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Dan Frakes’ new OS X Power Tools is a somewhat different type of Mac OS X book than others I’ve reviewed here. As its title indicates, this book is intended to show you how to do things you already know how to do -- but do them faster, better, and more efficiently; as well as how to do things you always wished you could do, but didn’t know how. In other words, this book is designed to help proficient Mac OS users become power users.

If you’re a Mac OS beginner, this is probably not the book to start with. Get a copy of Todd Stauffer’s “Mastering Mac OS X,” or David Pogue’s “OS X: The Missing Manual” first

If you already have one of these volumes, you can buy OS X Power Tools in confidence that you will not be paying for a lot of overlapping redundancy. In Power Tools for example, you won’t find introductory chapters on elementary basics of Mac OS X Finder navigation or use of the Dock (although there are chapters on tweaking, customizing, and accessorizing in the Dock and getting the most out of the Finder).

Dan Frakes is a technology writer, shareware developer, consultant, and long-time Mac user. In addition to being the author of Mac OS X Power Tools, he has been a frequent contributor to Macworld magazine’s “Mac OS X Secrets” column, contributes to the TidBITS newsletter, authored part of Mac OS X Disaster Relief by Ted Landau, and is an editor/author of the upcoming Mac Bible, 9th Edition.

If you;re not already familiar with it, here’s an example of Dan’s style:

How to use this book:

1. Open book to desired page
2. Read
3. Buy more RAM

The book takes you step-by-step through tips, shortcuts, and solutions on setup, installations, the Finder, the Dock, applications, networking, security, sharing, Unix, and much more.

Mac OS X Power Tools’ approach to the “tips and tricks” genre shows you both how to do things, and why they work. Each chapter includes background information on the hows and whys of the OS, and then shows you how to get the most out of it through specific examples. When appropriate, third-party software that provides additional or enhanced functionality is presented and described.

The first chapter of Mac OS X Power Tools is entitled “The Power Of Permissions: Understanding, Users, and Unix Organization,” and some may find it almost worth the price of the book in and of itself. As Dan Frakes notes, understanding OS X is much easier if you understand these topics, and mastering OS X requires that you understand them.

Frakes summarizes that if you’re reasonably comfortable with a computer, you will be able to handle this book and make good use of it, and even if you already consider yourself a “power user,” you will still probably find a lot of stuff you didn’t know on Mac OS X Power Tools’ pages.

Mac OS X Power Tools is structured in the familiar computer book style, very attractively, with lots of screenshot illustrations, graphs, and charts. Considerable care has been taken to make things like Unix command line example syntax clear and easily discerned. There is a handy keyboard shortcut command reference inside the front cover, and a list of URLs for Dan’s favorite third-party utilities and add-ons inside the back cover.

Mac OS X Power Tools acknowledges that there are different levels of users. Before each exercise or example, you’re told whether a change or procedure can be performed by any user of your computer, or if it is restricted to administrative users. You’re also told whether or not you’ll need to use Terminal in order to perform the actions to be discussed. Finally, you’re told whether what you’re about to do will affect just your own user account, or if it will affect all users of your computer.

At the beginning of each chapter, example, or procedure in the book is what Frakes calls a “Tip Table,” for example:

User level - any or admin

Affects - individual user or computer

Terminal - yes or no

There are also “Tip,” “Note,” and “Warning,” text boxes, and sidebars for topics that are important but didn’t fit in gracefully with the main text.

Mac OS X Power Tools is organized into four parts of several chapters each, plus two appendices.

Part I is “Setup, Startup, And (In)stalling”

Chapter 1, as previously noted, it is entitled “The Power Of Permissions: Understanding, Users, and Unix Organization,” and explains what permissions really mean, usual levels, why it’s a good idea to set up a second user account even if you’re the only user of your computer, why there are so many folders in OS X, the OS X NetInfo database and how to maintain it, the Root account, working with permissions, changing permissions, troubleshooting permissions, group permissions, changing the user name, and creating a no-password account.

Chapter 2, entitled “Sensational Setup,” is dedicated to making your Mac work the way you want. Topics covered include taming system preferences beyond the basics, such as using iPhoto albums ass revolving desktop pictures, getting better scroll arrows, and one or two paragraph descriptions and/or overviews of all of the OS X preference panels, plus installing other preference panes. This chapter also addresses the two other groups of system-related preferences in Mac OS X -- Finder preferences and application preferences, as well as preference file troubleshooting.

Chapter 3, “Subjugating Startup and Leveraging Login,” is about booting up and logging in, with sections on the boot process; choosing a startup volume or system; booting from a CD or DVD, dual-booting OS X and OS 9, managing startup and logging in options, special startup options, and much more.

Chapter 4 is “Installations Inc.,” a collection of tutorials on how to successfully install OS X and other software. It also tells you how to move installed applications; why it’s good to restart after installation if the installer tells you to, dealing with Software Update, installing software updates manually, uninstalling software, and transferring OS X between computers or hard disks.

Part II -- “Files, Finders, Docks, and Apps (including Classic),” is probably the section of Mac OS X Power Tools to read first if you’re not a self-perceived power user.

Chapter 5, “Finagle Files and Foil Finder Frustration,” is about working with files in the Finder. “Most Mac users take advantage of only a small percentage of the Finder’s functionality,” Frakes comments, walking us through file types, creator types, file extensions, the Get Info window (which is much more powerful in OS X than it ever was in the Classic OS); Finder preferences and view options; the Desktop and the Desktop Folder; working with Windows: the toolbar, window Views; copying and saving files; finding stuff; and the Open/Save dialog.

Chapter 6 follows up with and hints, tips, and info on “Developing a Dynamite Dock.” Topics covered include Dock setup and optimization; the Dock preferences panel; hidden or special Dock features; “ using and abusing the Dock,” customizing the Dock; Dock keyboard commands and shortcuts; accessorizing the dock; and Dock alternatives.

Chapter 7, “Apple-ication Aptitude,” is, as you no doubt inferred, about using applications in OS X. It begins with tips on getting the most from Mac OS X applications and utilities, of which there are a surprising number bundled with the OS. Each gets a paragraph or two of overview, which takes up 30 pages. There is also a section on basic application troubleshooting; dealing with application freezes; working with text in OS X; OS X services; and using the Ink handwriting recognition utility.

Chapter 8, “Clobbering Classic,” tells you how to get the best of the OS X Classic environment. It begins with and overview of Classic’s function in OS X; what’s supported and what’s not; pros and cons of Classic; and moves on to discuss the Classic system preferences; how to optimize a Classic (including the best list of OS 9 startup files required by Classic that I’ve encountered, for both of OS 10.2 and OS 10.1); Notes on partitions and multiple System folders; Classic applications; printing in Classic, and troubleshooting potential problems.

Part III is entitled “The Internet, Networks, Sharing, and Printing.”

It begins with Chapter 9, “Networking Notables and Internet Illumination,” in which Frakes discusses network basics; network and Internet set up and system preferences; BlueTooth; the Internet Connect application; using Rendezvous; Sharing; and using all OS X’s built in router.

There is also a section on browsing and discussion of the various Mac OS X browsers. Dan’s personal favorites are Camino and Safari, with which I pretty much concur, although I use iCab a lot as well. There are tips on bookmark management and synchronization, preventing popup ads from appearing, and suchlike.

Chapter 10, “Stellar Sharing Strategies,” is about file sharing on networks. It walks us through setup for both local and remote file sharing, using Bluetooth for file sharing; Apple’s iDisk online service; FTP; Secure FTP; Windows file sharing; Sharing Services; and much more.

Chapter 11, “Connection Convenience and Remote Control,” is about accessing files on other computers and connecting to your home computer from remote locations, expanding on the basics laid down in Chapter 10 in that context.

Chapter 12, “Printing Priorities,” is all about printing from OS X, including installation of printer drivers; setting up and managing printers in OS X; using the CUPS interface; setting up printers in Classic; removing unwanted printer drivers; supporting unsupported printers; installing and using gimp-print drivers; sharing your printer; printing to PDF files; printing to PostScript files; bringing back OS 9 style Desktop Printing; and print troubleshooting issues.

Thus endeth Part III. Part IV gets into real power user topics:, “Mastering Your Mac -- security, and Unix.”

Chapter 13 is on “Strengthening System and Fine-tuning Firewalls.” It covers security basics; networks and the Internet; a discussion of firewalls including OS X’s built in firewall as well as third-party firewalls; password protection; the Mac OS X Keychain; Keychain maintenance; encrypting data; and a brief discussion of viruses.

Chapter 14 is on “Mac Maintenance and Administrative Actions”, starting with hard disk diagnosis and repair using Apple’s built-in Disk Utility and the Unix fsck routine, as well as third-party applications like AlSoft’s wonderful Disk Warrior; Norton Utilities;; Drive 10 and TechTool Pro 4. There are also discussions on recovering files, and undeleting deleted data; defragmenting hard disks; making your own bootable utilities CD; running maintenance and diagnostic routines; adjusting application priorities, and backup techniques and utilities.

Chapter 15 is on “Utilizing Unix,” -- getting into the command line “engine room” of OS X. It includes a short tutorial on understanding Unix, and tells us how to get started with the Terminal and shell scripts, basic commands, using Unix based software, installing Fink, and working with Unix programs.

There are also two interesting appendices to Mac OS X Power Tools.

Appendix A, “A Tale Of Two Systems,” is on making the transition from OS 9 to OS X, and on switching back and forth between them as a dual-booter.

There is a section (“for the stubborn”) on making OS X work like OS 9:, with topics like bringing back the Classic Apple menu, restoring the Applications Switcher; making application windows stick together, windowshading, putting the Trash back on the desktop, and more.

Like me, then Frakes advises using separate System folders for Classic mode and direct booting respectively if you are a frequent user of both modes. , and keeping OS 9 on a different partition or drive than OS X.

Appendix B, “Multiple Mounts, Various Volumes and Divided Disks,” is subtitled “Everything you wanted to know about multiple hard drives, disk partitions, and removable volumes, but were afraid to ask. “ Included are discussions on managing and using non-boot disks and volumes; a detailed tutorial on drive partitioning; optimizing OS X when using multiple volumes, and using a non-boot disk to swap files.

There is also a comprehensive, 33 page index

To summarize, Mac OS X Power Tools is a great book for OS X users who have the preliminaries nailed down. I’ve already learned a ton of stuff I didn’t know before, and will be going back over and over again to learn more using the book is a reference.

If you are an OS X newbie, I would still recommend getting a copy of Todd Stauffer’s “Mastering Mac OS X,” or David Pogue’s Mac OS X: The Missing Manual” first, but if you already have one or both of those books, this one is a logical next step.

For folks who are already proficient in OS X, you will be a lot more proficient after reading this book. Great stuff! A full 5-A Applelinks rating.

The publisher of Mac OS X Power Tools (Sybex) has made a sample chapter and the book’s index available as free PDF downloads from the Website URL below. An online supplement to Chapter 5 is also available; however, it is truly a supplement, so it won’t make much sense unless you’ve first read Chapter 5.

Mac OS X Power Tools should soon be available at most of the larger retail stores that carry computer-related books, such as Borders, Barnes & Noble, Fry’s, CompUSA, and local Apple Stores, as well as online resellers like, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Buy.com, and BookPool.

For more information, visit:
http://www.macosxpowertools.com/
and
http://homepage.mac.com/frakes/iBlog/BookBlog/index.html

Charles W. Moore

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