Computer Media

By Rachel Singer Gordon -- Library Journal, 8/21/2008 4:50:00 PM

Apple

Apple gets a lot of press relative to its desktop computer market share, and Macs are becoming an ever more popular option. Public libraries should carry guides to the current version of Mac OS X and Leopard, as well as to hotter Apple products (the iPhone, the iPod).

Hart-Davis, Guy. Mac OS X Leopard QuickSteps. Osborne/McGraw-Hill. 2008. 228p. ISBN 978-0-07-154978-3. pap. $19.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
This basic full-color introduction to OS X Leopard is best for absolute beginners and visual learners. Plentiful labeled screenshots and step-by-step instructions walk readers through common tasks, while "QuickSteps" and "QuickFacts" sidebars add information without extraneous background or explanations. A good choice for public libraries who find their patrons buying or switching to Macs and for users wanting to get up and running quickly.

Pogue, David & Derrick Story. iPhoto ’08: The Missing Manual. Pogue Pr: O’Reilly. 2008. 407p. ISBN 978-0-596-51618-5. pap. $34.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Part of the iLife ’08 suite (see Computer Media, LJ 1/08), iPhoto let users easily edit, organize, and distribute digital photos. Some new features in ’08 covered here include the"Events" organizer tool, photo flagging and hiding, .Mac Web galleries, better editing tools, and editing from the page layout mode. For beginners, the full-color Missing Manual starts with an introduction to buying and using digital cameras—including material on taking better pictures to start with!—then covers iPhoto basics, ways to export and distribute photos, and how to move beyond the basics. Clear, thorough, and highly recommended for public libraries.

Seibold, Chris. Big Book of Apple Hacks: Tips & Tools for Unlocking the Power of Your Apple Devices. O’Reilly. 2008. 627p. ISBN 978-0-596-52982-6. pap. $34.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
This hefty collection of tips, tricks, and hacks for intermediate to advanced users covers a range of Apple products: Mac OS X, iLife, iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV. The difficulty level of each hack is indicated, and topics range widely across the Apple spectrum: from rolling your own web server to killing Dashboard; from running Windows on your Mac to jailbreaking the iPhone; from approximating .Mac with free tools to using your Mac as a weather-monitoring station. Click here for the companion site. Power users will love exploring the variety of hacks herein, and larger libraries already owning basic guides will want to add.

Wang, Wallace. My New Mac: 52 Simple Projects To Get You Started. No Starch. 2008. 451p. ISBN 978-1-59327-164-0. pap. $29.95. COMPUTER BOOKS
More thorough than Hart-Davis's QuickSteps (see above), this book shows readers the capabilities of their Macintosh computers by walking them through 52 real-world projects, from "slapping parental controls on your kids" to "making email look pretty." Beginners will learn to use their Mac by performing hands-on, step-by-step activities, and most will run across abilities they didn’t even know their machine had. A good supplement to more basic beginner’s guides, this will help new users take the next step. For medium and larger public libraries.

eBay

eBay (see Computer Media, LJ 5/15/08) remains the undisputed behemoth of online auction sites despite recent seller-angering changes to their feedback system. Here, two guides for those wanting to make a business out of their eBay activities.

Collier, Marsha. eBay PowerSeller Business Practices For Dummies. Wiley. 2008. 430p. ISBN 978-0-470-16842-4. pap. $29.99 with CD-ROM. COMPUTER BOOKS
Targeting eBay sellers who want to achieve PowerSeller status and new PowerSellers burning to know what to do next, this title collects best practices and tips for maximizing eBay income and experience. The information ranges from posting images to avoiding scams to keeping accurate books, while the CD contains freeware, shareware, and demo versions of useful software for sellers, training videos, and author-created tools. The two-column layout is annoying, but coverage is solid. Step-by-step instructions show how easy it is to accomplish seemingly complex tasks. Recommended for public libraries.

Ennico, Cliff. The eBay Business Answer Book: The 350 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Making Big Money on eBay. AMACOM. 2008. 310p. ISBN 978-0-8144-0045-6. pap. $19.95. COMPUTER BOOKS
Who wouldn’t want to make big money on eBay? Ennico, an instructor at eBay University, targets those wanting to make the jump from hobby selling to creating a real online business. This collection of FAQs addresses sellers’ common concerns; questions are collected under larger broad topics like "Do I Really Have a Business Here," "What Can I Deduct on My Tax Return?" and "I Just Got a Buyer from Timbuktu. What Do I Do Now?" Appendixes include resources, a guide to finding answers on eBay’s site, things to think about before posting a question on the eBay community, nonbusiness books for sellers, deductible and nondeductible expenses, and selecting a legal entity. Down-to-earth, real-world advice and comprehensive coverage make this a great buy for public libraries.

JavaScript

While JavaScript gets a lot of press—and a lot of use—it doesn’t always get a lot of respect among programmers who see it as a lightweight toy rather than a serious programming language. These titles take on this myth and aim to dispel people’s preconceptions of the language.

Adams, Cameron & others. The Art & Science of JavaScript. Sitepoint. 2008. 258p. ISBN 978-0-9802858-4-0. pap. 39.95. COMPUTER BOOKS
For intermediate developers, this full-color work explores the language’s possibilities, with an emphasis on best practices throughout. Clear, accessible content encompasses having fun with tables, debugging and profiling with Firebug, and creating Flickr and Google Maps mashups. Click here for online code. While not all examples have immediate practical value, readers will learn something from each; a nice addition to libraries already owning introductory guides.

Chambers, Mike & others. Adobe AIR for JavaScript Developers Pocket Guide. O’Reilly. 2008. 185p. ISBN 978-0-596-51837-0. pap. $19.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Focusing on building HTML and JavaScript applications with Adobe AIR, a new cross-platform desktop application runtime, this book begins with an introduction to Adobe AIR, walks readers through getting started with development and working with JavaScript and HTML, and wraps up with a "mini-cookbook." An appendix lists AIR JavaScript aliases. A succinct how-to that could benefit from more real-world examples. It's small size means it might get lost on library shelves. An optional purchase for academic libraries serving computer science curricula.

Crockford, Douglas. JavaScript: The Good Parts. O’Reilly. 153p. ISBN 978-0-596-51774-8. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
For those with programming experience in any language, this title focuses on using the "good parts" of JavaScript in order to write better programs. The author targets what he calls an elegant subset hidden by unfortunately ugly "bad parts." Along the way, he helps counter the myth that JavaScript is nothing more than a toy, showing how powerful it can be when used correctly. Chapters cover good parts, grammar, objects, functions, inheritance, arrays, regular expressions, methods, style, and beautiful features, while appendixes cover awful parts, bad parts, JSLint, syntax diagrams, and JSON. This extremely clear and useful guide is highly recommended for larger libraries already owning introductory how-tos.

Web 2.0

Although Web 2.0 gets a lot of buzz, it also attracts a lot of argument as to just what it means and what it means for our interactions with businesses and one other. Here, find several different takes on these questions.

Electronic Tribes: The Virtual Worlds of Geeks, Gamers, Shamans, and Scammers. Univ. of Texas Pr. 2008. 315p. ed. by Tyrone L. Adams & Stephen A. Smith. ISBN 978-0-292-71774-9. pap. $24.95. COMPUTER BOOKS
Much has been written about the self-selected nature of online community. This collection of academic essays, though, takes a variety of methodological approaches, ranging from social constructionism to deindividuation theory, in discussing "e-tribes" as distinct from community. It also delves into the idea of tribes as homogeneous, sometimes narrow groups that can devolve into becoming exclusionary, even racist. Notable in its unflinching look at both the darker and the positive sides of "electronic tribes," this anthology is appropriate for academic libraries.

Rutledge, Patrice-Anne. The Truth About Profiting from Social Networking. QUE: Pearson. 2008. 206p. ISBN 978-0-7897-3788-5. pap. $18.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Focusing on the strategic use of social networking, this book talks about changing your approach and thinking in a Web 2.0 world in order to connect with a wider audience. Succinct (i.e., three-page) chapters outline 50 "truths" of social networking, which range from "Social networking is a lot more than MySpace and YouTube" to "You don’t have to follow the trends just because they’re there." Tips on why and how to get involved help newbies dip their toes into various social networks and avoid making errors by using outdated paradigms. Coverage is somewhat superficial, but this friendly introduction will be useful to beginners and those just wanting to find out what the social networking phenomenon is all about. For public libraries.

Shuen, Amy. Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide. O’Reilly. 2008. 243p. ISBN 978-0-596-52996-3. $24.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
This book focuses on how businesses can capitalize on Web 2.0 and the shift in thinking required for success in a Web 2.0 world. On the face of it, Web 2.0 business models can seem fuzzy, if not downright counterintuitive. Shuen explains why Web 2.0 matters, highlighting success stories and demystifying the process of monetizing the phenomenon, building relationships across these new networks, and finding strategies for integrating Web 2.0 into your current organization. Click here for the companion site. This is a welcome addition to the wealth of material on Web 2.0, providing thorough explanations of why and how it makes an impact on the way we need to do business—without the hype. Recommended for larger libraries.

Windows Server 2008

All larger public and academic libraries should purchase guide to the new version of Windows Server, given its dramatic changes from Windows Server 2003.

Hassell, Jonathan. Windows Server 2008: The Definitive Guide. O’Reilly. 2008. 474p. ISBN 978-0-596-51411-2. pap. $54.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
A useful first look at Windows Server 2008, this guide will be especially helpful to administrators considering an upgrade from Windows Server 2003 and who just want to get up and running quickly. New features and changes are highlighted throughout and outlined briefly in the first chapter. Readers will welcome clear though brief coverage of more complex topics like Active Directory and newer topics like Hyper-V. A straightforward reference focusing on everyday tasks, this is a solid choice for working sysadmins as well as larger public libraries.

Ruest, Danielle & Nelson Ruest. Microsoft Windows Server 2008: The Complete Reference. Osborne/McGraw-Hill. 2008. 826p. ISBN 978-0-07-226365-7. pap. $49.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Thorough coverage of new features in Windows Server 2008 makes this a great reference for upgraders; thorough coverage of installing, using, administering, and securing Server 2008 also renders this a great reference for working administrators. This all-in-one guide comprehensively covers planning for a successful migration and walks readers through the migration process. It also includes more background on new virtualization and other features than does Hassell's Definitive Guide (see above). Click here for the companion site. Highly recommended for larger public libraries.

ZBrush

ZBrush is 3-D modeling software that enables CG artists to create digitally just as they would do traditional sculpting or painting. These guides will be appropriate for academic libraries serving design programs and for large public libraries.

Keller, Eric. Introducing ZBrush. Sybex: Wiley. 2008. 443p. ISBN 978-0-470-26279-5. pap. $39.99 with DVD. COMPUTER BOOKS
For ZBrush beginners, this title walks readers step by step through using features from painting with pixols to using plugins and ZScripts. Its DVD contains tutorial files, video lessons, a ZBrush trial, and macros. Although the title could really benefit from color, its content is useful, its examples are practical, and its writing is clear. A solid choice for libraries serving design programs.

Spencer, Scott. ZBrush Character Creation: Advanced Digital Sculpting. Sybex: Wiley. 2008. 329p. ISBN 978-0-470-24996-3. pap. $49.99 with DVD. COMPUTER BOOKS
This full color, lavishly illustrated guide for intermediate users written by a ZBrush instructor and digital sculptor focuses on using ZBrush for character sculpting and painting. The DVD contains video tutorials, exercise files, a ZBrush trial, and supplementary text, while the author’s web site has additional tutorials. Highlights here include sidebars from experienced ZBrush artists, as well as an ongoing emphasis on artistry and the relationship between ZBrush and traditional sculpting techniques—taking the title beyond mere how-to. Highly recommended for libraries serving design programs; purchase in conjunction with introductory guides like Keller's Introducing ZBrush (see above).