You'll find information on the new Keychain Security feature, Apple Verifier, and multiple user support. Plus, there's some material of special interest to iBook users (the iBook runs Mac OS 9) and a "fine-tuning" chapter that's packed with high-quality nuggets that don't fit well elsewhere.

The Visual QuickStart format centers on close integration of text and illustrations. Assuming almost nothing, it is well-suited for users who aren't sufficiently familiar with the Mac environment to explore much on their own. There's a spread, a page or two in length, for each of several hundred tasks (sending an electronic mail message and changing the default printer, to cite two examples). Each spread has a series of steps for you to follow, next to which appears a series of screen shots that show, comic-book style, what you're supposed to see as the process moves along. Langer gets a chance to share her deep knowledge of Mac OS intricacies in numerous tips and brief conceptual explanations. --David Wall