Rating: 
Summary: Finally ........information on the iPOD, Answers found
Review: I thought this book was great! Finally, I have found a book that answers some of the nagging questions I have had about my ipod, for example hidden files. I had done research on the internet for answers to some of my questions with no luck finding detailed answers, until I discovered "Secrets of the iPod", by Chris Breen. I recommend this book to anyone who owns an iPod and wants to know how it "really" works.
Rating:
Summary: Finally ........information on the iPOD, Answers found
Review: I thought this book was great! Finally, I have found a book that answers some of the nagging questions I have had about my ipod, for example hidden files. I had done research on the internet for answers to some of my questions with no luck finding detailed answers, until I discovered "Secrets of the iPod", by Chris Breen. I recommend this book to anyone who owns an iPod and wants to know how it "really" works.
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Martin's review
Review: I'm the author of Secrets of the iPod. Mr. Martin and I had a disagreement over some technical issues on Macworld magazine's forums where I'm an administrator. Apparently Mr. Martin decided to make that disagreement personal by issuing a negative review here that disparages both the book I've written and the magazine I write for. I'm sorry that Mr. Martin hasn't found a more positive way to express his frustration.Needless to say, I would take the contents of Mr. Martin's review with a very large grain of salt.
Rating:
Summary: The must have iPod Manual
Review: If you can't make it to one of Mr. Breen's iPod/iTunes seminars which I highly recommend, this is the next best thing. Everything you need to know and more about your new iPod. First off, the iPod is a mini hard drive music player run by cool software. It does a great job. It is not a walkman or radio, it is a sensitive appliance. I own two and I found it's fairly intuitive and got it up and running in minutes. For those who want get into the innards, voila! Mr. Breen to the rescue!
Rating:
Summary: The must have iPod Manual
Review: Mr. Martin is back to his old tricks. I'm the author of Secrets of the iPod and also a moderator of Macworld magazine's forums. Mr. Martin and I had a disagreement and he was eventually banned from the forums for trolling. He chose to express his frustration by writing a negative review of my book (a book he has never read). When my first remarks appeared revealing the true nature of his review, he edited his review to be positive in the hope that I would then be forced to change my remarks. His review read: "This work is so informative and so well written that it works on every level, and for both beginners and experts. Without doubt, Mr. Breen is the most trusted iPod expert, and has produced the "bible" for iPod users. You can't go wrong with this book." Yet when my remarks were removed at my request, Mr. Martin changed his review yet again to the negative screed you now see. How could the same book (and its author) be so wonderful one day and wretched the next? Such is the logic of the trollish world Mr. Martin inhabits. I'm sorry that Amazon's customers must be subjected to Mr. Martin's childish antics but until he's eventually prohibited from venting his spleen in such a fashion, there's nothing for it but to expose him for the kind of person he is. That said, I would disregard anything Mr. Martin has to say about my book -- positive or negative -- as it's difficult to write a useful review of a book you refuse to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Very simple
Review: The book does not reveal many real secrets. The few interesting curiosities in it can be found also in any users forum into the Internet.
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Summary: Make sure you get the most recent edition.
Review: There are lots of good details in this book, which seems to go farther than the missing manual series. The 4th edition (hot pink cover) seems to have pretty even coverage of using an ipod/itunes with Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, and Windows XP. After a day examining ipod books in the bookstore, this is one I bought. The 5th edition is out due in December 2004.
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't discuss iPod's biggest issue
Review: This book completely ducked the most controversial aspect of owning an iPod: the limited number of recharges (and ultimate battery replacement) that each and every iPod owner faces. Instead, Mr. Breen choses to talk about how to prolong a single battery charge (turn off backlighting), and not how to extend the limited life of the Apple-provided battery. For example, is it good or bad for an iPod to be left plugged into its dock, after it has fully recharged? Also missing was advice on replacing the battery with internet available kits, use of non-Apple replacement battery services, the value of Apple's own AppleCare warranty, etc. Overall, the book had a few useful tips (available for free on many web sites), seemed very out of date for Windows versions and on any 2003 iPod releases, and generally felt like a poor value. I also felt that Amazon.com's advertising made it sound current, when in fact it is not. I am sorry that I purchased it from Amazon.
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't discuss iPod's biggest issue
Review: This book completely ducked the most controversial aspect of owning an iPod: the limited number of recharges (and ultimate battery replacement) that each and every iPod owner faces. Instead, Mr. Breen choses to talk about how to prolong a single battery charge (turn off backlighting), and not how to extend the limited life of the Apple-provided battery. For example, is it good or bad for an iPod to be left plugged into its dock, after it has fully recharged? Also missing was advice on replacing the battery with internet available kits, use of non-Apple replacement battery services, the value of Apple's own AppleCare warranty, etc. Overall, the book had a few useful tips (available for free on many web sites), seemed very out of date for Windows versions and on any 2003 iPod releases, and generally felt like a poor value. I also felt that Amazon.com's advertising made it sound current, when in fact it is not. I am sorry that I purchased it from Amazon.
Rating:
Summary: A fine reference work
Review: This work is so informative and so well written that it works on every level, and for both beginners and experts. Without doubt, Mr. Breen is the most trusted iPod expert, and has produced the "bible" for iPod users. You can't go wrong with this book.
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