 Great price/book/content
All around, yet another hit from the Missing Manual series!
I'm well versed in most things computer, so computer books often either are way under my interest level or are very technical in nature. This is a great mix of advanced techniques taught in a quick and understandable way.
I'm actually using iLife '06, but haven't hit any major roadbumps between the content in the book and the '06 apps.
Great stuff - now I'm drooling over the iPhoto specific book - I want to dig even deeper into that app now that I understand the basics!
THE LIFE OF ILIFE '05!!
Do you need to harness cutting-edge technology for your own creative expression and entertainment? If you do, you're in luck! Author David Pogue, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that doesn't require you to be a professional working for a media conglomerate to read it.
Pogue, begins by discussing how to use iTunes 4 for managing, playing, buying and sharing digital music. Then, he discusses how to use the iPhoto 5 program for downloading photos from your digital camera, and organizing, sharing, and printing them. The author continues by describing how to use the iMoves HD program for editing footage from a digital camcorder, adding effects, sound, and credits, and then presenting the result. Next, he details how to use GarageBand 2 for composing and recording terrific-sounding songs of your own. Then, the author provides an overview of how to use the iDVD 5 program for burning DVDs containing the movies, music, and photos from iTunes, iPhotos, iMoves, and GarageBand. Finally, he explains how to troubleshoot the preceding programs.
This most excellent book packages iDVD 5, iTunes, iPhotos, iMoves, and GarageBand come in a single package called iLife '05. In other words, if you've mastered all of the preceding information, you have all of the technical background you need to enjoy iLife '05: The Missing Manual.
Can't miss with anything in this series...
iLife '05 is the fifth Missing Manual I've purchased. I find them helpful, informative, and fun to read. The chapter layout is logical and fluid, the index is thorough, and the entire manual is chock full of color (!) illustrations.
The first few chapters will walk the beginner through iTunes and the iTunes Music store. There is even a chapter on managing your iPod.
Next is iPhoto, Apple's image browser-librarian-editor. Like Apple's software, there is more than first meets the eye in these pages.
Section three covers iMovie, from working with your camcorder through producing something worth burning to DVD...leading seamlessly to
Section four, exploring iDVD. Both general concepts and insider-like tips abound.
Section five covers GarageBand. All the above sections are much more accessable and thorough than Apple's Help system. This Missing Manual closes with more than 50 pages of troubleshooting tips for the 5 software titles, and an excellent index.
The whole book is a pleasure to read, browse, or just to hold in the hand (though it's heavy--nothing skimpy about it). I find myself reading some sections completely and diving in for a just a few pages in others. A must have if you own iLife '05--whhich can be had for a song now that iLife '06 is out.
Essential information for iLife 05 users
This is a good book for understanding all of the applications included in iLife 05. Note, however, that iLife 06 has been released with a host of new features, and thus depending on whether or not you intend to upgrade, this book may have a limited lifespan of usefulness at this point in time. As of iLife '06, iLife consists of six components: iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb. However, if you intend to stick with iLife 05 for awhile, you couldn't ask for a better guide. Basically, what the author has done is condense his Mac missing manual series of books- iMovie&DVD, iPhoto, iTunes&iPod, and GarageBand - into one volume. I have some of the missing manuals for the individual applications, and I compared the individual books with the applicable sections in this book, and they seem to be equitable in quality. The only thing you are really missing is some of Pogue's insight into using the applications - for example, some pointers on film-making in the case of the iMovie&iDVD book versus this book. There also seem to be more advanced user and customization information in the individual "Missing Manual" books versus this book, so perhaps power-users would be better off buying the individual missing manuals on the applications. I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents, so I do that here for the purpose of completeness:
PART 1: iTunes
1. Getting Music into iTunes
2. Getting Music out of iTunes
3. Managing Your Music
4. The iTunes Music Store
5. The iPod Connection
PART 2: iPhoto
6. Camera Meets Mac
7. The Digital Shoebox
8. Editing Your Shots
9. The iPhoto Slideshow
10. Prints and Books
11. Photos Online - and Your Network
12. iPhoto File Management
PART 3: iMovie
13. Camcorder Meets Mac
14. Building the Movie
15. Transitions and Effects
16. Titles, Captions, and Credits
17. Narration, Music, and Sound
18. Still Pictures and Quicktime Movies
19. Finding Your Audience
PART 4: iDVD
20. From iMovie to iDVD
21. iDVD Projects By Hand
22. Advanced iDVD
PART 5: GarageBand
23. Setting Up the Garage
24. Loops
25. Regions
26. Software Instruments (MIDI)
27. Recording and Editing Live Audio
28. Effects, Guitar Amps, and Instrument Models
29. Mixing and Publishing
PART 6: Troubleshooting
30. Troubleshooting iTunes
31. Troubleshooting iPhoto
32. Troubleshooting iMovie
33. Troubleshooting iDVD
34. Troubleshooting GarageBand
Covers all the major features and functions of iLife: iTunes, iPhoto 5, Garage Band 2 and more
David Pogue's iLife 05: The Missing Manual covers all the major features and functions of iLife: iTunes, iPhoto 5, Garage Band 2 and more. These are all key cornerstones of the Mac's popularity and here are revealed by a weekly computer columnist for the New York Times who is himself a Macintosh author. From producing polished music recordings with no prior experience to using information panels, effects panes, film rolls and other features of iLife 05, you simply can't be without this book if you own the program. The full color screen examples packed throughout make it hard to mess up.
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