by Darren Edwards

Christmas is just around the corner, the turkey is getting fatter and my hard drive is filling up. Top of any good Mac users Xmas list this year has to be more RAM and internal CPU upgrades, but as a present or general stocking filler there is nothing like a good reference book. So here I am ready to aid the Christmas rush for presents, with a selection of books I have found full of facts and helpful information. I recommend checking out www.amazon.com wherever you are in the world for price changes and bargains. In the past I have always found Amazon efficient and cost effective. Go to their site or phone your local stock list and quote the ISBN numbers for service.

Book: AppleWorks 5 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide
Author: C. Ann Brown
Rating: (5 possible)
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Pages: 224 pages
ISBN: 0201354039
Price on Amazon: US $15.95, UK £9.95

True to the Mac
What Macintosh could be complete without a trusty copy of AppleWorks? It's a flexible word processor, spreadsheet, graphics, database and telecommunications program. Probably the best integrated solution for home office paperwork and computer text in general. There are those who favor Microsoft Word and it is true to say if you need bells and whistles it is a good choice. But who really needs to add 2-4MB to their Extensions folder installing Word when AppleWorks does the job just as well?

Information packed
As with all Visual Quickstart Guide books you'll find this an essential buy. If you are new to AppleWorks or still only using the word processing modules, this book will release the true power and versatility of AppleWorks. This book shows users how best to add Internet, cross platform capabilities and multimedia features, such as QuickTime to documents, adding flair and practicality to text, databases and drawing files.

To sum up
A book packed with easy to follow instructions, tips and techniques. Backed up with clear concise illustrations and a well thought out approach.

Considering nearly all Mac's sold now come with an AppleWorks CD or preinstalled, this book is an invaluable addition to anyone's Christmas present list.

Book: Mac OS 9: Visual QuickStart Guide
Author: Maria Langer
Rating: (5 possible)
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Pages: 376 pages
ISBN: 0201700042
Price on Amazon: US $14.39 , UK £9.95

Release the power
I hate being consistent but Visual QuickStart Guides are just great books, you could not pay me to say anything bad about them. In general they are always well researched and in many ways much better than the 'Dummies' range of books from IDG. It's all in here. The book is fantastic value with over 350 pages of information ready to save you time, energy and hair loss. Upgrading to a new OS is always slightly fraught with difficulties. Learning a new way to do things and finding the features you knew how to use are all part of the fun and pain associated with OS's upgrades. The author has really added maximum effort to give the reader minimum hassles. All the pitfalls are covered and the benefits, short cuts and tricks of Mac OS 9 are covered a hundred and ten percent.

Every new feature is explained simply and effectively, nothing is left to chance. You'll even find a troubleshooting section to help out if things just don't go your way.

If you purchase Mac OS9 this Christmas for yourself or a friend, make sure you buy this book as well, you'll not regret it.

Book: Macworld Mac Upgrade and Repair Bible
Author: Todd Stauffer
Rating: (5 possible)
Publisher: IDG Books
Pages: 940 pages Plus a CD ROM
ISBN: 0764532170
Price on Amazon: US $31.99 , UK £19.95

Getting under the shell
If you are a first time buyer or just starting to collect Macs this "IS" the only book you'll need to buy to keep you happy. Macworld books are famous for their practical approach to the Macintosh.

Whatever your questions might be about upgrading options or digging out that old PPC Mac to repair you'll find it in the pages of this book.

Information, information and more information
From the front to the back cover you'll find the book enlightening and full of the things you want to know about saving money and time, by fitting the best suited option for your Mac rather than buying the latest and greatest craze.

Not only is this book full of helpful guides to making your Mac a powerhouse but it also covers how best to customize your Mac to your personal needs.

It is worth it?
The cost of the book is quite hefty but in my humble opinion I'd buy it if I needed a bookshelf companion to keep my Mac in great shape. My only grumble was the CD ROM, most if not all the information is available free on the Internet and without the addition of the CD the price could have been brought down.

What you get is very helpful advice you could pay a consultant ten times as much to give. Worth the cost if you are looking to upgrade in the near future your PPC, G3 or iMac. The advice is priceless as the book also covers troubleshooting and general maintenance of processor upgrades, SCSI [II and wide], IDE, Firewire, USB, RAM, Cache, removable/storage drives, networking, Internet access/modems, PowerBooks/mobile computing, serial, video, audio, 3D expansion cards, DVD and future technologies.

Ok that was my main three, but here is a quick selection of other great book shelf titles to keep you on top off the Christmas tree this year.

The Macintosh Bible - 7th edition - by Sharon Zardetto Aker and Sharon Zardetto Aker
1024 pages,
Addison-Wesley.
ISBN: 0201874830

The 7th edition of the popular "Bible" series is just as good as its predecessors and once again packed with hints, tips and information on your trusty Mac [with over 1,000 pages you'd expect that]. From the humble 16Mhz 68k Macs to present day speed demons it's all in here. An excellent present for any level of Mac user.

Apple Confidential : The Real Story of Apple Computer, Inc. - by Owen W. Linzmayer
268 pages
No Starch Press.
ISBN: 188641128X

A great read for any Mac fan. Extensive information on the unvarnished, interesting and turbulent history of Apple Computer. Just as good as 1984's own well document FREE history pages.

Adobe GoLive 4 for Macintosh and Windows: Visual QuickStart Guide - by Shelly Brisbin
352 pages
Peachpit Press.
ISBN: 0201354772

If you are serious about web design there is no better package on the market than Adobe GoLive v4. This book will make your thoughts and ideas come to life online in no time at all, it'll also give you a few new ideas you never you could do. Read this and you'll get the most out of GoLive, no doubt about it.

Create Your First Mac Web Page in a Weekend - by Steve Callihan
464 pages plus CD ROM
Prima Publishing.
ISBN: 0761521356

Once you've mastered your HTML design application you'll need to develop a sense of visual aesthetics and layout. This book helps you do just that.

You can again find all the information written in this book on the net , but I very much doubt it is as highly polished and well explained as Callihan's presentation. This is a beginners dream book, laying everything out simply and professionally. This book really will get your web pages online in a weekend.

There you go, my magnificent 7. Enjoy a happy and peaceful Christmas. I hope you and your Mac get what you want from Santa, but only after I get mine!

-Darren Edwards

Darren Edwards has been working on Mac's since the 128k back in 1984 when he was a tender 12 years old. His principal role these days consists of being Editor-in-Chief and founder of 1984 Mac Online ezine. He also provides systems support, builds web sites and generally loves Mac tinkering.