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A case in point is a section early in the book under the heading "Why the Mac is King" -- a capsule history of the Macintosh computer and personal computers in general. While I was familiar with the story of how DOS/Windows PCs, Macs, and Linux computers came to be, I really enjoyed reading Aaron's take on the topic. He has a unique and enviable writing style that is able to cram a lot of information into relatively short passages of text while simultaneously making it very readable and interesting.
That's one reason why the Old Fart's Guide to the Macintosh contains such an astonishing amount of content. It's not a small book by any means at 400+ pages, but there is way more information about a wide variety of topics than you would normally expect in a book of this type and category.
As CEO of Garage Technology Ventures and former Apple Macintosh Chief Evamgelist Guy Kawasaki noted in his Forward to "The Old Fart's Guide,":
"Long time Mac owners may assume this book is only useful to neophytes. This book has a fair amount of hand holding, but Aaron�s keen insight into the Macintosh experience will undoubtedly lead you to a more profound mastery of the machine you already adore."
While I usually review release copies of books here, with The Old Fart's Guide, which is scheduled for release tomorrow, the process has been a bit different. I've had a draft copy galley in hand for a couple of months, plus PDF files of content that has been subsequently added -- some of which reflect a few suggestions I've made. I've thus been delighted to have participated in a small way in late gestation of the book, and Aaron has honored me by asking me to write its Introduction.
Aaron begins with an explanation of who is the "Old Fart," a term that usually describes a grumpy man negatively. However, he says, "if a person came to describe themselves as an Old Fart, the term takes on a positive connotation to the effect of "I am what I am and proud of it." The book, he hastens to add, is just as much for ladies as it is for gentlemen, and that "folks who are 50 years wise and wiser are the ones who were specifically in my mind when writing this book."
The author himself is considerably younger than this demographic, having been born about the time Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were putting the finishing touches on the first Apple computer, but he explains that he has always been old for his age, and that his classmates gave him the nickname "Old Fart" because of his penchant for hanging around with folks old enough to be his parents or grandparents. Thus the term is used here affectionately.
Aaron also provides a page of instructions on how to approach and read the book, noting that all technical terms are defined in plain English, and definitions are repeated serially as deemed necessary. He also invites readers to use the empty white spaces in the generous margins for taking notes, and observes that while, generally speaking, self-help guides are not usually the most entertaining reading, he hopes that this one will give the reader a more exciting experience. I think he has succeeded at that objective.
Aaron is, how shall I say? -- a bit of a character, and that is reflected in his text, which also has a a great deal of character, making much more of a pleasure to read.
Beginning at the beginning, the first content chapter addresses "What is a Computer?", and discusses the basics of software, hardware, computer viruses called (noting that Macs are almost by risk-free), and pointing devices. The next chapter carries on to explain "What is an Operating System?" -- the differences between OS Xt and OS 9, that capsule history of various operating systems I referred to above, and a retrospective on the various versions of the Mac OS over the years.
Moving on, the next topic is which Macintosh is best for you, the reader, explaining "Why the Mac is King," and going on to discuss in considerable detail the relative virtues of desktop Macs and Laptop Macs, the advisability or otherwise of shopping for used Mac rather than a new one, and thoughts on where to buy a Mac, including a list of the official Apple stores in various states.
The next topic Aaron tackles is "Other Important Equipment," like computer desks and chairs, and attendant ergonomics issues. As with most issues covered in this book, the author has strong personal opinions to offer, and in this case he advises against buying a chair that is too comfortable. He prefers hardwood, and also relates that he drinks a lot of water while computing so that frequent calls of nature will prevent long stretches at the keyboard without taking breaks, noting also that copious liquid intake also help prevent kidney stones. It is this sort of idiosyncratic commentary that makes The Old Fart's Guide a much more entertaining read than most computer books.
Back to basics in the next chapter, "Turning Your Mac On And Off," which also addresses putting your Mac to sleep, logging in and out, adjusting display resolutions, working with languages other than English, and multiple user issues. All solid advice for folks new to the computing game.
The next chapter, "Understanding Your Mac's Desktop," continues with a thorough tutorial on how to use the mouse, as well as sections on mouse alternatives like trackpads and trackballs, and a couple of paragraphs on graphics tablets. There are also sections on working with windows, the OS X Dock, and the Finder.
The chapter titled "Text Input Options" describes basic typing, handwriting recognition using the OS X 10.2 and 10.3 Inkwell function, and a section on dictation software in which Aaron is kind enough to mention me.
A "What Is The Internet?" chapter covers the choice of an Internet service provider, a basic tutorial on email, surfing the World Wide Web, newsgroups or USENET, a lengthy discussion of the relative merits of different types of Internet accounts from basic dialup to satellite uplinks, using Apple's Safari Web browser (with a bunch of screen shots from Applelinks), the Old Fart's Guide to Web forums, a very thorough section on finding information on the Web using the Sherlock search engine, audio and video conferencing, Internet history, and Apple's QuickTime technology. This chapter alone could be worth the price of the book to online newbies.
Aaron Rosenzweig obviously likes AppleWorks, and devotes no less than three whole chapters to tutorials on using Apple's "Swiss Army Knife" multipurpose productivity and multimedia application. "This has got to be the greatest piece of software ever created because it is easy to use and can do so many things," says Aaron.
I wouldn't go quite that far, and my take on AppleWorks and its predecessor ClarisWorks has always been the old observation that Jacks of all trades tend to be masters of. . . You know. However, I do concur with Aaron that AppleWorks is the ideal software for new Mac users to get up and running with, and I know of quite a few seasoned Mac users who continue to employ AppleWorks as their main word-processing application. The fact that it comes bundled with every iMac, eMac, and iBook -- the models that first-time Mac-users are most likely to purchase, doesn't hurt either.
The first AppleWorks tutorial chapter is entitled "Typing Letters With AppleWorks," although it is really a general instructional on text management and formatting in the AppleWorks word-processing module. Next is a chapter on using the AppleWorks Database and Spreadsheet modules, followed by a chapter on using the AppleWorks Presentation module. These tutorials are concise, to the point, and don't overwhelm the reader with technical details, but will serve nicely to instruct new users with all they need to know to make AppleWorks work.
Given the many potential pitfalls and issues associated with computer printing, especially in OSX, I was surprised that Aaron only allocated a page and a half to that topic. Perhaps he, like me, does very little printing, but I would deem this "once over lightly" treatment of printing as one of The Old Fart's Guide's few shortcomings.
The chapter entitled "Where Does Information Go?" discusses digital data storage on disks, the difference between applications and documents, the difference between individual files and folders, various types of disks, how to save information to same, an explanation of the set of disks that comes with any new Macintosh, and the differences between shareware and commercial software.
Which segues into the chapter on the various software categories, such as word processors, spreadsheets, presentation software, image editors, databases, Web browsers, email clients, money management software, reference software, and games. Regarding the penultimate category, I've got to disagree with Aaron's assertion that the World Book Encyclopedia is the "best encyclopedia for the Macintosh." It does come bundled with the iMac, eMac, and iBook, but I would rate the Encyclopedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite as substantially superior, and the latter is a few dollars cheaper as well if you have to pay for it.
The next short chapter revisits the differences of commercial software, freeware, and shareware, and includes a brief discussion of software piracy, leading up to a fairly long chapter on Apple's "Digital Hub" concept and the "iApps," Digital cameras and iPhoto, film cameras and scanners, music, iTunes, and the iPod Digital jukebox, and movie-making with iMovie, DVD, and Toast.
There is a short chapter on a Macintosh User Groups, another 3 1/2 page one on computer problems and troubleshooting (what I said about brevity of the printing chapter applies here too), and one on a keyboard shortcuts, preceding a section on "Advanced Topics For The Curious," such as using Apple's .Mac online service, the Unix underpinnings of OS X, computer programming (a descriptive explanation, not a how-to instructional), computer artwork and graphics, book writing, writing musical scores, and creating your own recorded music on a Mac, and and creating your own Internet radio station.
In a section entitled "G3, G4 and G5, Oh My!", Aaron explores the distinctions between CISC vs. RISC computer chip technology, Java and Apple's Java Virtual Machine software, noting that "Apple has arguably the best Java solution, even better than Sun Microsystems (Java�s creator)."
He also includes a nice overview of the evolution of the PowerPC processor through its G3, G4, and G5 variants, noting that "the G3 is not drastically different from the previous PowerPC processors. In fact, it is closely related to the 603 processor... the G3 only used about 1/5 the power of Pentiums at the time. This allowed it to be used in both desktop Macs and PowerBooks. The Mac desktops were slightly faster than their PC competitors, whereas the Mac PowerBooks were much faster than PC notebooks.
"As a testament to the speed and durability of the G3 chip, the Cocoa Nuts Web site is actually run on a circa 1998 PowerBook G3 series. This computer has a 266 Mhz G3 processor and runs Mac OS X. Not only does this computer handle our Web site, but it is also the secretary�s computer and our fax machine."
As for the G4, Aaron observes that "the fourth generation PowerPC processor is usually only slightly faster than a G3 which is running at the same MHz. Namely, a 500 MHz G4 is not much of an improvement over a 500 MHz G3 for most tasks. Where a G4 really comes into its own is when a software engineer learns how to design for a vector processor" -- Apple's "Velocity Engine" aka Altivec. Aaron explains how Altivec works to make G4 chips substantially faster than G3s when running software optimized to take advantage of it -- up to 16 times faster in some instances.
As for the G5 , Aaron explains the significance of 64 bit processing vs. the 32 bit G3 and G4, noting that:
"One of the main motivations of this chapter is to give the astute reader ample knowledge of computer hardware. This allows you to better understand which Mac may be best for you, especially if you plan to buy a used machine."
For example, while: "Megahertz is an easy way for people to discuss the speed of a processor... but it does not give the full story of computer performance. It is a mistake to compare the megahertz of a chip in the Intel family to a chip in the PowerPC family....a 500 MHz PowerPC will perform most tasks as quickly as a 1,000 MHz Pentium."
There is also a section on the cool new stuff in Apple's just-released OS x 10.3 Panther operating system, with sections on how to traverse the entire structure of your hard drive in the new Finder, notes on the Expos� feature not working with Classic applications, Panther's non-support the beige G3 Macs and the WallStreet PowerBooks, and how to decrease the size of PDF files generated by Panther is explained in detail.
Finishing up is a list of URL addresses for useful Web sites, each with a brief descriptive paragraph, an 11 page Glossary of computer terms, and an Index.
As you've probably guessed, I really like "The Old Fart's Guide to the Macintosh," and I can't imagine a more interesting and serviceable introduction to the Mac for folks who are new to the platform and/or computing in general. Part of what makes it special it that it's clearly a labor of love. Aaron Rosenzweig's enthusiasm for the Mac is contagious. Let yourself catch the bug with this book.
Old Fart�s Guide� to the Macintosh: Second Edition
Author: Aaron Rosenzweig
Foreword by Guy Kawasaki
Introduction by Charles W. Moore
ISBN: 1-9742188-2-0
Price: US$29.95
For more information or to order a copy, visit:
http://www.cocoanutstech.com/
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