"Mac OS X Leopard On Demand"

"Mac OS X Leopard on Demand"
Author: Steve Johnson, Perspection Inc.
Publisher: Que Publishing from InformIT
554 pages $39.99
ISBN-13: 978-0=7897-3654-3
For those who would rather be shown how than told how.”

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to use the tools available in Mac OS X Leopard, and wants to learn how to do a task when it is time to use it. The title “Mac OS X Leopard on Demand” is a magnificent description of the book.

This book consists of one or two page numbered steps to accomplish a task in the left column with matching numbered illustrations in the right column that show you how. You never have to turn a page to complete a task.

The steps are organized in a logical order beginning with Starting Mac OS X and ending with Downloading Mac OS X Tools from Apple. Each task is listed in the contents so that you can go directly to, or back to, any task at any time.

“Did you know?” tips and techniques accompany the tasks, and “See also” points you to related information elsewhere. Example files, project tasks, and additional information is available for those who register on their web site - www.perspection.com.

Perspection inc. is a software training company, and that experience no doubt lead to the way this book presents its information.

While you can select any task at any time, the tasks early in the book are sometimes easier and less complex than tasks near the end of the book

Displaying and Using Stacks on the Dock is on page 19. This task is covered in one page with few words.You are told to add a stack to the Dock by dragging a folder to the Dock. The book does not tell you where in the Dock. You learn that by looking at the illustrations showing a Fan stack and Grid stack next to the trash.

I looked at the web clip widget example used here and it covered the basic steps to perform a task quickly and easily. I compared this to a manual which used more words and took longer, but did give me a bit more information. Then I ran across an article describing some uses of he web clip widget and learned why I might want to use what I learned in the other two.

There is at least one task, Color Sync, which cannot adequately covered in two pages. There is at least one, Handwritten Ink, which you are not likely to ever do because who wants to try to have their handwriting converted into computer text? But these do make good examples of the variety of topics covered.

In sampling topics for this review, I learned about the DigitalColor Meter utility and now use it regularly.