Mac OS X Lion Pocket Guide by Chris Seibold is one of those handly small books that O’Reilly does so well. In this case, we have a concise, but thorough, look at the key features and facets of Apple’s latest operating system and how it changes the way in which we interact with our Macs. The handy book begins by exploring the new features and then logically looks at how to upgrade, what issues may emerge and a quick overview of how to benefit from the new features. Coverage is brief, but of value to both novices and experienced OSX users alike.
Screenshots abound and are pertinent and well integrated. I’ll be honest I have never tried using Apple’s automated migration tool, but the coverage in Seibold’s work is so well compelling that I decided to give the automated route a try and was pleased to discover how well implemented this tool is.
This is a valuable guide and I would suggest its the sort of thing that Apple should consider providing itself – if it were not in the business of reinforcing the notion that you don’t need a manual to use OSX. This is the volume that should be included with every Mac OSX Lion package. The troubleshooting section alone is well worth the price. It is itself a wonderfully logical subsection and offers easy to follow solutions to the common problems and even delving into more advanced solutions that I wouldn’t have expected (but am certainly pleased to see) in such a slim volume.
The comprehensive coverage of the new OS pointed out features I had yet to discover and I found it well worth the time to work through the book from cover to cover. I would highly recommend this book for anyone considering upgrading, about to carry out an upgrade or new to OSX 10.7.
