Bigger in size, longer in length, broader in scope, and even more useful than our original Mac OS X Hacks, the new Big Book of Apple Hacks offers a grab bag of tips, tricks and hacks to get the most out of Mac OS X Leopard, as well as the new line of iPods, iPhone, and Apple TV. With 125 entirely new hacks presented in step-by-step fashion, this practical book is for serious Apple computer and gadget users who really want to take control of these systems. Many of the hacks take you under the hood and show you how to tweak system preferences, alter or add keyboard shortcuts, mount drives and devices, and generally do things with your operating system and gadgets that Apple doesn't expect you to do. The Big Book of Apple Hacks gives you:

• Hacks for both Mac OS X Leopard and Tiger, their related applications, and the hardware they run on or connect to

• Expanded tutorials and lots of background material, including informative sidebars

• "Quick Hacks" for tweaking system and gadget settings in minutes

• Full-blown hacks for adjusting Mac OS X applications such as Mail, Safari, iCal, Front Row, or the iLife suite

• Plenty of hacks and tips for the Mac mini, the MacBook laptops, and new Intel desktops

• Tricks for running Windows on the Mac, under emulation in Parallels or as a standalone OS with Bootcamp

The Big Book of Apple Hacks is not only perfect for Mac fans and power users, but also for recent -- and aspiring -- "switchers" new to the Apple experience. Hacks are arranged by topic for quick and easy lookup, and each one stands on its own so you can jump around and tweak whatever system or gadget strikes your fancy. Pick up this book and take control of Mac OS X and your favorite Apple gadget today!

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 14 Ratings

worth the money but there needs to be a disclaimer - 2008-12-29
Reviewer Rating:
First off, this is a great book. If you like to tinker with your computer you'll probably already know 1/3 of the information that they discuss.
The next 1/3 of information will be things that you'll have had no idea existed or new ways of doing them (interfacing with terminal - although could have used more explanation on how other parts of it worked). Here's were the problem comes up....
In the last 1/3 of the book I found some of the information to be a little 'dated'. Which as sad as it is, is still very true. This is a very recently published book, but the computer field is moving so quickly that as I mentioned, some of what it talks about either no longer exists (like the Mozilla hack) or there have been updates to the software so that doing things the way they are explained in the book is near impossible and requires the reader to think of alternative ways to get the same end result (quartz composer - as an example).

Still, armed with the above information, I would still buy this book for the general information that's in it, and the way that it explains how to manipulate various parts of the computer. Definitely worth the price. I would have just liked to know ahead of time that some of the hacks were already outdated.

For once, a book full of useful info! - 2009-01-02
Reviewer Rating:
This book is written as a series of useful and powerful hints for the Macintosh, which they call "hacks". Its unusual, almost unique characteristic is that *everything* is useful or at least interesting (i.e. "save it for another time"). There's none of the usual repetition of simple facts from the manual, nor pages-long wordy discussions of not very much but the author's philosophy (I won't include references here!) It is just plain GREAT STUFF! And I haven't even read it all yet...

Not for the novice - 2009-09-27
Reviewer Rating:
I enjoyed this book very much--I'm a PC guy that switched ---learned and awful lot
--but not for the novice

For those that want to take the next step - 2009-09-18
Reviewer Rating:
If you have a techie edge and want to take your knowledge of your new mac to the next level, then this is the book for you. Just read, enjoy and try out the ones that look fun to you. "Hacking" may be the wrong word ... this book simply deepens your knowledge of the machine and operating system with a myriad of hints, techniques, downloads and other crevices that you would not think to try on your own. A true geek delight.

On the whole worth a purchase - 2009-06-25
Reviewer Rating:
For someone like me who is new to the Mac, I was looking for a book that would help me understand how to customize it. "Big Book..." was a little technical at times and could have done a better job of describing where some applications are located. However, I did find it extremely useful in helping me customize the programs I use the most (Safari, Finder, Mail, iTunes, iPhoto & iChat) and really make work how I want.

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