About the PDF
What does your PDF cover in a nutshell?
'Fix a troubled Mac' starts with the essentials of being your own IT support,
covering 'The Concepts', including bringing one up to scratch with TCP/IP networking
(no degree required), then delves into the practicalities of running your studio
with a Mac OS X server, explaining firewire hard drive backup strategies, font management,
creating a software library and introducing the basics of managing data in such an environment.
From there it is up to you what you want to get out of the book. You can read the step by step
hardware and software troubleshooting guides on your topics of interest, or follow the embedded hyperlinks for laterial
topic navigation within the book and on the internet.
What does the PDF not cover?
'Fix a troubled Mac' does not go into Application specific
details for troubleshooting (iTunes, iLife, Microsoft Products,
Adobe Software etc). It does not explain how to Setup a Mac OS X Server. This is a hardware
and operating system troubleshooting book.
Why have you written a book?
For many reasons. Firstly to remind myself of things that I often forget.
When troubleshooting, it's often tiresome to remember the order of things
you should be trying when fixing a problem. When you are stressed, this becomes
very useful. Secondly, finding tidbits of information is a full time occupation. Where
do you store all those URLS, diagrams, tips, commands etc? Ahem, in a book of course!
Thirdly, to empower people with easy-to-use (and understand) knowledge and make some money
to continue doing so.
Who is your target readership?
Any experienced Mac user. More specifically, my book is aimed at
intermediate to advanced Mac users (not newbies). A couple of chapters focus a little
on creative studio environments, specifically on what is involved in setting up a Mac OS X server,
how to implement a backup strategy and what you need to know about networking (without becoming boring
and tiresome to read). If you configure your ipfw in the command line, this book is NOT for you.
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About subscriptions
Receive the latest PDF download as well as emailed URL updates
until v3.0 is released (until about late 2010).
Reader comments
from Nigel
on slashdot
"This book has very little blatant philosophy,
and almost entirely consists of practical advice.
The few philosophical statements are 100%
focused upon troubleshooting"
"This isn't just a paper book in eBook form -
a serious attempt has been made to take advantage of the format."
from Ray in USA:
"I pretty much had a working knowledge of each individual part of a network (router, switches, DNS, etc.)
but your book put them together in a way no one had done before. Thank you for this."
from William in the USA:
"Excellent work! Intelligently assembled, the production is great, the links are really good. Keep it up!"
from Charles writer of Applelinks in USA:
"I really like the book, and you and I seem to share similar philosophies on a number of issues"
"There is a ton of useful information in this book and it is attractively and usefully presented"
from Simon of Yaean Design in China:
"Packed with zesty data saving tips, baked in years of experience, sprinkled with humor and served electronically"
from Alan of Mactivate in Ireland:
"A valuable, easy to read, concise troubleshooting reference guide for
Macintosh administrators & certified technicians"
from Anthony of Antart in Australia:
"I think it's an excellent tool for the anybody with a good working knowledge of the Mac OS
and in charge of a lot of Macs in transition from OS 9 to 10.
From that point of view, you have nailed it."
from Jason in the UK:
"thanks for providing such an excellent resource as when you are out in the field supporting macs it's not everytime you'll know exactly what to do"
from Bob in USA:
"I have read it cover to cover twice since. I have been in computing since 1968 and this may be the only time this has happened."
"The organization is logical, The writing is clear and to the point and with humor, The layout is superb"
from Artie in USA:
"Thanks for the great reference book.
I have owned
Mac's for 15 years and have a network of friends who
brainstorm problems. This book is like putting
everyone in a room together to help each other while
not being intoxicated"
from Richard of
P-Space in Australia:
"wow, the book is fantastic"
from Neil of
Oneword Design in South Africa:
"The book is awesome. Invaluable resource! Great to have information like this at your fingertips"
from Rui, of
'Tao of Mac' in Portugal:
"Whatever your level of expertise, this is a must-have if you have to support a number of Macs"
"More than just something to read - it's a useful reference that you'll be going back to."
from Mark of Focus Recording Studios in UK:
"Fix a Troubled mac is a must have for mac users that want to fix their own machines.... Essential!"
from Jezza of Moocows in Japan:
"this book is stuffed to the brim with all the vital information
you need to get your mac running again smoothly. Good mix of no-nonsense advice sprinkled with personal experience."
from Davin of DIT in Australia:
"Finally a technical reference that isn't a drag to get through. Anyone that regularly reads reference material will appreciate your concise
writing style"
a Slashdot
comment in USA:
"I am glad to see a book that compiles the often hard-to-find information...
the big question: does it come with a paper clip for that disk drive button? :)"
from Jesse of VA in Australia::
"there's lots of stuff in there that would (and has) taken me ages to figure out"
PDFs for iPhone
The full version of the PDF can be viewed with bookmark index support using
GoodReader
(via the App store).
Note: PDF is not included with above app.
The PDF's below (from the full book) are available for free, useful within any iPhone PDF viewer.
Applescripts
- KnockoutDock 1.3 (not compatible with 10.6)
is a simple Applescript designed to make the Dock as un-obtrusive as possible without losing
the features of Expose, Dashboard, Application switching or ScreenSaver Hot Corners.
- SwitchFinderShortcuts 1.0
is a simple Applescript designed
to swap the Finder keyboard shortcuts for 'Create New Folder' (cmd-N) and 'New Finder Window' (cmd-shift-N)
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Current Version 2.1.8
Issue No: 21
Date: 02-Nov-2009
A4 Pages: 211 - PDF Size: 14.3mb
Next update due end of Nov 2009
Do you offer a demo?
Yes, (v2.0) can be downloaded from here.
24 pages are missing and printing is not available in the demo PDF.
Do you have a picture preview?
The pictures below are from a few different sections in the book, just to give you an idea of the content :)
Reassure me on ebooks, i hate them!
I also loath badly designed ebooks. This was motivation for me to get my ebook right.
'Fix a troubled Mac' works best using Apple Preview at 140% size.
It is fully indexed (use the bookmarks feature), it is straight forward to navigate with
(using the embedded topic links for lateral navigation), is fully keyword (or phrase)
searchable, and the page numbers match the page numbers of the pdf. It is also fully printable.
Can I print your book?
Yes, the full version (the one you purchase) is fully printable. I personally
don't recommend printing the entire book, as you lose the search, index and links
functionality. You also waste paper.
Can I put your PDF on my iPhone?
Yes, using GoodReader (via the app store).
supported features:
- Keyword search
- Bookmark support
- Navigation Links
- External URL Links
How do I access your book if my Mac crashes?
Make a copy and put it on your emergency firewire drive (or iPod) or iPhone via GoodReader
or pop it on your Mac OS X file server.
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