book even if your authoring environment differs from the one (LiveStage Pro) used throughout the book as many aspects and programming technics are transferable.

I just started using Live Stage Pro to author quicktimes 2 months ago and found the software's manual to be helpful but light on insight. In a nutshell 'Interactive Quicktime' is a crucial book to get if you're learning LSP (although the author goes into other methods of working with quicktime too). What can I say? It helps you understand what's going on within the world of the quicktime architecture and walks you through tons of projects to help you get it. I wasn't getting it with the LSP manual. As the author states it would be helpful to know a little bit of applescript or some other programming language but I'm picking it up slowly but surly and I've never written a word of code in my life. It's well worth the price.

This really is an excellent book. The examples that Matthew uses to teach in each chapter are useful far beyond just wired QuickTime. I keep it next to my desk for use in my other development environments as well.

For example there is a chapter on scripted motion which talks about linear interpolation, easing in and out, motion along mathematical functions, circular motion, paths and spline interpolation. I incorporated a few of these animation algorithms into my desktop applications and they work/look great.

Highly recommended.

If you think that QuickTime is just a media player for showing video and listening to audio, this book will make you think again. Delving into the depths of the QuickTime architecture Matthew shows the reader the huge breadth of interactivity that is possible and encourages the reader to think how techniques can be applied in different ways. Each chapter ends with an 'Explorations' section asking the reader to think about various topics that have been looked at, and how they can be applied.

The book is broken up into six main sections covering topics such as sprites- communicating with them, moving them, interaction, modelling physics etc. Other sections include the structure of QT, adding interactivity to existing movies, user interfaces, multimedia and communicating with the world.

Each section is subdivided into chapters looking at a specific area (39 chapters in all), and usually going through several small projects. ALL of these projects are included on the CD, often in both beginning and final forms so that you can go through all the steps or just look at the final version if you are more advanced. Because the book is structured with more complex issues handled later on, even a relative newcomer can work through the book, while the experienced QT content producer can go directly to the sections of particular interest.

There is a 42 day trial version of LiveStage Pro on the Cd as most of the projects are done using it, along with demos of several other programs and examples of the best QT work by other people.

In the introduction Matthew mentions that he often looks at the contents and index of a reference book first, as these tell you a lot about a book. Nine pages of Contents, twenty pages of Index, a Glossary and Appendix S! Even including a list of every file on the CD and many http links.

As Matthew explains how things are done rather than simply showing you the program-specific scripts a lot of the book can be applied to other multimedia environments such as Flash, Director and Runtime Revolution. I regard this book as required reading for all people working to create highly interactive media, whether they use QT or not.

In summary this book will revolutionise how you think of and use QuickTime. By showing what is possible rather than what is commonly used Matthew expands the interactive medium in a way that pushes the boundaries.

Highly recommended, and I found that the author quickly replies to any questions that you ask him by email.

It seems to be a fair book. I didn't like the fact that it was in black and white only. I also thought it was a little outdated.

From my hands-on-perusal at the book seller's, I would say that ALL the iPod books are worth buying, but I chose Miller's IPODPEDIA over the others for the following reasons: 1) It is never out of date: Scanning the opening pages in the bookstore, I learned that Miller has a website for his book which he updates in sync with new iPod models and developments, so I put my purchase on hold for that moment with the intention of visiting Miller's website and then making a decision to purchase from the on-shelf possibilities when I next visited the store. I went to ipodpediatheblog.blogspot.com per Miller's instructions. One finds there an ongoing dated history of his evaluations/commentary/tips, not to mention the links to other sites on which he is a significant iPod presence. 2) He shows that the iPod's simplicity is real for the let's-get-going-user, but he also shows that there is a depth to the menus which might not be realized by this user. He supplies a useful chart of the of the menus, model by model. 3) Unlike the other iPod authors, he shows that commercial DVD's can be converted to iPod format, and then he directs the user to the resources. No other authors that I saw on the shelf deal with this possibility.
4) Like the other iPod authors he describes accessories of all kinds, but he gives an opinion about the quality or usability of many of these accessories as well--most useful stuff. 5) Miller lets us know in the opening pages that his book is "Safari Enabled" for those in need of an electronic reference resource. 6) Miller accesses the iPod from a ubiquitous Windows world, though he makes all the necessary concessions to Mac users. Mac or Windows OS? It makes no difference in the usability of this book. Nutshell opinion: The iPodpedia is a most helpful book for beginner AND beyond.

iPodpedia was a Christmas gift I bought for my brother who purchased his iPod in 2006. I bought myself an iPod 80GB Classic and my six-year-old son a iPod Shuffle for Christmas this year and was confident that my brother would share his iPod knowledge with me. Needless to say, the iPodpedia has become the CHRISTMAS GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING.

My brother has been reading it like a book and shares all the great tips and tidbits he has found in the well-written book by Michael Miller. I'll receive phone calls from brother so excited, "Hey, did you know that your iPod can do this?"

I'm not certain, but I may have to buy another copy just for myself. What if I can't reach my brother one day and I have a question?

I purchased this book for my Dad because he is always asking me questions about his Ipod. I learned more by reading three pages from the chapter labeled secrets then all of the lookups I have done on my own. I was so impressed with the book that I purchased one for myself. If you own an Ipod or know someone that does, you must purchase this book.

This was the perfect gift for my dad who is not the most computer savvy. It has helped him figure out how to work his IPod so he can listen to his favorite music. It's great b/c it gives step by step w/photos.

If you've EVER been to college, even for a short time like me ;) then these comics are for you. Being a comp. sci. major (same as the main characters) these especally appealed to me. Visit the website and read them for yourself, and then buy this book so you can read a hard copy again and again.

Six young men live in a high-occupancy dorm. They love video games, goofing off and parties. Not much of a plot, just weird, twisted fun as they deal with school, girls and low grades.

I've been a fan of Mac Hall from near it's beginning online. It was great, and I had a lot to relate with since I was in college at the time. I've finally gotten the book and it's great. Not only do you get the comic in a form that allows you to get away from the computer :) the commentary from the artist and the writer make for some even funner insite.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for fans of the comic, and fans of web comics in general.

I have to say, this is the first comic collection that I have ever read beginning to end in less than twenty-four hours and it is my absolute favorite among the now vast amount of webcomics out there. Matt and Ian are a writer and artist duo unlike any pair I've ever seen collaborate together before; and I am so happy to see how far MacHall has evolved under their hobby-style devotion to it.

My boyfriend is obsessed with old Calvin & Hobbes comics, and I'm happy to tell him that MacHall's my "Calvin & Hobbes".

Production values for this book are wonderful; the colors are true; the art is engaging and interesting; a number of the strips are laugh-out-loud funny even for someone who hasn't attended college for -- well, let's just leave it at Some While. For these things alone, this book is worth buying and reading.

But.

What I found even more compelling than the comic are the notes from Matt and Ian along the side of every page. The notes not only detail the beginning of the collaboration and the development of the comic, but offer insight into college life, and paint vivid pictures of the authors, and the creative process. *Well* done.

+4 stars for such wonderful coverage of the topic. All the key attributes, major tradeoffs, and challenges are covered simply and completely.

+1 more for the *fantastic* book cover. Look at this thing, it's absolutely hilarious.

I have yet to find another text with as complete and thoroughly easy-to-understand treatment of distributed simulation as NetVE. Where is the next edition? Surely Singhal & Zyda have more wisdom to share.

This is the only book that I know of that is dedicated to networked virtual environments. This is a systems level book, so if you are looking for code listings or tons of algorithms, you will be disappointed. The author assumes that you have already obtained a basic knowledge of computer graphics, network programming, and virtual reality. This book simply integrates these sciences into the discussion of the trade-offs and decisions that must be made at a high level if you wish to design a networked virtual environment. Chapters one and two are suitable for non-technical people to read since they are discussing the promise and the origin of networked VE's. Chapter 3, "A Networking Primer", is mainly discussing networking protocols in the context of which one is best to use in particular VE situations. If you know nothing about computer networking before you read this chapter, it will leave you totally confused. Chapter 4 entitled "Communication Architecture" discusses client-server versus peer-to-peer architectures for multi-user environments and which does best in different situations. As with Chapter 3, if you do not already have an understanding of computer networking, this chapter will probably leave you confused. Chapter 5, " Managing Dynamic Shared State", discusses the issue of maintaining shared state among various hosts in a networked VE. Bandwidth, computation, latency, data consistency, and reproducibility are all discussed. To understand this chapter it would help to have had a course in operating systems on the graduate level, although, as with previous chapters, the discussion is kept at a high level. Chapter 6, "Systems Design", discusses the fundamental software architecture issues in the development of networked virtual environments. The issues covered include thread allocation for multi-threaded environments, real-time rendering and collision detection, and computational resource management. In this chapter it would help if the reader was familiar with the concepts of threads as well as computer graphics. Although the discussion is kept at a systems level, this chapter is more technical than the others, and the point of the discussion is to achieve as much of a sense of realism for the VE user as possible. Chapter 7, "Resource Management for Scalability of Performance", is even more technical than chapter six and gets down to a lower level of discussion with pseudocode being shown. The purpose of the chapter has to do with "scaling" your design so that it works equally well for small and large numbers of users. Chapter 8, "Internet Networked Virtual Environments", shows its age more than the previous chapters in that it has a pretty extensive discussion of VRML which has now become pretty much obsolete. The chapter acts as an examination of internet-based virtual environments. Also note that many of the websites shown as part of the bibliography of the chapter are now dead links due to the age of the book and the obsolescence of VRML. Chapter 9, "Perspectives and Predictions", is the final chapter of the book, and looks at the past, present, and future of networked VE's. However the "present" for this book is 1999, so this chapter has limited usefulness. This book was a five star book when it was published in 1999, and it still has many good insights, but the amount of time that has passed since its publication is starting to make it beg for a second edition. For this reason only do I subtract a single star from its rating and give it four stars. For a more recent treatment of virtual environment system design you might want to read "Designing Virtual Reality Systems : The Structured Approach" by Kim, which was published in August 2005.

This is an EXCELLENT book. Appropriate for beginners and experts in the Network VE area. Has good coverage both of technical and non-technical issues. Easy to read, informative, and presents many of the original contributions of the authors.

Provides a good grounding in issues that must be addressed by anyone embarking upon the development of massive multiplayer games. It also represents the laying of one of the first foundations of knowledge necessary for the building of cyberspace.