Since using a Windows machine for the past decade I found the "switch" to a Mac a little daunting. I had three nights alone with my new iBook and after those three nights I was still as lost as I was as the night I bought it. Granted, I wasn't so lost that I couldn't close files or transfer MP3 files from my Compaq, but still... I was in the dark.
So Memorial day, being a time to remember our fallen protectors of freedom, made for a great opportunity (as well as the day off) to go buy a book. The manual that came with the Mac was about as useful as a moldy rag, so I needed some help. I could have just Google'd every problem I ran into but hey, my eyes were already bloodshot.
It took an hour of perusing the Computers section at Borders. I skimmed past the Idiots Guides to... and OSX for Dummies mostly because those are for people dumber than me. Heh. I also overlooked the OSX "Bibles" because they were as big as NYC phone books and cost over $50. Screw that.
So I narrowed my search down to two books, one written by someone who shares a name with a popular comedian. After careful consideration and asking my wife how much I could spend I settled on "The Missing Manual".
Now, I've only had the book a few days. I haven't been able to spend many hours pouring over it, mastering every aspect of this foreign OS but I will say the book is entertaining. It's laid out well, packed with interesting side-notes, and has a few quirky bits to make it feel less like a computer manual. Maybe in a month or two I'll get through most of the book and be some master of the Mac, but until then, if you're thinking of switching I recommend this book. I haven't destroyed anything yet.
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