Date: Mon, 08 Aug 1994 12:35:07 -0600 (MDT) From: "Rob Slade, Ed. DECrypt & ComNet, VARUG rep, 604-984-4067" Subject: "Macintosh First Aid Kit" by Kerwien BKMACFAK.RVW 940510 Hayden Books 11711 N. College Ave., Suite 140 Carmel, IN 46032-5634 317-573-2500 317-581-3535 800-428-5331 800-428-3804 or 201 West 103rd St. Indianapolis, IN 46290 317-581-3718 fax: 317-581-4669 hayden@hayden.com haydenbks@aol.com 76350.3014@compuserve.com "Macintosh First Aid Kit", Kerwien, 1993, 1-56830-063-8, U$19.95/C$24.95 Some "first aid" kits assume you have the background to attempt open heart surgery. Others are extremely simple--but don't deal with any problems. Kerwien steers a very nice middle course, here, between the two extremes. Hundreds of problems are examined--but all suggestions are clear, simple, and use the resources that came with the system. The book is well organized. Chapter two gives some basic tactical advice on troubleshooting, while twelve suggests useful maintenance tips in order to avoid trouble. In between, the topics of startup, system, finder, fonts and sounds, printing, applications, viruses, memory, and file sharing are covered in the usual problem/solution format. Kerwien's suggestions consistently maintain a simple level throughout the book. I read the chapter on viral programs with special interest (of course). It really doesn't say anything beyond, "Get an antiviral and use it." The directions seem, however, to be disposed towards the use of Disinfectant, or a similar product. Oddly, the chapter insists that Disinfectant is on the disk included with the book, while it isn't listed in any of the other documentation. The programs which are included on the disk comprise three freeware programs to help manage extensions, get SCSI information, and optionally boot from multiple system files, plus the Apple Disk First Aid program, and two "crippleware" versions of commercial utilities, one for diagnosis and one for crash recovery. For the average non-technical Mac user, an excellent "kit" to have handy. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKMACFAK.RVW 940510 ====================== DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 BCVAXLUG ConVAXtion, Vancouver, BC, Oct. 13 & 14, 1994 contact vernc@decus.ca