50 Fast Mac OS X Techniques

"Take my advice–you can use Mac OS X more effectively by following Joe’s clever techniques"
—Adam Engst, TidBITS

Whether you’re a first-time Mac user or a savvy veteran, the fast, easy Mac OS X techniques in this book will make you much more productive. Each technique is fully illustrated and explained by veteran Mac developer Joe Kissell, who knows and shares all the ways to make Jaguar purr like a kitten. And each technique can be accomplished in just minutes!

Your Easy Guide to Mac OS X Tricks and Techniques

• Get comfortable with the Terminal application and take advantage of Mac OS X’s Unix power
• Customize the Aqua interface to meet your needs and restore "missing" Classic features to Mac OS X
• Communicate wirelessly using Bluetooth and share files with Windows computers
• Modify the Dock and begin using file launchers
• Turbocharge your mouse and discover hands-free computing with speech recognition
• Set up and use the new digital hub features, including iCal, iPod, iSync, iPhoto, iDVD, and iTunes
• Automate maintenance functions to keep your Mac at peak performance

Companion Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/kissell provides supplemental information, additional insights, updates, and other valuable data for each technique, as well as links to resources and discussion groups

About The Author:

Joe Kissell has worked in the Macintosh software industry for the past nine years. He managed software development for Nisus Software Inc. and Kensington Technology Group, and has written two previous books on Mac software. Joe researches and writes for alt concepts, inc., an Internet publishing company.

Table Of Contents:

ForewordPrefaceCh. 1Read Us First1Technique 1Learning Just Enough UNIX to be Dangerous3Technique 2Becoming All-Powerful as the Root User11Technique 3Customizing Terminal for Command-Line Power17Ch. 2Aqua's Hidden Treasures25Technique 4Preventing Window Overload with Column View27Technique 5Unlocking Aqua's Best-Kept Secret: Services33Technique 6Getting Info and What to Do with It39Technique 7Finding Files with the Finder47Technique 8Solving File Compatibility Problems with PDF53Technique 9Accessing Your Mac's Multilingual Personality59Ch. 3Customizing Mac OS X65Technique 10Putting More "Tool" in Your Toolbars67Technique 11Enhancing the Look and Functionality of Your Windows73Technique 12Automating the Finder with Scripts and Folder Actions79Technique 13Tailoring the Desktop to Your Personality85Technique 14Getting More from Aqua with Hidden Preferences89Technique 15Doctoring Your Dock95Technique 16Moving Beyond the Dock with File Launchers103Technique 17Restoring "Missing" Classic Features to Mac OS X109Ch. 4Input and Control Techniques115Technique 18Turbocharging Your Mouse117Technique 19Boosting Your Keyboard Efficiency125Technique 20Hands-Free Computing with Speech Recognition133Technique 21Using a Tablet for Handwriting Recognition and More141Technique 22Extending Your Reach with Universal Access147Ch. 5Networking & Communication155Technique 23Communicating Wirelessly with Bluetooth157Technique 24Sharing Files with Mac and Windows Computers165Technique 25Keeping Out the Riff-Raff with a Firewall175Ch. 6E-Mail & Web Techniques181Technique 26Customizing Apple's Mail Application183Technique 27Using Rules to Keep Your In Box Manageable191Technique 28Taming Web Searches with Sherlock 3199Technique 29Web Browsing Secrets of the Rich and Famous207Ch. 7Computing More with Less215Technique 30Enhancing Your Inkjet Printer217Technique 31Microsoft-Free Computing with Open-Source Software225Technique 32Remote-Controlling Your Computer233Technique 33Advanced Image Editing on the Cheap with the GIMP241Ch. 8iAPPS: The Digital Hub and Beyond247Technique 34Making Smart iTunes Playlists Even Smarter249Technique 35Publishing iPhoto Albums on the Web255Technique 36Creating a Video Photo Album with iMovie263Technique 37Designing a Custom iDVD Motion Menu Theme273Technique 38Integrating iChat with Mail and Address Book279Technique 39Using iCal to Manage Meeting Schedules285Technique 40Keeping PDAs, Cell Phones, and iPods in Sync with iSync291Ch. 9Server Techniques for Nongeeks299Technique 41Giving Your Machine a Domain Name301Technique 42Turning Your Computer into a Web Server309Technique 43Using PHP to Create Dynamic Web Sites315Technique 44Creating and Sharing Databases323Technique 45Running Your Own Mail Server331Ch. 10Maintenance and Automation Techniques341Technique 46Recovering from Crashes and Errors343Technique 47Increasing Your Computer's Performance351Technique 48Backing Up (and Restoring) Data Painlessly359Technique 49Making a Bootable Clone of Your Hard Drive367Technique 50Scheduling Activities to Happen Automatically373App. AShortcuts379App. BEssential Unix Commands385About the Author395Colophon397Index399

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50 fast Mac OS X Techniques