Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Server Essentials (2nd Edition) (Apple Training)

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review




Apple OS X Server Essentials - waste of money, July 5, 2008
By Bob Patin
Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Server Essentials (2nd Edition) (Apple Training)

This book was a complete waste of money. I was looking for assistance with 2 things, neither of which were covered in any detail.

The first and biggest failing was with Mail Services; the entire discussion encompassed a small paragraph which basically states that mail services are available. No discussion of how to configure mail accounts, no discussion on how to get started with mail services. What I was looking for was a walk-through of setting up a new account that was easier to follow than Apple's PDF, which is so sketchy and poorly-written that it took me hours upon hours to figure out how to configure mail accounts.

I've read some excellent books whose goal was to demystify complex processes like server setup, but this is not one of them. Pass this book by.



nice presentation, some gaping holes in content (web hosting), March 8, 2008
By Joe Rama (Seattle, WA USA)
The second edition book reads well and is presented very nicely. What it presents it seems to do well.

However, it stops short of presenting some major key information. The biggest two I've noticed so far are a total lack of information on setting up web hosting SSL (security) and nothing on setting up Ruby On Rails on Leopard server. What a shame. I believe the author would do a great job on the basics of such topics.

With the oversights of SSL security and Ruby On Rails (the essential web service), I find the book disappointing as a guidebook to OSX server, and feel wary of expecting it to be comprehensive of the "Essentials" on any of its topics. It's a shame, because the style and hands-on feel with all the screen captures is very effective presentation wise. If the web hosting oversights weren't so gaping (YMMV), I would give the book four stars for excellent presentation of the basics.



Great reference for admins, February 20, 2008
By Mike Carter (San Jose, CA)
Regan and Pugh provide a pointed and clear overview of Leopard server fundamentals in their officially Apple-sanctioned guide book. The fact that it is targeted for admins, and geared for certification study kills two birds with one stone. I found the book very useful in bringing up a 10.5 server from install through providing distributed solutions via Netboot through tackling Apple's Open Directory. Overall, a very well-rounded reference I know I'll use over and over.



Great for certification, not very practical though, September 16, 2007
By D. Greenbaum (Lawrence, KS)
Peachpit's "Apple Training Series" is generally an outstanding product line. However, there are two distinct branches to the line: knowledge and certification. This book isn't designed as much to teach you about OS X Server (Tiger edition) as it is to prepare you for a certification exam. Nothing wrong with that, it just not terribly practical for real world operations. While I haven't taken the certifcation exam, I suspect this book prepares you well for the exam since it's the "offical" curriculum of the Apple Training and Cetification program.

Similiar to other test prep books, there are goals and reviews. In particular, the book breaks down the learning into chapters with time estimates, which is helpful in preparing your learning process. The included CD has sample files to go along with the detailed and expanded exercises. The book takes you through the basics of setting up a server start to finish along with giving an overview of the rich feature set found in OS X Server.

Unfortunately, simliar to other test prep books, the book doesn't arm you with the skills necessary to properly maintain and configure a Tiger server in the real world. There is no troubleshooting guide nor much practical advice on do's and don'ts of server setup. After reading this book, I'm relatively confident I could pass the exam, but I do not feel confident I could configure or maintain a Tiger server. Nonetheless, this book is a good first step in learning OS X server. You need no prior knowledge to start using this book and to at least get a test server set up.

Overall this is a good book for beginners and/or persons trying to get certified on OS X server. The book level from Peachpit says "Intermediate/Advanced". I disagree; this is strictly for new users. If you will be maintaining a OS X server, look elsewhere for a support guide. Anyone who's setup a OS X server will be annoyed by this book.

Pros: Clear examples and easy to follow guide for beginners
Cons: No troubleshooting nor practical guidance after initial setup

Two out of five dogcows



Passed Apple Certification exam with this book, February 21, 2007
By David Caruso (Boston)
While I have quite a bit of experience with Mac OS X Server 10.4, I still read this book cover-to-cover. It's a great read and you'll always find something you don't know. By reading this, I was easily able to pass Apple's ACTC Certification exam. Save yourself a lot of money and start with this book instead of the formal classes...then if you need more, try the Apple Training classes.