Those of you who have worked with us here at IvanExpert know that we have a philosophy behind what we do. We believe that computers should be fun, empowering, and easy to use. Macs should work for you, not the other way around. It’s one of the reasons why, when we come to help you, we try to understand what you need before we touch your technology — everyone needs something a little different, and we want to make your computer as approachable as possible.
It’s in this spirit that we’re pleased to highlight a fantastic series of ebooks called Take Control, published by our friends Adam and Tonya Engst. I’ve been subscribing to their weekly Mac-related newsletter TidBITS for 23 years, and it is still essential reading for anyone who wants real insight into Apple, and related, products.
Take Control books are written to be read by anyone, novices and power users alike, and start from the same place that we do: that computers are meant to be used by everyone, not techies. Each book (and there are many) is on a specific area of your Mac or iOS device. If you wish you could do more with your computer, but don’t know where to start, these books are the place.
The most recent is Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, Second Edition, by Joe Kissel. Joe is a very fine writer, and given how vital it is to back up, we can’t recommend it enough. The introduction says it all: “The data on every Mac should be backed up to protect you against theft, hardware failure, user error, and other catastrophes. This book helps you design a sensible backup strategy, choose and configure the best backup hardware and software for your needs, and understand how to make your backups as painless as possible.”
Other titles cover topics that many of our clients want to feel more capable with, such as:
- Managing passwords
- iCloud
- Dropbox
- iPad
- Mountain Lion
- Apple Mail
- iTunes
- Safari
And many, many more. Most books cost only $10-$15. (In November, you can also check out Take Control of Thanksgiving Dinner. This is not a joke.)
You can see the full catalog at http://www.takecontrolbooks.com. If there are any titles you find particularly valuable, please let us know!
(July 2013)