Press releases

Missing AppleWorks Manual Found

Press release: May 24, 2000

Sebastopol, CA--If you prefer a more streamlined alternative to the bloat and complexity of Microsoft Sport-Utility Programs, AppleWorks 6 is the stealth office suite. Hugely popular in classrooms, colleges, and small offices, it's got word processing, graphics, database, web design, spreadsheet, and slide-show functions in a single, beautifully integrated application. "AppleWorks is no longer the wimpy jack-of-all-trades it may have been several versions ago," says Jim Elferdink, co-author of the new book "AppleWorks 6: The Missing Manual." "It is a serious contender as a productivity suite for home, school, and office."

And so every year, AppleWorks arrives in the hands of four million Apple iMac and iBook buyers. There it sits on the hard drive, a masterpiece of smooth integration and clever interface design, accompanied by templates, art libraries, and fonts--and no printed instructions. "AppleWorks 6: The Missing Manual" is the book that should have been in the box.

In "AppleWorks 6: The Missing Manual", authors Jim Elferdink and David Reynolds guide the reader through both the basics and the hidden talents of the new AppleWorks, placing special emphasis on version 6's enhanced word processing, Internet, and presentation features. "AppleWorks 6 began shipping in February--with many bugs!" says Elferdink. "Apple released an updater (6.0.3) just as the book was going to press, so we were able to get some information about it in the book. The updater fixes most of the problems with the original release (thank God!) restoring speed and stability to the program."

"AppleWorks 6: The Missing Manual' readers will be able to work around AppleWorks 6's most annoying shortcomings while making the most out of its killer new features," adds co-author David Reynolds. "The book is honestly packed with good stuff. There's nothing like it out there--Jim Elferdink set the tone and the structure, David Pogue added style and humor, and I added some sweat equity--eww! It's actually an entertaining read. Not easy for a computer manual."

"AppleWorks 6: The Missing Manual" covers:

  • What's new. The authors place special emphasis on easing the transition into the new AppleWorks 6 interface, its Internet hooks, the Starting Points window, and the new Presentation Module.

  • Part by part. The early chapters delve very deeply into the six core AppleWorks modules, including 85 pages on the word processor alone.

  • Power tools. Much of AppleWorks' power comes from its macros, templates, assistants, customizable Button bar, and Web-based clip-art libraries.

  • Document exchange. AppleWorks 6 can no longer export Word and Excel files. But this book covers exchanging documents with other programs, versions, and platforms--and includes a 25% discount coupon for MacLink Plus, which restores the file-conversion feature.

  • Troubleshooting. Because this book isn't an Apple publication, the authors freely acknowledge the program's weaknesses--and offer workarounds. Witty and jargon-free, "AppleWorks 6: The Missing Manual" treats AppleWorks as the serious productivity tool it is. With over 250 illustrations, a 2,000-entry index, and a menu-by-menu explanation of every command, "AppleWorks 6: The Missing Manual" is as smoothly put together as AppleWorks itself.

About the Missing Manual series:
Microsoft does it. Apple does it. Adobe, Netscape, and FileMaker do it. Almost every major software company, in fact, sells increasingly sophisticated software without a printed manual. To cut costs and save production time, today's software companies don't offer physical instruction manuals at all. Instead, you're expected to learn these complex programs by reading electronic help screens. One technical writer finally became inspired enough to do something about the problem. David Pogue, bestselling Mac author, has teamed with O'Reilly to launch a new imprint, Pogue Press, dedicated to producing beautifully written manuals for popular consumer software and hardware products. O'Reilly/Pogue Press is pleased to introduce its new line: the Missing Manual series.

About the Authors:
Jim Elferdink owns Macs for the Masses, a well-known consulting company, and teaches AppleWorks. David Reynolds is the executive editor of MacAddict magazine, one of the most popular Mac sites found on the Web.

Online Resources:

AppleWorks 6: The Missing Manual
Jim Elferdink & David Reynolds
1st First Edition May 2000
1-56592-858-X, 450 pages, $19.95
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938

About O’Reilly

For over 40 years, O’Reilly has provided technology and business training, knowledge, and insight to help companies succeed. Our unique network of experts and innovators share their knowledge and expertise through the company’s SaaS-based training and learning platform. O’Reilly delivers highly topical and comprehensive technology and business learning solutions to millions of users across enterprise, consumer, and university channels. For more information, visit www.oreilly.com.

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