Rating: 

Migrating from Mac OS 10.3.9 Panther to 10.5.1 Leopard, I found the Mac OS X Leopard Pocket Guide a very useful resource. The Guide describes the new features of Leopard, as well as additional features and how they may differ from those in the earlier Mac OS X. The Guide is formatted into seven Chapters which cover: What’s New in Leopard; Mac OS Survival Guide; Mac OS X Basics; System Preferences; Applications and Utilities; Configuring your Mac, and lastly Special Characters. Each chapter provides a wealth of information on the different features of this OS and provides cross-referencing to other sections of the book where applicable. As well, Mr. Toporek also provides the reader with Warnings, Tips and Notes within the various sections as part of getting acquainted with the latest “Cat”.

As a long time Mac user, I found the inclusion of “navigation to the applications” descriptions as well as the “Tips” most helpful. On a negative note, I had some difficulty reading many of the Figures illustrating the points being discussed. While the Figures were supposed to provide a synopsis for the item being discussed, I felt that many of these images were too small at 3” x 2”. The difficulty in understanding the Figures distracted from the discussion. More than once I had to reach for my photo loop to see what was being illustrated.

While most of the information is presented in a logical manner, there were some items that I would have liked more information. First, I would like to have seen more than two lines on the use of the Migration Assistant, which allows you to transfer data from one machine to another. Second, the Guide could have discussed how to import a different “Mail” program into the Leopard’s Mail Program and what to expect. Finally, I found many minor changes to the Leopard OS difficult to remember, but the Guide did cover them.

In all, the Guide is an excellent companion to an excellent operating system.