Posts Tagged ‘review’

by Diane Petersen, Kachemacs

Author: David Pogue

Publisher: O’Reilly Media

Publisher website: www.oreilly.com

Price: $24.99 retail (don’t forget about the MUG discount!)

I remember the day I got my iPhone. I upgraded from no phone to my iPhone 3G. I never knew how much I would come to depend on this little white gadget. I learned a lot on my own, but even almost a year later this book has taught me some new things.

I wish I would have had this book when I actually got my phone instead of waiting for the year that it took for me to get a copy. The book is written in clear and basic language. One doesn’t need to be a total geek to be able to use the hints in this book. I found the wealth of colored plates containing examples of screenshots very helpful in visualizing the tips that Mr. Pogue introduced in the different chapters. In the formatting I found plenty of tips inserted on the pages highlighted in yellow. Also the paragraphs themselves use color to highlight the paths for the user to take to mimic the examples.

One thing to note is that this book is the Second Edition. This means that the book covers the 3G version of the iPhone. When I got my iPhone 3G, the documentation in the box was extremely sparse. It’s almost a necessity to pick up a book like this in order to use the iPhone to its full potential. I highly recommend this particular book to serve that purpose. It provides great information for every one: newbies, cellphone junkies, and even geeks.

Overall rating: 5 (Excellent!)

by Cheryl Riley, Kachemacs

Title: MacBook Pro Portable Genius
Author: Brad Miser
Publisher: Wiley, Inc
Price: $25.00

As a beginner in the Apple Computer World and a new MacBook Pro user I found this book very useful. First of all it is set-up and written in such a way that a beginner can navigate through various tasks easily. It is also easy to find the topic you are looking for and written simply enough that a beginner can work through each step of a process without getting lost. It doesn’t give you that overwhelming feeling that you can’t figure it out without help.

Key Features:

Table of Contents:

The Table of Contents is a very important tool in finding your way around. I like the way each chapter starts with a common question and then gives you the tools to answer that question and more. It was easy to locate the information I needed to complete a particular task.

Visual:

The book is colorful and the pictures, screens, and layouts are large and easy to read and follow.

Layout:

The layout is easy to follow and written simply enough that a beginner can navigate without hesitation. There is not too much information that you get bogged down with detail. Once you have a good understanding of the basics it makes it easier to understand more advanced material.

Tips:

The Genius tips are very helpful once you have worked through the task you can then go back and read the tips to find an easier or quicker way to accomplish it.

I would highly recommend this book to a beginner MacBook Pro user. I have reviewed other books but this one was very user friendly.

Thanks for your time and allowing me to review this book.
Cheryl Riley
Kachemacs Computer User Group Member

BudFits

by Diane Petersen, Kachemacs

Manufacturer URL: www.budfits.com
Distributor: Amazon
Price: $8.99

Pros: Makes better use of an item most people already have. Discreet.
Cons: Takes up all the slack in the cord so built in microphone is behind the ear. Difficult to place around ear.

Anyone who has an iPod or an iPhone knows about those headsets you get with them. They look okay until you try to use them. They don’t even come with the foam earbud protectors anymore. They’re not cheap to buy, on the Apple website they cost $29 to replace. I always hate to throw them away, so they end up in a drawer somewhere. They would make good spares, I guess.

Now, before everyone gouges out their ear canals, there’s a new product which might make these headphones usable. Innovelis has come out with a new product called BudFits. The BudFits are silicone ear clips which hook to the earbuds in order to loop them around the ears and secure them snugly. They come in various colors; mine are white to match the white of the earphones. They look a lot like the earpieces of some of the fancy Bluetooth headsets they make for cell phones. But do they work?

The BudFits were rather easy to attach to my earbuds. The piece just clicks over the stem of the earbud and holds the cord within a groove. With some effort, the assembly can be maneuvered around the top ear lobe and the earbud can be fit into the ear. Once in place, the BudFits and earbuds do not seem to budge. The BudFits certainly alleviate the problem of the sharp edges of the earbuds being crammed into the ear canal. They seem a lot more comfortable than the earbuds alone.

On my spare set of Apple earbuds, which I keep in my car, I use a set of clip-on silicone in-ear adapters. These needed to be removed before the BudFits would seat properly. The jury is still out on which assembly is more comfortable, however, the BudFits take more effort in getting them situated properly.

If I’m going to be using my Apple headset for an extended period of time the BudFits will definitely make that time bearable. If I will be taking the headset on and off frequently, the BudFits will get in the way. For the price, the BudFits are an economical way to make the stock Apple headphones useful.

I give the BudFits by Innovelis a rating of 4.