Rating: 
Summary: Lightweight, too lightweight.
Review: Many of the missing manual books are excellent, but this one, in my opinion, falls sadly short. Surely people who are interested in a technical insight to a technical device want useful details, rather than reiteration of the obvious and endless "soggy' jokes.
The book isn't without some merit, and I would recommend borrowing it from a library or a friend so you can flip through it. But, I would wait before buying it in the hope the author updates it and puts more "meat" into the text.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay. Twice as long as it needs to be.
Review: O'Reilly publishes some of the best, probably THE best, in the computer industry. I love their titles. However, the Missing Manual series is rather watered-down, and this title in particular is pretty boring. It seems like the author takes twice as long to explain everything, interjecting far, far too many phrases like "before the iPod was even a twinkle in Steve Jobs's [sic] eye," and "which is enough to get you from Philadelphia to Columbus on Interstate 70 with tunes to spare." Please. Just get to the point.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy this Book it Rocks!
Review: The Apple manual for the iPod is 6 pages long, a good start, but hardly enough to really get your feet wet with your new cigarette-pack sized personal music assistant. J.D. Biersdorfer supplements this with a 331 page tome that tells you "everything you ever wanted to know about the iPod, but were afraid to ask". Biersdorfer covers all versions of the iPod back to generation one (1G) and bringing you up to date to generation three (3G), including those designed for the Windows operating system. The book is organized into five parts: Hardware, Software, Beyond the Music, Extreme iPodding, and Appendixes. Each of the parts explains in layman's terms the relevant areas of the iPod experience.The Hardware section covers the various incarnations of the iPod, as well as, various accessories like the remote control, case, and earbuds. Hardware also covers charging, and synchronizing the iPod with the computer (Macintosh or Windows) of your choice. Clear instructions and diagrams/photos make the hardware section easy to follow. The hardware section even includes instructions for installing a Firewire card if your computer is not equipped with Firewire. One section is sure to be controversial; instructions are given on how to copy music FROM the iPod TO the computer. Biersdorfer admits that this could be used to pirate music, but counters with some good reasons to transfer music WITHOUT piracy. The Software section includes a good discussion of digital music formats including MP3, AIFF, AAC, and WAV. A rather lengthy discussion of the features of iTunes for Macintosh is included to get the reader up to speed on the usefulness of this portion of the digital hub. The books publication predates the December 2003 release of iTunes for Windows, so the older MusicMatch for Windows is covered. Finally, a good overview of the iTunes Music Store is given, with a tour of the features and a really great takeoff on Billy Joel's "Piano Man" called "iTunes Man". Beyond the Music covers the other uses of the iPod including Address Book, Calendar, Games and eBooks, iSync, and the iPod as a hard drive. I found the Calendar section particularly helpful, as it covers using the major players: iCal, Entourage, and Now Up-to-Date. Extreme iPodding was tor me the most interesting section of the book, as it talks about iPod hacks and cool tricks as well as the myriad accessories available for the iPod. Currently I'm looking to use my iPod in my car and the information on devices to connect to a car stereo helped me to decide which of the routes to take. The troubleshooting section brings together much of the information from the Apple Knowledge Base articles into one easy to find location. As I have had issues with both of my iPods, it was nice to be able to find the information in one spot, rather than clicking to the 4 or 5 different articles on Apple's website, and having to cross reference the troubleshooting procedures from printouts. The appendixes cover both the Macintosh and Windows software offerings, menu by menu, and explain some of the lesser known keyboard shortcuts for the commands in each program. Overall the book is a great compliment to the iPod experience. It is clearly written and has just enough humor sprinkled throughout to keep the reader smiling and interested. I opened the book thinking that 300+ pages on a device this small with five buttons was overkill... J.D. Biersdorfer and O'Reilly proved me wrong. I learned to make my iPod more than "just" a music player, and I had fun while doing it.
Rating:
Summary: Gotta get it!
Review: The iPod is the best personal music player available. Its ease of use, and enormous storage capability, are possible because of the software written for the device, the iTunes utility, and to the fact that the iPod is basically a portable hard drive. This valuable 350 page how-to book will guide both new users and experienced hacks to utilize the capabilities of the iPod, as well as the iTunes utility, to the maximum.
This is not a supplemental manual. It is a stand-alone reference that will walk the reader through the basics of the iPod and iTunes. It will also, in simple language and clear graphics, explain how to utilize iPod as a PDA, a data storage unit, and even a recording device.
The author, very thoughtfully, provides not only thorough coverage of topic for Mac-only users, but also includes detailed guidance for Windows users as well as Mac OS 9 users. For Windows users, utilities that can be linked with the iPod are explained as clearly as Mac utilities. And as important as explaining what various capabilities are, describing the limitations to each utility are often just as detailed.
There are generous amounts of figures and other graphics for both Mac and Windows utilities. What I particularly liked about many of the the illustrations was that layered windows, and menus for several steps, were shown in a single figure. This makes it even easier for "visual" learners to master the instructions.
Perhaps the part of the book I was most pleased to find was in the appendix. For both iTunes and Music Match Jukebox Plus, every menu (dozens of them) are explained in detail. I think this is essential for novice users to have this kind of guidance, and I have not found it in other manuals and "how to" books.
Disappointments were few and minor. Though I suspect there are no substantial differences with using the iPod Mini, I would have liked to have this stated one way or the other. Also, I would like to have been instructed in how I could have set up a separate iTunes account on my Mac, so others who use my computer would find it easier to download only their music into their own iPod. Finally, marker tabs on the side of the book may make it easier to find chapters more quickly. These, though, pale in comparison to the benefits of buying this "must have" book.
Rating:
Summary: Tells about iPod in detail
Review: This book really fits the description of "the book that should have been in the box". It answered almost all my long-standing iPod questions. Well-written and well-organized.
Rating: 
Summary: Take a pass and save $30.
Review: This book teachs you NOTHING you can't figure out on your own by simply playing with the iPod. Don't waste your $30.
Rating:
Summary: Everything for the iPod enthusiast
Review: This is an end-user manual primarily for the iPod, but also for iTunes. It covers both Mac and Windows. Part one covers the basics of the iPod. Part two, the heart of the book covers iTunes and it's interaction with the iPod. The writing is high quality, but there are a lot of screenshots, and some editing errors. For example, the figure 4-20 is missing entirely. The third, and last part, of the book, covers more uses for the iPod. Ideas include using the iPod as a calendar, an address book, as an external disk, and for games. I recommend this book for anyone looking to get the most out of their iPod.
Rating: 
Summary: A must-read for iPod owners and iTunes users!
Review: Title: iPod & iTunes, Second Edition
Author: J. D. Biersdorfer
Edited by David Pogue
Publisher: Pogue Press/O'Reilly & Associates, February, 2004
ISBN: 0-596-00658-6 Reviewed by: Curt Blanchard, Tucson Macintosh Users Group The Missing Manual books from Pogue Press/O'Reilly have another publication in their outstanding series. iPod & iTunes (Second Edition) is a 350 page follow-up to the original iPod Missing Manual published in July, 2003. Once again, J. D. Biersdorfer takes the helm (David Pogue edits) and does a masterful job of handling the complexities of a couple of seemingly simple things. One of Apple's greatest strengths from the very beginning has been their ability to take a complex piece of software or hardware and make it nonchalantly intuitive while keeping a vigilant and attentive eye on ease-of-use. Both iTunes (software) and iPod (hardware) are fine examples of this. Both can be used without reading a single page of instruction. (Try THAT on a PC!) However, underneath their friendly, simple faces, lie things that is deceptively robust approaching near pro levels. The iTunes application, part of the iLife suite, which was not covered in the first edition, and is now explored in detail - the latest and greatest version being iTunes 4.5. J. D. Biersdorfer treats it in her usual thorough way without making it heavy or gooey to read and absorb. (This is a real skill. Why are Mac writers able to do this better?) About a third of the book deals with iTunes, its formats, playlists and how to rip music so it will burn onto CDs or get sucked into the iPod properly. The iPod takes up the rest of this comprehensive book. Who knew so much could be written about such a miniscule machine which is now smaller than a stack of business cards! Yes, the iPod Mini is covered as well. These marvels of miniaturization are not just sophisticated a Walkman, at their hearts are real hard disks that can make the iPod an ideal place to download images from your digital camera, can masquerade as a GameBoy, an Alarm Clock, an address book and calendar, a player of audio books or even an external, bootable hard drive. Yes, iPods record data just as well as music! The book will lead you through the ins and outs of playing and recording music, importing calendars and contacts, syncing with your desktop machine, connecting to home and car audio systems and lots more. There is even a wealth of iPod accessories and shareware apps. To be fair, this book is dual-platform and devotes equal time to Mac and PC step-by-step instructions. Both are treated with respect and are given the time and space required to explain the differences. The Mac platform is the native one, of course. Both are Apple products Last year, I wrote enthusiastically about the first edition, but now I heartily endorse this new Second Edition, iPod & iTunes. It covers so much more - mostly because so much more is now available - the iPod Mini, iTunes 4.5 and an ever-expanding list of exciting accessories. If you have an iPod, you really need this book, if you don't have one yet, read this book and you'll want one! --Curt Blanchard - 5/28/04
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for iPod owners and iTunes users!
Review: Title: iPod & iTunes, Second Edition
Author: J. D. Biersdorfer
Edited by David Pogue
Publisher: Pogue Press/O'Reilly & Associates, February, 2004
ISBN: 0-596-00658-6 Reviewed by: Curt Blanchard, Tucson Macintosh Users Group The Missing Manual books from Pogue Press/O'Reilly have another publication in their outstanding series. iPod & iTunes (Second Edition) is a 350 page follow-up to the original iPod Missing Manual published in July, 2003. Once again, J. D. Biersdorfer takes the helm (David Pogue edits) and does a masterful job of handling the complexities of a couple of seemingly simple things. One of Apple's greatest strengths from the very beginning has been their ability to take a complex piece of software or hardware and make it nonchalantly intuitive while keeping a vigilant and attentive eye on ease-of-use. Both iTunes (software) and iPod (hardware) are fine examples of this. Both can be used without reading a single page of instruction. (Try THAT on a PC!) However, underneath their friendly, simple faces, lie things that is deceptively robust approaching near pro levels. The iTunes application, part of the iLife suite, which was not covered in the first edition, and is now explored in detail - the latest and greatest version being iTunes 4.5. J. D. Biersdorfer treats it in her usual thorough way without making it heavy or gooey to read and absorb. (This is a real skill. Why are Mac writers able to do this better?) About a third of the book deals with iTunes, its formats, playlists and how to rip music so it will burn onto CDs or get sucked into the iPod properly. The iPod takes up the rest of this comprehensive book. Who knew so much could be written about such a miniscule machine which is now smaller than a stack of business cards! Yes, the iPod Mini is covered as well. These marvels of miniaturization are not just sophisticated a Walkman, at their hearts are real hard disks that can make the iPod an ideal place to download images from your digital camera, can masquerade as a GameBoy, an Alarm Clock, an address book and calendar, a player of audio books or even an external, bootable hard drive. Yes, iPods record data just as well as music! The book will lead you through the ins and outs of playing and recording music, importing calendars and contacts, syncing with your desktop machine, connecting to home and car audio systems and lots more. There is even a wealth of iPod accessories and shareware apps. To be fair, this book is dual-platform and devotes equal time to Mac and PC step-by-step instructions. Both are treated with respect and are given the time and space required to explain the differences. The Mac platform is the native one, of course. Both are Apple products Last year, I wrote enthusiastically about the first edition, but now I heartily endorse this new Second Edition, iPod & iTunes. It covers so much more - mostly because so much more is now available - the iPod Mini, iTunes 4.5 and an ever-expanding list of exciting accessories. If you have an iPod, you really need this book, if you don't have one yet, read this book and you'll want one! --Curt Blanchard - 5/28/04
Rating:
Summary: iPod Missing Manual - A reference gem!
Review: Title: iPod the Missing Manual
Author: J.D. Biersdorfer
Publisher: O'Reilly, Pogue Press
ISBN: 0-596-00477-x Reviewed by: Curt Blanchard, Tucson Macintosh Users Group
Date: 10/19/03 And you thought the iPod was just a 21st century Walkman... This book will show you how very much more it is - it's a bird, it's a plane, it's a Palm Pilot, it's a Gameboy, it's an eBook, it's an alarm clock and it's a fabulous portable hard disk with tons of capacity! I don't own one yet but after finishing this book, it tops my Christmas list. I'm a big fan of O'Reilly's Missing Manual series as I much prefer a physical book to an on-screen manual and they are doing a fine job of filling that void. The OS X Missing Manual is among the very best on this subject. Similarly, the iPod Missing Manual is a serious reference book, not to be taken lightly and it certainly isn't something to sit down to read cover-to-cover. However, it covers the iPod so thoroughly that I don't believe there can be many questions left unanswered. Tips and hints abound here so it's worth skimming around to glean them from the sections that interest you. This is one of those dual-platform books that deals with both Mac and PC formats simultaneously. This makes the book bigger than expected, 330 pages, but seeing how much more cumbersome the Windows processes are, is good for the Gloat Factor if nothing else. In some cases there are separate chapters dealing with Windows issues and they are easy to skip over. The book starts with the iPod's hardware and iSync then goes into its software in careful depth including good, clear explanations of the various digital music formats. There is an excellent section on iTunes and the iTunes Music Store. Biersdorfer then goes into the iPods other features - the iPod as an Address Book, a Calendar, a Games machine, an eBook player and a capacious Hard Drive. Toward the end, she explains how to connect an iPod to a home audio system, a car stereo and a computer. She also reviews the fast growing selection of iPod accessories. If you're a missing Manual fan, this book is highly recommended. I didn't realize how much I needed an iPod until I read this book! --Curt Blanchard
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