Apple Training Series: Desktop and Portable Systems (3rd Edition) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book is intended for use in, "An Apple Certified hardware training course designed for professionals who support Apple computes and Mac enthusiasts who want to upgrade, service, or troubleshoot their favorite machines."
This book is surprisingly readable considering that it is the official book for Certification preparation for: Apple Certified Desktop Technician, and Apple Certified Portable Technician ACPT.
The book begins with a chapter on reference materials and how to get them. Many of these materials are publicly available. Others are only available to those certified in an Apple-authorized service training program. However, Peachpit has provided a web site containing the necessary resources for registered purchasers of this book.
I would recommend this book for you if you are seriously interested in learning more about how your Macintosh laptop or desktop system works and what it is like inside, or you are generally interested in how and what an AppleCare Technician is trained to do. However, you are warned that if you are going to take your computer apart, no matter how carefully you follow the instructions, you will probably void your warranty.
AppleCare Technician Training costs $299 for one year of on-line training and resources. One review complained that the training was all on-line. No books were provided which made it more difficult to learn. So, you might want to buy this book even if you are going to spend $299 to start their training.
If you are, or want to become, a Macintosh guru or if you seriously want to learn how to repair your own computer regardless of the risk, I think you would learn a lot from this book
If you simply want to learn more about maintaining and troubleshooting your Macintosh there are other sources that may more will directly meet your interests.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple Training Series: Desktop and Portable Systems (3rd Edition)

Click here for more information about Apple Training Series: Desktop and Portable Systems (3rd Edition)

Read More...

Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.6: A Guide to Supporting and Troubleshooting Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As the title says, this is an excellent book.
There are some things to keep in mind, however:
This book was made specifically for passing the exam, and therefor if you wish to delve into various capabilities of things like the command line in-depth, you'll need further resources. (Especially things like full-on scripting.) If you're jumping into the command line "cold," something like the O'Reilly BASH book would make a good companion.
AppleScript, it should be noted (beyond a half dozen pages in this book), is in another book in this series.
If you wish to become knowledgeable about Mac Servers and you're not seasonably Mac proficient (esp in the 'Apple Way' of doing things...), you'll need this book as the Server book alone will not do. You'll also want the Directory Services book. (Actually, if you start working with DS in any format, you'll want the DS book, Server notwithstanding.)
Again, it's a sweet book and gave me the foundation so I can continue taking my skills to the next level.
Small Nitpicks: Only a few errors, but they will bite you if you don't catch them (Which you will if you try the examples.) If it doesn't look/work right, websearch it, try it both ways, and you'll be good to go.
The top of the page doesn't give you the chapter number (just name), while many pages refer to explanations of various resources in different chapters. As I'm one of those people who "can't let it go," (and look it up immediately) this was irksome.
The nitpicks aren't enough to cut it a full star: 4.5, rounded to 5.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.6: A Guide to Supporting and Troubleshooting Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard

The only Apple-certified book on Mac OS X v10.6, this revised best-seller will take you deep inside the latest big-cat operating system—covering everything from installation to automation, customizing the operating system, supporting applications, setting up peripherals, and more. Whether you're a support technician or simply an ardent Mac user, you'll quickly learn and master the new features in Mac OS X 10.6, including native support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Following the learning objectives of the Apple Certified Support Professional exam, this self-paced book is a perfect guide for Apple's training and a first-rate primer for computer support personnel who need to troubleshoot and optimize Mac OS X as part of their jobs. Chapter review sections and quizzes summarize and reinforce acquired knowledge.The Apple Training Series serves as both a self-paced learning tool and the official curriculum for the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server certification programs.

Get 25% OFF

Click here for more information about Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.6: A Guide to Supporting and Troubleshooting Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard

Read More...

Microsoft Outlook for Mac 2011 Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft)) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The joke has always been you can't spell Entourage without "rage" and Microsoft finally retired that product and re-introduced Outlook for the Mac, which hasn't been around since the classic days! This book is a great overview of all the features of the product including both beginner and intermediate concepts.The Step by Step series is a lesson-based training program, but you can easily avoid the actual lessons in order to use the book as a reference guide. In this case the actual training exercises are pretty minimal and could have easily been omitted and still retain the book's value.The book is extremely well-laid out with a great table of contents and index. Each chapter introduces the concepts it covers and the key points and then reviews them at the end. For users of an Exchange server, the lessons cover both Exchange-based accounts as well as traditional IMAP/POP email systems. Users new to Microsoft products as well as seasoned Entourage and Outlook for the PC users will still find the book's lessons accessible and of value. If you already know a concept, the book makes it very easy to skip that section.Unfortunately since the book was printed, Microsoft made significant changes to the sync functions and now that Apple is retiring MobileMe, these sections will be subject to additional changes. Such is the nature of tech books.Pros: Easy to understand lessons and comprehensive review of features
Cons: Lessons not terribly substantive 4 out of 5

Click Here to see more reviews about: Microsoft Outlook for Mac 2011 Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft))


The smart way to learn Microsoft® Outlook® 2011 for Mac—one step at a time!

Experience learning made easy—and quickly teach yourself how to organize your email, arrange your calendar, and manage tasks using Outlook on your Mac. With Step by Step, you set the pace—building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them!

Switch from Microsoft Entourage with minimal disruption
Manage all your e-mail accounts in one place with Outlook
Use the Calendar to schedule meetings and appointments
Set custom rules to sort your email automatically
Prioritize and track every task—business and personal
Customize Outlook to accommodate the way you work

Your Step by Step digital content includes:

All the book's practice files—ready to download and put to work.
Fully searchable online edition of this book—with unlimited access on the Web. Free online account required.
Video tutorials illustrating important procedures and concepts.

Get 41% OFF

Click here for more information about Microsoft Outlook for Mac 2011 Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft))

Read More...