With success stories you’ve heard on the App Store for both iOS (Angry Birds comes to mind) or the Mac App Store (Pixelmator is a good example), you may be tempted to risk your own time and money to follow their success. In this review, I focus on two type of books. The first two books are about building a good business plan, while the last three will go deeper into the technology you need to build that app and put it for sale.
You will probably learn that it sounds easier than it really is, but nothing is impossible. Also note that for programming books, they are almost obsolete (or are missing last key features) the day they get on the shelves. So consider them as starter course, and not as the all you can eat menu.
Robin Williams Cool Mac Apps, Third Edition
by John Tollett with Robin Williams
Peachpit Press
ISBN 978-0-321-50896-6, 511 pages
$24.99 US, $26.99 CN, £17.99 UK (many online discounts)
Cool Mac Apps is the best book for understanding how to use the creativity and productivity software that Apple includes on all Macs: iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iTunes, Mail, Address Book, iChat, Bonjour, Safari, iCal, Dashboard, Photo Booth, and Time Machine. In one substantial, affordable volume, readers learn what’s what, so they can fully use as many of these fine applications as they want or need to.
Chapter lengths vary depending upon how important John and Robin consider the different apps to be, and how much you can actually do with them. Their iPhoto opening chapter is a book in itself that is worth most of the modest price of the entire assemblage. The same can be said for the units on iMovie, iDVD, iTunes, and Mail. Whatever your interest, you’ll agree that “just right” is the number of pages, screen shots, and tutorials devoted per application.
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