MacDirectory Magazine

Summer-Fall 2008 (#38)

MacDirectory magazine is the premiere creative lifestyle magazine for Apple enthusiasts featuring interviews, in-depth tech reviews, Apple news, insights, latest Apple patents, apps, market analysis, entertainment and more.

Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/838

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BOOK REVIEWS 46 MacDirectory BOOK REVIEWS > READ THE FINEST IN PRINT... AND ONLINE REVIEWS BY RIC GETTER Mac OS X Server Essentials Second Edition In much the same way that Apple's move to Intel caught the attention of mainstream IT, the release of the Leopard server has been creating a lot of interest from the same quarter. Now, on the server side, the Mac OS fits comfortably into large Active Directory domains and, in the near future, the server will be able to be virtualized alongside Windows and Unix software. If you've become the go-to person for the lunatic fringe of Mac users in your shop, it's not unlikely that you'll be getting a call from an IT manager asking what you know about Mac servers. When the time comes, the best place for you to turn to find out how to translate your Mac skills to the server room is Schoun Regan and David Pugh's Mac OS X Server Essentials Second Edition. Like the other books in the Apple Training Series, Server Essentials is a full-on textbook that combines instruction and explanation with hands-on exercises and chapter quizzes. The book, in fact, serves as the core curriculum for the Apple- authorized training sessions that are available. The lessons are well structured and, even though they assume a reasonable amount of skill with the Mac OS interface, the book offers ample explanation of concepts that are unique to servers. It closely follows the format of other volumes in series and supports both self-study and classroom use. (To assist in the former, each lesson includes an estimate of the time needed for completion.) In either case, the exercises are designed for a student with access to both a server and client workstation (virtually all aspects of Mac servers can be managed and controlled remotely). Along with the obligatory summaries and review questions, each chapter concludes with a list of useful links and references from both Apple and other sources. One other trait that Server Essentials shares with Apple Training Series books is a remarkably consistent level of quality, clarity and readability. The hands-on exercises have been well thought out. As you would expect from Apple, the more arcane concepts (and in the world of server administration, there are many) are not only well explained, but also clearly illustrated. Even though it wasn't designed as such, the book will also work reasonably well as a reference (at least after you've completed the lessons). The book is also a springboard to new titles in the series covering system administration and enterprise deployment in much greater detail. On its own, the book provides the fundamentals needed for the second tier of Leopard certification. Mac OS X Server Essentials, Second Edition by Schoun Regan with David Pugh 528 pages > $59.99 Peachpit Press ISBN 978-0321496607 Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual This is a remarkable time for the Mac. Whether it's the halo effect of the iPod and iPhone, an understandable fear of moving to Vista, or the fact that Macs now run Windows programs (sometimes even better than PCs do), more and more people are switching to Macs. For some, the change is easy (just figure out how to launch a Web browser to connect to MySpace). But for a lot of PC users, there's quite a bit to re-learn (it's almost as tough as moving to Vista). The Missing Manual series has come through with a truly comprehensive yet exceptionally readable book that will help transform the Windows vet into a shortcut-slinging Mac guru. Written by David Pogue, a New York Times tech columnist, longtime Mac pundit and maestro of the Missing Manual series, the book serves as an outstanding introduction to the whole Mac experience. Pogue remains one of the best technology writers in the business and his talent for unearthing little known but incredibly useful elements of the Mac interface shines through in this volume. Rather than a guide to simply walk the reader through the transition to the Mac, Switching to the Mac will serve quite well as a general handbook for the one-time Windows user, consistently pointing out the parallels and differences in the two systems. The first section is a primer on the Mac hardware and interface, unraveling such essential mysteries as how to get the right mouse button back and what this "Finder" thing is all about. With the basics out of the way, Pogue moves on to a section on how to move in, including ways to move files and data,

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