Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters (4th Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Well worth the money!
Review: One of the few technical books in my library that I feel has really paid for itself, and then some. Technical books are so expensive, and most of mine sit in the bookcase collecting dust within a month or two after purchasing them. This book had saved me more money than I spent on it within the first month, and I continue to use it on a regular basis. In addition to having real and practical advice on fixing problems, Mr Landau provides advice on preventative maintenance and must-have troublshooting aids, and background on how Macs work when thre aren't any problems. I would say that this book is the most essential of those aforementioned must-have tools.

Rating:
Summary: Sad Macs, Bombs & Other Disasters
Review: The iMac I purchased in July 2001 is my first home computer. I found this book at the library, then discovered it contained so much good information, that I purchased it. It sometimes has too much info for a newbie, but still it is an excellent reference. This book is the "bible of troubleshooting", and a great way to learn how your computer works. I'd say it is a "must purchase"!

Rating:
Summary: BUY THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU NEED IT! IT'S A MUST-HAVE...
Review: The two books I use the most when working with my Mac is "Sad Macs" and MacWorld's "Mac OS 8 Bible." If I had to pick between the two, I'd have to go with Landau's tome.

If you read chapters one and two before your Mac has a problem you will be way ahead of most folks in knowing how to operate your computer and you'll be on your way to becoming a "power user." You will also likely prevent most of the problems that are likely to occur.

If you do run into a problem this book will save your behind! All the detail may be a tad overwhelming at first but stick with it and you will soon begin to grok the mysterious inner-workings of your Mac. Just be sure to carefully follow each step in the diagnostic procedures and don't skip-ahead of the text because you might miss something important. I recently had a serious problem according to a dignostic procedure I had run using Norton Utilities and the info in a small sidebar in Sad Macs prevented me from performing an unecessary reformating of my main hard drive.

I also recommend keeping a separate, written log (yep-the ol' fashion way, paper in a file folder, just in case your venerable Mac won't let you access your computer files...) Write down every change you make to your Mac, including maintenence using repair utilities and particularly installation of new software (which should ideally be done one program at a time, then wait a few days or a week of regular, steady operation without problems before loading another). You would be amazed how easy and quick it is to track-down extension conflicts and other problems if you could only remember what had been recently done to your computer.

Ted also maintains a website called MacFixIt. He posts all kinds of updates three times a week and the website has a searchable archive. I check-in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning right after I check my e-mail.

Thank you Ted for writing this book!

Rating:
Summary: BUY THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU NEED IT! IT'S A MUST-HAVE...
Review: The two books I use the most when working with my Mac is "Sad Macs" and MacWorld's "Mac OS 8 Bible." If I had to pick between the two, I'd have to go with Landau's tome.

If you read chapters one and two before your Mac has a problem you will be way ahead of most folks in knowing how to operate your computer and you'll be on your way to becoming a "power user." You will also likely prevent most of the problems that are likely to occur.

If you do run into a problem this book will save your behind! All the detail may be a tad overwhelming at first but stick with it and you will soon begin to grok the mysterious inner-workings of your Mac. Just be sure to carefully follow each step in the diagnostic procedures and don't skip-ahead of the text because you might miss something important. I recently had a serious problem according to a dignostic procedure I had run using Norton Utilities and the info in a small sidebar in Sad Macs prevented me from performing an unecessary reformating of my main hard drive.

I also recommend keeping a separate, written log (yep-the ol' fashion way, paper in a file folder, just in case your venerable Mac won't let you access your computer files...) Write down every change you make to your Mac, including maintenence using repair utilities and particularly installation of new software (which should ideally be done one program at a time, then wait a few days or a week of regular, steady operation without problems before loading another). You would be amazed how easy and quick it is to track-down extension conflicts and other problems if you could only remember what had been recently done to your computer.

Ted also maintains a website called MacFixIt. He posts all kinds of updates three times a week and the website has a searchable archive. I check-in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning right after I check my e-mail.

Thank you Ted for writing this book!

Rating:
Summary: The Mac Troubleshooters' Bible - should come preinstalled!
Review: This book is a godsend for Mac users. It systematically covers every area of the Mac, chapter by chapter... extention conflicts, printing, networking, Internet, file-system coruption, memory management, etc... It shows you how to perform routine maintenance like using Disk First Aid, flashing the PRAM, and rebuilding the Desktop. Its appendices covers the most comon "what-if" scenarios and steps you through different solutions until you find one that works. It even covers quirks unique to specific OS version from 7 to 9.0.4. It even gives you a sneak-peak at features that will be available in the upcoming MacOS X due out in 2001.

All in all I say this book should be on the bookshelf of every Mac owner.

Rating:
Summary: The Mac Troubleshooters' Bible - should come preinstalled!
Review: This book is a godsend for Mac users. It systematically covers every area of the Mac, chapter by chapter... extention conflicts, printing, networking, Internet, file-system coruption, memory management, etc... It shows you how to perform routine maintenance like using Disk First Aid, flashing the PRAM, and rebuilding the Desktop. Its appendices covers the most comon "what-if" scenarios and steps you through different solutions until you find one that works. It even covers quirks unique to specific OS version from 7 to 9.0.4. It even gives you a sneak-peak at features that will be available in the upcoming MacOS X due out in 2001.

All in all I say this book should be on the bookshelf of every Mac owner.