Author: David Pogue
Pages: 898
Publisher: O'Reilly
ISBN: 1449330274



Introduction

With more than 200 new features in Mountain Lion, Apple has once again delivered a robust operating system that stays ahead of the curve. This immense book is here to help you grasp what's new and learn every corner of the operating system.

About the author

David Pogue a columnist for the New York Times and an Emmy award-winning tech correspondent for CBS News. With 3 million books in print, he is also one of the world's bestselling how-to authors.

Inside the book

Learning how things work in a new operating system is not a trivial task. True, there are countless websites and forums with information available free of charge, but not many can offer the organizational structure and depth present in this book.

The author covered everything relevant, and some obscure bits as well. You're going to learn all about preferences, the included software, the desktop and overall organization. With a run of over 800 pages, there's plenty to absorb.

I've had the pleasure of reading several of these manuals over the years, and each time I discover something new. I'm not only referring to features introduced in the latest version of the OS, but details that have been present for a while.

Help Net Security readers are probably wondering about how much content in this book is closely targeted to their interests. You'll be glad to hear that Pogue writes about backup, managing accounts and networking. Most importantly, you can learn about Gatekeeper, a security feature that helps prevent users from unknowingly downloading and installing malicious software. It's one of those features that will make a difference in the long run.

We live in a world where free wireless access is an everyday thing, but so are the bad guys trying to spy on people's online activities. Users that need additional security or are frequently on the road can familiarize themselves with remote connections, virtual private networking, SSH and web sharing.

Even though most people's first encounter with OS X is a machine that has it pre-installed, Pogue illustrates the OS installation process while outlining the hardware and psychological requirements. You never know when you might need it.

The book closes with a list of secret OS X keystrokes, including those you can press during start-up. It's not an extended list, but one that has the potential to streamline your workflow if you embrace it.

Final thoughts

This is not just another book about OS X Mountain Lion, it's a valuable and comprehensive guide that will aid novices resolve a variety of issues while learning how to use the OS. It will also help knowledgeable users get a fast grip on everything new with OS X 10.8. I have to agree with O'Reilly, it's the book that should have been in the box.