Macintosh Books

normally I'm an Illustrator user..but my job has forced me to learn other vector programs like freehand. This book is great for a reference. Basically all I wanted to know is how to do the things I already know how to do in Illustrator, only using freehand. and this book gave me that information. the book explains how each tool and panel works and leaves it up to you to figure how you're going to use them. no tutorials, no history of the program, no filler. I highly recommend this book (and the program also)

This is the book to have if you use FreeHand at all. For myself, who uses Illustrator primarily, I found this book to be quite handy for figuring out how to do "x" in FreeHand, which I'm not that familiar with.

I have been an Illustrator user for some time and decided to finally learn Freehand in order to increase the illustration options open to me. After reading the book this author co-authored with Deke McClellend on Illustrator 9 (& loving it), I decided to give this book a shot. It didn't disappoint! Nicely paced and clearly written, I found it to have just the right mix of detail and examples needed for me to jump in and learn this tool. I would definitely recommend the book for beginners and those approaching the intermediate level. Advanced users should look elsewhere.

I found this book to be a complete wasteof money. New features are skimpy in the product, but this book doesn't take the time to address them in any reasonable way. The artwork is appalling as well.

Ok. Let's partition the world of Freehand 9 owners into two logical spaces. There are those who have a specific thing they want to get done, and those who don't. I am in the first partition. This book has been written for people like me.

It is a good (not excellent -- see below) reference for helping me to actualize a specific image I have in my head. Being a very experienced user of both AutoCAD 2000 and SolidWorks, I am VERY familiar with the concepts and functionality of layers and the various types of tools. So, I do not need alot of hand holding. Also, I always buy software to accomplish specific tasks as opposed to a gee-whiz purchase with the hope that it will somehow make me competent (ahem..).

My only criticism: on at least two occasions since I purchased the book, I found that Sandy did not fully expain all of the options available with a specific menu selection or modal window. I was left to use trial and error to figure out what the checkbox actually did. I buy books like this to save time. So I had to give her a four star instead of five for this reason. Otherwise, I have saved plenty of time using the index/TOC to get right to an answer.

I have used a Mac since 1984 and Mac OS X since it was public beta. However, I don't always have the time to figure out all the little time saving tips on my own. I learned several tips from this book that I now use on a daily basis. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to be more productive with Panther!

This book is not on the same level as the Visual Quickstart Guides that come from Peach Pit Press, but in some ways it is better. This title from New Riders Publishers (but still distributed through Peach Pit Press) is MUCH smaller at only 300 pages, but it also has less information in it because much of the interface it dedicated to graphics showing pictures of the various apps and utilities discussed in the book.

Having said that, this book is extremely well laid-out and written. It IS the kind of book that you can curl up with in front of the fireplace with. No, seriously. There are just so many cool tidbits in this thing that it becomes difficult to put down. If you pick it up at all, you can't simply look up the one question you were thinking about because you immediately get distracted by the other things you see while trying to find your answer. More than once, after spending 10 minutes looking at tips, I have ended up closing the book only to realize that I never actually got around to looking up my original question, and so I go back, promising myself to only focus on the one thing I need to learn.

However, for a geek like me, it doesn't take long to get through it all. Now when I grab it, it's more like "Oh, ya, I remember that one." ...and so, it now spends most of it's time just sitting on my shelf. Ah, well, maybe it is time to pass this one on to someone else... oh, wait! I just found something new. Nevermind!

This is the only poor review I've ever given and its not because Scott Kelby wrote a poor book - he just wrote a book thats not very useful.

I bought this book the same time I purchased my first Apple computer. I bought it to learn how to use Mac OS X, which I hadn't used at the time. Unfortunately, while I found the OS very easy to use, the book contained mostly common sense "tips" that wouldn't be much use to someone who has any experience on a computer. Most of the killer tips - such as dragging the bottom right corner of a window to resize it - apply to any OS. All other tips, such as changing your background to a photo require not much more then a few minutes of playing.

If you're a veteran user of Mac OS's this book isn't for you.
If you're new to Mac OS this book won't really show you anything a half an hours with of playing won't.

Take my advice and flip through the pages @ your local bookstore or read a demo chapter here @ Amazon. If you already know half of what you're reading, why buy it?

I just purchased this book after reading the other review for this book. I expected that I'd learn at least something from it, but found that the Killer Tips were actaully largely straight-forward configuration options (that you can find out by just clicking on Preferences for the various apps).

If you're a brand new Mac user or really don't like to spend at least a little time getting familiar with the new OS on your own, maybe the book would help. But I couldn't pawn this book off on a friend who's had his Mac for 3 days, so I suppose it depends. Killer Tips, they are not.

I wish they had that "Look Inside" option for this book because you could then get an idea of whether the book would help you out. For me, it's a quick return.

It's not for someone wanting to learn OSX but for those who know OSX and want some great shortcuts. It's a great supplement for those other "how-to" books. Recommended by www.onlymacintosh.com - Enjoy!

Wonder what that new med your pt is taking is for? He probably is as well! This reference will answer all those questions PLUS the disc let me print out teaching guides for my pt to keep as reference...and in large print that he can read,,not that teeny tiny type on the drug info sheet from the pharmacy. Drug interactions and special considerations are very relevant in teaching pts about their medications.

I ordered this book in early May. Today is June 5 and I have never received this book. I am sure my credit card was charged. Help! Sarah Seybold

Having family members with health issues as well as myself, I have found this book to be invaluable. It is easy to comprehend and search through. If you are taking a specific class of medications, they are all grouped together in the same class, and you can look at which medications in that particular class may have less side effects than others. I never go to my doctor's office without this book in my bag. Sometimes doctors can't keep up with all the data, and he appreciates me being on my toes.

This book is a MUST for anyone who has one or more medical issues.

As a Registered Nurse, I have found this book invaluable over many years. Many similar handbooks follow an A-Z format.However, Nsg Drug hand book is listed by categories, this means that you can compare various aspects of side effects, peaks and troughs etc easily, and ALL of the new drugs for a given disease or condition are together for easy reference. As it's name suggests, this Drug book is up-dated each year.

In the A-Z type, you must know the name of the drug to look it up and then to find a similar drug without knowing the name,can be time consuming. Nursing '99, I hope you make lots of extra copies availabe for '2000'. I'm sure we will all want one! Joan Hanlon R.N.-C

I've reviewed many drug books and this is the best. I order a new edition every two years and have never been disappointed. It is definitely the best organized drug book and provides nurses with the information they need to know to properly treat a patient.

Theres alot of usefull info packed into this small book, focusing primarily on what ordinary users need to know,
it helped me bond with my powerbook.

At first glance, Powerbook Fan Book looks like a coffee table 'interest' book of diminutive size. The cover design and photo call to the Powerbook owner who enjoys reading about how great it is to be a Powerbook owner. But upon opening this book, It soon becomes apparent that it is a powerhouse primer for the Mac novice who just opened the box to their first Powerbook. The books dimensions are just larger than a CD jewel box. Obviously designed to be toted with the Powerbook itself.

Derrick explains his philosophy early on. Many Mac guide books on the market seem to lose focus of the fact that one of the major appeals of the Mac OS is it's ease of use. He feels that many of these user-guide tomes only serve to squelch the new Mac owner's enthusiasm; driving the owner farther from their new Mac in stead of uniting them. His solution is to gently introduce the machine and the OS; covering only the key information that a new user must know to become productive with their new Powerbook. He touches on the fact that being a Powerbook user is unlike being the owner of any Windows-based laptop. Much the same as being a Mac owner differs from being a `PC user'. Consider: Combine the Mac OS with the portability of the Powerbook, and it becomes, for many, an extension of their own memory; of themselves. Insights such as this pepper the book and keep the more dry nuts-and-bolts how-to topics in balance for the reader.

The book itself is logically organized, tabbed, and color illustrated. The early chapters cover the basics of Macintosh, the Powerbook and the abovementioned philosophies. Next Derrick assumes that you know nothing about the OS and guides you through setting up your new machine. All the while he interjects bits of wisdom that a veteran Mac user would recognize and appreciate (having themselves learned the hard way). He also covers `must have' Powerbook accessories, care and cleaning, and basically making your Powerbook uniquely `you'. All the main points are covered including the iLife suite and the Powerbook used as your personal digital hub.

The Powerbook Fan Book is destined to become a dog-eared, sticky note covered favorite that, after you have read it, will make the rounds to new Mac Powerbook converts as a loaner. My only criticism, as with any computer book, is that it is now in need of revision on two fronts. First, the book was written to the Mac OS 10.3 Panther user and needs to be brought up to speed for 10.4 Tiger; and second, Mr. Story will need to revise it for the new intel processor-based MacBook Pro. But there are plenty of new Powerbook owners out there and many retailers selling through their Powerbook back-stock. Apple could do worse than to commission this book to be shipped with each new unit.

One final note. There is nothing in the Powerbook Fan Book that would not also appeal to the iBook or now, MacBook (sans 'Pro') owner. Only some minor differences ,mostly to do with ports, would be off. So get out there and buy your copy!

I am not understanding the rave reviews of this book. It's VERY expensive, barely 100 pages, and it gives a very cursory overview mostly of mac OS X, not really rhe powerbook in particular. I read it in 45 minutes, and it was OK, but I don't think I got my money's worth.

This is the book to go along with your first time purchase of a powerbook, or a good present for someone getting a new powerbook. You could think of this trim form factor book as a super introductory manual that should have come in the box. Though Derrick does a good job of covering some additional topics that you won't find in the Apple documentation, like where to get good accessories and third party software.

This is not a book for a long time Mac owner. That reader wouldn't find much they didn't already know. This is a great book for a first time Mac owner.

As the book says, using a PowerBook is a digital lifestyle statement to some of its fans. That might sound a trifle pretentious, if you don't have one of these gadgets. But Story describes bunches of cool ways to use it. These are in the key chapters 3 and 4.

He quickly describes the basics of using iPhoto to amass a collection of digital photos. And of using iMovies to view digital video. The chapters are somewhat short. There is enough detail to use the most common operations of these programs, and others. But the narrative only hints at the complexity of the full features of each program. The book provides a useful and quick survey.

I'm a loyal customer of the Visual Quickstart Guide series, and this book was up to their usual high standards. It gets straight to the point, takes you well beyond the basics, and reveals the power of this technology with both clearly written step-by-step instructions and strategically chosen screen shots on every page. A must for anyone that purchased a QuickTime Pro upgrade.

As webmaster to a site with over 100 quicktime VR panoramas & QuickTime digital media - this book was a MUST HAVE! It gave me all the information I needed to go beneath the surface and unlock the powerful features that QuickTime has to offer. If you want to create & deliver cutting edge media with all the bells and whistles. . . . BUY THIS BOOK! Luke - webmaster virtual bakersfield.com

Although I didn't pay for it.. we have this book at work. I've never read any of the Visual QuickStart (sounds like a Microsoft product!) books before, hope they're not all like this. Quicktime Pro isn't exactly rocket science as it stands, so a book is going to have to have some good information in it to make it worth.

I give you an example - "Creating Video from Many Images. 1. From the file menu, choose Open Image Sequence. 2. In Open dialog box, locate and select any one of the sequentially named files and click Open." etc. etc. As I said, QTPro isn't rocket science. I followed this guide and had a problem. I clicked on the sequentially named files and it wouldn't load more than 2 images. Why? The book didn't give me any clues. I found out from trial and error, it's dependant on file names. Sorry, but this book is pointless. It's like a 360 page book on the DIR command.

Step one of the section "Creating Video Tracks from A Sequence of Still Images" states: "give each still-image file a common name with a sequential number appended to it (for example, picture1, picture2, picture3). Then place all of the files in the same folder." This is a great book for QTPro beginners, explains everything very clearly. I believe the poor review was due to lack of concentration not error on the part of the writers.

If you're a QT user, don't forget to buy this book. This book is packed with useful hints and tricks. It's surely going to be useful to you someday.

Remember to buy some other books about general video compression theories, MPEG encoding, color theories ... so you'll handle codecs better. This book is not the whole thing.

I have only just started reading about SAP. However, I was looking for more than just a review of GUI screens and the buttons on them. I was looking for explanations, perhaps a short overview. Many of the screen shots did not exactly match the words associated with them. They showed the 'default' SAP screen rather than the parameters and options discussed in the text. There were several mistakes on the screens. Buy another SAP BASIS or SAP Administration book other than this one. It is far overpriced in relation to its content. Others are available at half the price of this used book.

In some places that the book is advertised it is misleading - touting the book as SAP for dummies when actually it is a book on SAP System Administration only. Although it may adequately cover the System Administration (Basis) aspects the book is not helpful for basic SAP functionality - I had more luck with "Teach Yourself SAP in 24 hours" for general SAP.

I just cracked open this book five minutes ago. I'm new to the world of SAP and the aggravation the book has spared me has been well worth the price.

This should give you a hint that the book is well-organized and easily accessible. A little familiarity with SAP is handy, but I don't think it's necessary.

I didn't think it was possible to have a Dummies book for SAP, but it seems that Joey and Jim did it. As an experienced basis admin I read with skepticism, but I truly believe this is a valuable asset for any technical resource looking to venture into the vast world of SAP. Joey provides comical yet expert commentary that would allow anyone new to this difficult landscape to get a leg up. Thanks for the enjoyable and educational read. When are you coming out with SAP for Advanced Dummies?

This is an excellent book for both starters in sap R/3 Basis and the gurus in basis administration. I have been doing basis administration for over 2 years now and found this book not only interesting but very helpful in my daily work as a senior basis administrator.My advice for any one that need a general knowledge of sap basis admin or need trouble shooting book to guide you in your job is to get this book. It is very helpful and surely an investment to your career.

Henry.

Macintosh programmers live in a restricted world; a ghetto, perhaps. The nice features of the Mac user interface and operating system also tend to make it hard to find good programming tools. Luckily, Apple has gone a long way to addressing this with the promulgation of Xcode.

Within Xcode, you can program in various languages, C, Java and, notably, Objective C. The latter is really mostly confined nowadays to a Mac. Anderson shows that the Xcode IDE does much of what you would expect a current IDE to do. Syntax colouring. Easy compiling and linking. Plus the ability to stuff things (binaries and data) into a package. As one chapter explains, this is crucial if you plan on letting others use your code. Putting it all into one package makes the distribution and maintenance far easier. Where you should remember that a Mac will have many packages, and not just yours.

I have to say, though, that I find Eclipse (for Java programmers) to be a richer environment for coding than Xcode. But Eclipse is really only for Java.

I bought this book thinking that it might be a nice step by step tutorial for the Cocoa and XCode development platform. It turns out to be not much of an introduction to anything.

Maybe it is just a personality difference or a difference in my learning style versus the style of the book, but I really hated it. Right off the bat, I could not bring myself to care anything at all about the project for the book. I found the whole thing to be a big, confusing, dreadfully boring mess.

I can see that the book covers some interesting features of XCode. It is a shame that the book is not interesting at all for me. I could not sit and read it or get motivated to follow along. Of course, everyone is different. Maybe you will find it to be a real page turner for positive reasons.

Maybe down the road I will find that this book has some value as a reference. It is also possible that this is simply the worst book I've read so far on the subject, but I have to admit that it has a great cover!

This book covers a lot of ground - great for beginning Xcoders, especially CodeWarrior converts. Not quite as in-depth as I thought it would be, based on the description, but well worth the price.

I am currently more than halfway through this book now and already I can say that I am very happy with my purchase.

Firstly, this is not a programming how-to book. Plus, I don't think it should be your first Mac development book. The purpose of this book is to provide you with a solid understanding of the Xcode tool and to teach you some smart application design methods. I recommend that you start reading this book already knowing some Objective-C and Cocoa (at least a little anyway) because you will take with you so much more than just how to use the Xcode tool. Actually, without any Cocoa programming knowledge, you may just end up confused. The reason I say this is because the examples use intermediate to advanced Cocoa programs to illustrate Xcode as you advance through the book.

This book starts you off with some background information about what happens when you compile a Cocoa application, how the runtime system works and some basic debugging skills. It then instructs the reader to build a command line tool which eventually buds into a mature Cocoa application as the chapters go by, each chapter adding a major feature to the application while introducing additional Xcode features as you go. Some of the Xcode features that I've already learned include: Including a command line tool in a project as a target dependency, how to build and include a static BSD library in a project, using Text Macros to add language-specific code patterns to the Xcode menus, I've expanded my knowledge of Cocoa bindings, how to include a framework target, working with dynamic libraries and more.

Follow the examples! I was actually pleasantly surprised at the Cocoa skills I've learned simply from the examples' code. They are not typical. I've already assimilated the following intermediate to advanced Cocoa programming skills: Calling a command line tool from a Cocoa app using pipes and tasks, building and calling functions from a BDC static library, design skills that promote code decoupling and mixing C and Obj-C conventions together.

I do have some gripes: Technical errors! I've never written a book but how difficult is it to make sure that the samples work once you reach the end of a chapter? And I'm not talking about the intentional errors the author left in the code that are later fixed. For example, in one chapter the book instructed me to add 3 object controllers in Interface Builder. By the end of the chapter the program didn't run because I was never instructed to configure one of the three controllers. I went back to make sure I didn't miss anything. I was able to figure it out myself after some time (another reason you should not be a newbie reading this book) but this error and others should not have made it into the book. Don't authors proof read their own work or at least have a couple of other people read the book and try out the examples? Sheesh!

Also, be warned. I have yet to find any errata or contact info for the author for this book. So if you need help, you may not find any.

This book is an easy read. No nonsense and straight to the point. Most chapters are between 10 and 20 pages, which provides you with plenty of opportunity to stop, rest and take in what you've just read.

I wanted to rate this book ***1/2 for the errors and lack of help, but I can't give half-stars here. This book doesn't deserve 3 stars, so I gave it a 4.

Note [16-MAR-2006]: Wouldn't you know it, I just found the official Step Into Xcode web site complete with downloadable code, errata and author contact info! Here it is: http://six.manoverboard.org/ I now officially increase this books rating from ***1/2 to ****. :)

As to a recommendation, I'd say yes. Step into Xcode is most valuable to those getting started with Xcode, but even for people who have been using it for a little while you are sure to pick up a few tips and tricks.

Generally, while I haven't READ it from cover to cover I spent a good 20-40 minutes examing the various parts that I was interested in. Overall, its useful to it's target audience as others said. However, if appears to omit some important points. First, the MacOS limits you to 255 volumes per server, resulting in some strange issues if you exceed this. Second, it ignores SMS integration and Netopia NetOctopus - software used to manage systems. In a cross platform environment, these can be very important issues that I feel should have been discussed.

For what it does discuss - which is otherwise extensive, including various service pack bugs - it does appear to be well organized and quite useful.

I truly cannot understand where this dude gets the idea there is no discussion of TCP/IP connections in the section covering Windows 2000. Evidently he's not paying attention. In fact, the section called "Learning How DHCP Works With Your Macs," beginning on page 292, clearly shows how you can use your Mac's TCP/IP Control Panel to access a DHCP Server established under Windows 2000.

Either that dude missed this section, or read another book. Either way, he doesn't seem to understand how it's supposed to be done.

In my company's network, a mixed setup with Macs in our art department and Windows boxes elsewhere, this book was an invaluable assistant in getting things to work properly when we migrated to W2K. I recommend it highly.

Bummer, this book is a "wannabe".

Although, the Windows NT information is without a doubt, far and above superior to Microsoft's documentation it falls short with Windows 2000 support. Unfortunately, this book dwells upon AppleTalk as a viable protocol. However, Macintosh systems have supported TCP/IP as the native protocol since 7.x. AppleTalk is for all practical purposes dead -- Modern Giga Bit routers do not route AppleTalk. There is no discussion of Macintosh access via TCP/IP except implicitly through DAVE.

Microsoft might as well have written the discussion of the UAM (Universal Access Module) it is so terse. This book will be a great asset for those unfortunate folks supporting Legacy systems whose budgets will not allow forward progress.

Updated from review of May, 2000.
A more accurate title for this book would be "Windows 2000 SERVER or Users of Thursby's Dave Mac Support ..." This book is a step-by-step, how-to book for configuring Windows servers and Mac clients in a SERVER-based environment. If you are a knowlegible system administrator and/or Dave user and what you need is a recipe for doing X, including dialogs and what to click/enter when, then this book is well organized and complete.

If you are working in a peer-based (i.e. non Windows server-based) network, don't own Thursby's Dave, or if you need to learn/understand the different ways in which Macs and PCs can internetwork, then this book won't help you.

I rated the book 3 stars because its title and description led me to purchase the book (in May 2000) without being able to actually look at it. Had I been able to thumb through it in a bookstore I wouldn't have bought it. Otherwise I believe it delivers good value for its target audience (Windows system administrators or owners of Dave), even though I don't fit into this category.

I wanted a book to help me set up a network with the systems I had, not a book on how to use a software product (Thursby's Dave) that I did not own and did not necessarily want to buy. Without Dave the book is limited to Windows 2000 Server, so I stand by my original judgment. The basic change I'd make is to the title of my review. This is all academic now that the book can be previewed online and OS-X has supported SMB out of the box from the beginning.

Despite what another review says, this book is not just for users of Windows 2000 Server. My Mac/Windows network is set up on a peer-to-peer basis, and yet I found this book valuable, because it explained how to configure Thursby Systems' great program, DAVE, to allow for this sort of configuration.

I don't know what this other reviewer was thinking when these very clearly labeled instructions were missed.

Although the book assumes some degree of familiarity with both Windows and the Mac OS, even someone who is not an experienced administrator will learn how to set up their systems with as little fuss as possible.

I highly recommend this book.

let's start by the conclusion.your chances of running "colour" software without this book are purely and simply unexisting.How can you..?where to start...?
considering mostly colour is a must have software.
so the book is great and the excercises fantastic.It is very nice to learn in those conditions

All the Apple Pro books are great tools for anyone that does video editing. However, my copy of Color came with the top left hand corner of the back cover ripped off. I expected better quality since I was ordering directly from Amazon.

I waited a long time before this book arrived but it was completely worth it. I edit on Final cut pro but never really did too much with respect to secondary coloring. I used the color correction tools with Final cut but they are not very good for precision coloring. I've always peeped through the window admiring da vinci system and even considered buying Final Touch but didn't have the nerve to pluck down $20K. Then Apple bought the company and folded it into Final Cut suite. I upgraded immediately. I soon found that i was out of my element in Apple Color.
The manual that came with Apple color didn't help that much either. Yes i could color but didn't always get the exact look i was going for. I concluded that only Da vinci system could give me the look i wanted.
Then came this book. It thoroughly explained the right way to mix and match to get precise looks, from skin tone to mood.
This book is worth twice it's price. Forget going on any silly course. read it and practice and you are good.

I'll say this for Apple color. It can color as good as any da vinci system. It is 10 times slower to render unless you create a huge cluster, granted, but the end result is the same. Anyone tell you different is trying to justify their higher rates.

I ordered this in June of last year and I wish I'd not. I'm a live tv camera shader so my background is in color manipulation. If you have absolutely no idea how to manipulate colorimetry, this is not the book for you at all. It tells you how to drive the software with some helpful color hints scattered about. Read the manual, work in the application, scour the net and Amazon for information about color and you can learn the same stuff.

If you have a background in color manipulation, skip this book and read the manual to learn how to drive Apple's Color. If you're like me and enjoy constant learning, run and pick up "Encyclopedia of Color Correction" by Alexis van Hurkman. It's a far more useful text than this title.

Aside from the frustrations of the "one-star-reviewer", one must consider that the purpose of this book is to teach how to use the software. Apple is making professional tools available to the "general public", and is offering a training series of which this book is a part.

One assumes that if you're an industry professional, you're well on your way, without the need for "training wheels". But if you're like me, more or less still exploring the richness and the depth of Final Cut Studio 2, then this book is a must for you.

I was a bit frustrated about the long waiting period and the delay of the publishing date and was close to cancelling my order, but I am happy I own this book now. The book may seem a bit meager and I wish for more examples and exercises in an updated version, but I feel it gives me a great headstart in learning how to use Color and I feel confident enough to explore all the possibilities on my own.

I actually read this book cover to cover. I'll admit I didn't do the exercises supplied, but instead applied what I was reading to my own projects...

It's very well thought out, written and laid out, with good, clear, colorful screen shots. The writing is good, clear, humorous but not cutesy...

This is a great book to purchase to start out with GarageBand 2 or to deepen a beginner's knowledge. I am keeping it by the computer for handy reference.

I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

The writing is clear and easy to understand. If you work through the book, as others have mentioned, you will gain proficiency with the software.

But I'm surprised no one has mentioned that this book moves incredibly slowly. This book is written for people who are relatively new to comptuers. But if you have some computer proficiency, the step-by-step exercises are consistently repetitious and mind-numbing.

The book is well written and has an approach and style that lends itself to learning GarageBand easily. It is just unfortunate that there are errors in it (things it tells you to do which do not work), and there is no web support and no way to report errata to the author or publisher - actually quite surprising these days. So it would rate higher if it were correct or had a way to provide feedback, but as it is I am left wondering if the OReilly book would have been a wiser purchase simply because they support their books.

I've been spending most of the last two weekends learning all I can about GarageBand. Out of the three books I'm using, I like this one the best. Mary Plummer includes very useful tutorials that are a collection of techniques you can apply to any GB song. With the CD included with the book, you can easily copy the tutorials onto your computer and work at your pace. I especially appreciate the techniques she shares, e.g. doubling a track with mixed instruments, creating a turnaround with drum tracks, working with volume and pan, and even customizing the loops browser. And for you real instrument players, she covers how to get your music into GB and what to do with it once it's there. For serious GB users, this book is a must.

This is the official training course for Garage Band 2, Apple's music arrangement software. This book is a detailed guide to recording, arranging, and mixing music using Garage Band, instrument recordings, and the library of more than 1,000 royalty-free Apple Loops that is included with the software. This book is more than a basic tour of the application. It provides you with practical techniques that will be frequently used to add professional-quality music and sound effects to a project.

This book is based on hands on training. It starts with how to install the software, and how to install the files included on the CD-ROM that comes with the book. The CD also includes a chapter on moving up to one of Apple's true professional grade music applications, Logic Pro 7 or Logic Express 7. There's enough information for you to judge if the more powerful application is worth the money for your needs.