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Summary: Apple Confidential 2.0
Review: A fascinating account of those quirky men who just happen to build the best computer that ever was.
Rating:
Summary: A triumphant revision of Linzmayers' masterpiece
Review: It's BAAACK! Its bigger, badder and better than the first edition. Updated stories, facts and figures. New chapters on the latest MAC innovations. A must read for all MAC fanatics. Linzmayer owns the subject!
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Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: I've been reading Apple Confidential 2.0 since I got it a few weeks ago, and I have to say that it's wonderful book. Mr. Linzmayer went the extra step in just about every aspect of its production. The excellent writing is accompanied by good-quality photographs and historical facts. If you have an interest in Apple's history, I would absolutely recommend this book; it's a great read!
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Summary: A great unofficial look at apple's history
Review: I'm a big fan of history books about the near-past, especially computer topics like the infamous _Soul of a New Machine_. So I greatly enjoyed this book, especially because it wasn't an official, sanitized Apple version of the past. Linzmayer covered all of the details not only of Apple's great accomplishments with the Apple II and the Mac, but also the great failures of things like the Apple III and Lisa. Also worthwhile were the bits about what the two Steves did after Apple, including NeXT, Pixar, Cloud 9, and so on. Well-written and organized both chronologically and by topic, I enjoyed going through this book from cover to cover, but also find myself opening at random places and reading a page or two here and there. This book is a must-have for any Apple fanatic, or anyone else interested in the history of computers.
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Summary: MyMac.com Book Review
Review: Back in 2000, I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Mr. Linzmayer's first Apple Confidential book, and thought that he had done an outstanding job of presenting the visible and the behind-the-scenes story of Apple Computer. Mr. Linzmayer, a freelance writer and author, had taken his time to delve into the depths of the company that we all love to hate and produced a great book that worked to explain the mysteries of Apple.Fast forward to 2004 and he has done it again. Taking the original book, Mr. Linzmayer has updated the story to the present day, continuing the journey from where he left off with Mac OS 8.6 and the original iMac to the present day Mac OS 10.3 and the G5, the iPod and iLife. Apple Confidential 2.0, from start to finish, is a continual source of information on Apple Computer and the people involved, from the beginnings in a bedroom (you have to read the book to find out) to the present day activities of Steve Jobs as head of Apple and Pixar. It delves into how the original Apple was taken to numerous companies, like Hewlett-Packard, Atari and Commodore Business Machines in an attempt to sell the Apple computer concept. It covers all the twists and turns that Apple has experienced along the way. Apple Confidential 2.0 provides the reader with information on how Apple came to be, who thought of what, who never got the credit that they justly deserved, or who took the blame when things went wrong. The book includes time lines for Apple from the start of both Wozniak and Jobs in college to the computers, operating systems, peripherals and software from the very start to the present day. If you want an easy to read book on the story of Apple and the people involved, get yourself Apple Confidential 2.0. The book is packed with everything you need to know, provides the background on people, and places and things, and it does so without being boring or preachy. A very good read, you'll find yourself totally engrossed. If you didn't buy Mr. Linzmayer's first book, take the time to get the second. Apple Confidential 2.0 will make a great addition to your home library - a must-have for Apple lovers. Highly Recommended. My Mac Rating: 5 out of 5
http://www.mymac.com/showarticle.php?id=1678
Rating:
Summary: Easy to read and filled with tons of things you didn't know
Review: The format of the book takes a little getting used to, but it is worth it if you want to know the history of Apple. I guarantee that you will learn quite a bit once you have finished this one!
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Summary: THE encyclopedia of Apple pop culture
Review: I purchased this book (Apple Confidential 2.0) to learn the technical, business and cultural history of a subject on the "other side" of the fence in contrast to my personal history. Having been a wintel user back from the days of the original 8086 up to today's huge MS shops I had little knowledge of where Apple came from (beyond the basic folklore). Now a Mac/Apple fan with iPod in tow and a "switch" in my future I dove into this book as my historical introduction of choice. Owen does an excellent job of adding in other industry events of the time, which helped me (as an historical IBM user) to build a complete industry picture. While the division into subjects departs from what one might view as a traditional all-linear biography, it fit suprisingly well and played out in a very unbiased fashion. Owen paints a fair picture, not always shining Jobs in the best light and defining his character for what it was. Men like Jobs and Gates weren't always out there to be "nice." They were out there to make deals and create their visions. The pictures were very cool, but I would have liked to see even more and in color. Maybe this book needs a full color pictorial history sister companion? Owen's use of timelines was very informative, however the repitition at the end of most sections became tedious to examine and I found myself "skimming" them. Seperating them did allow a simplifiction of the information, but a master timeline may have been less intrusive. The recent events felt a bit rushed. I've not read the original "1.0" version of this book so I'm assuming the items from 2002/2004 were part of the newer updates. I would have liked more detail (there are many empty blank pages at the end ;) ). Still, a kudos for having the book up to date at its time of publishing (not at easy feat...he says, pointing his finger at O'Reilly as he waits for OSX Panther in a Nutshell...jeez when will we see it in print, when 10.4 comes out???). A metal band once said there were three sides to every story: mine, yours and the truth. This book falls onto the third. If you want the most truthful unbiased history, read this book. If you're a fan of Apple, read this book. Heck, just read this book! :)
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Summary: What a book!
Review: If you want a COMPLETE time line of Apple from the "idea" stage upto G5's this is it.
This book also makes a great gift to friends that are Apple fans. GREAT READ!!
Rating: 
Summary: Really a very decent read
Review: This book is really a very well put together work - it's interesting, the facts are obviously well-researched, and it's really very interesting to read - even my non-tech friends were picking the book up to see what was inside, and actually enjoyed it to my surprise! Whilst this book won't take forever to read (I finished it in a day, but then I'm a quick reader) it is a great buy, especially for those interested in Apple/Macintosh/Newtown etc. Plus Owen is a really nice guy - he even signed my book for me :).
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Summary: The inside story on an Amazing Company....
Review: I just finished reading Apple Confidential 2.0 in two days because I literally could not put the book down. The inspiring, heartbreaking, insane, and magical story of Apple Computer is pretty incredible in its own right, but Linzmayer adds the extra level of knowledge and expertise about the subject matter that makes this book so enjoyable. It is filled with pictures, timelines, and a real attention to detail. I also really liked the asides in the margins of the book that provide all the geeky tidbits like code names, and the little aside "What ever happened to..." bios of people who come into the story. It was neat to see how many people who were only briefly a part of the Apple story ended up doing amazing things in their own right. Apple Computer truly was and is a launch pad for so many amazing people and technologies - read all about it in this very current and up-to-date book. Can't wait to read version 3.0!
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