Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 456 pages
• Published by: Pogue Press
• Edition: 2nd Edition October 1, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0596006608
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0596006600
• Book Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Weighs: 1.8 pounds

Product Description
It's little wonder that longtime Windows users are migrating in droves to the new Mac. They're fed up with the virus-prone Windows way of life, and they're lured by Apple's well-deserved reputation for producing great all-around computers that are reliable, user-friendly, well designed, and now--with the $500 Mac mini--extremely affordable, too.

Whether you're drawn to the Mac's stability, its stunning digital media suite, or the fact that a whole computer can look and feel as slick as your iPod, you can quickly and easily become a Mac convert. But consider yourself warned: a Mac isn't just a Windows machine in a prettier box; it's a whole different animal and a whole new computing experience.

If you're contemplating--or have already made--the switch from a Windows PC to a Mac, you need Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition. This incomparable guide delivers what Apple doesn't: everything you need to know to successfully and painlessly move to a Mac.

The latest reprint of this book has been updated to reflect the new generation of Mac models that run on Intel chips. There's even a new appendix that guides you through the installation of Windows XP on your Macintosh (using adapter software like Boot Camp or Parallels), so that you have the best of all worlds: a single, gorgeous machine that can run 100 percent of the world's desktop software. (Note to people who've already bought the book: This appendix is available as a free PDF download from missingmanuals.com.)

Missing Manual series creator and bestselling author David Pogue teams up with 17-year-old whiz kid and founder of GoldfishSoft (www.goldfishsoft.com) Adam Goldstein to cover every aspect of switching to a Mac--things like transferring email, files, and addresses from a PC to a Mac; getting acquainted with the Mac's interface; adapting to Mac versions of familiar programs (including Microsoft Office); setting up a network to share files with PCs and Macs; and using the printers, scanners, and other peripherals you already own.

Covering the latest in Mac OS X v.10.4 "Tiger," Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition explains the hundreds of innovative new features to the Mac OS and how you can understand and make the very most of each.

Whether you're a novice or a power user, Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition, teaches you how to smoothly and seamlessly replace (or supplement) your Windows machine--in a refreshingly funny and down-to-earth style--with a mighty Mac.

About The Author
David Pogue is the weekly computer columnist for the New York Times and the creator of the Missing Manual series. He's the author or co-author of thirty books, including thirteen in this series and six in the ``For Dummies'' line (including Macs, Magic, Opera

Adam Goldstein runs GoldfishSoft, a shareware company that makes games and utilities for Mac OS X. Adam is the author of AppleScript: The Missing Manual and was a technical editor for O'Reilly's best-selling Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, and an editor for Mac OS X Panther Power User. When he's not writing books or code, Adam attends high school in New Jersey, where he is captain of the Debate and Quizbowl teams and an editor of the school paper.

Reader Reviews
I've been using Windows since the early 1990s and recently bought my first Mac. At first I thought this wasn't the book I wanted. I wanted to learn the OS on its own, not in "translation." For example, you'll find things like this in this book: "Finder = Windows Explorer," "Dock = Taskbar," etc. I thought it would hinder learning in a way total-immersion wouldn't; I'd hoped to learn to use the Mac directly. So after my husband picked up "Switching to the Mac" the first day I had the computer--in order to figure out how to network the Mac to our PCs and printers, and to transfer files, etc. (all of which is in this book)--I ordered four other books. I wanted to read them like other reviewers did: straight through, fun learning. But, it's not as easy as I'd hoped to learn a whole new operating system and, for me, the manuals don't prove to be fun reading -- as cheeky as their humor can be. So, I find myself reaching for "Switching to the Mac" as a necessary reference book. It presupposes that the reader is proficient at using a computer, but not a Mac (unlike other books, which either assume no computer knowledge or are written in "Mac language" for those familiar with previous Mac operating systems.) That said, the space taken up on translating Windows lingo/usage to Mac takes up space that isn't used to fully describe how to use Mac applications. This book does a stellar, succinct job of teaching the OS. From there, I need a second book to explain the applications. And, oddly for me (because I'm not a David Pogue fan, and wouldn't have chosen either book had my husband not bought this one first) "The Missing Manual OS X," also by Pogue, is the best of the books I've bought for that purpose. The latter picks up where this book leaves off. Pogue states in the intro that the material overlaps, and as nice as it would be to spend money on one book rather than two, I've not found overlapping material to be a problem, and I've found them equally useful. Since the books are already fairly weighty, the two together are working very well for me. I truly don't think I'd have learned as easily or quickly without "Switching to the Mac." I definitely recommend it for Windows users...and I had resisted this approach.