About the Author

Bob LeVitus, often referred to as “Dr. Mac,” has written or co-written nearly 70 popular computer books, including iPhone For Dummies, iPad For Dummies, OS X For Dummies for every version of OS X since time immemorial, all for John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Stupid Mac Tricks and Dr. Macintosh for Addison-Wesley; and The Little iTunes Book and The Little iDVD Book for Peachpit Press. His books have sold millions of copies worldwide.

Bob has penned the popular Dr. Mac column for the Houston Chronicle since 1996 and has been published in dozens of computer magazines over the past 25 years. His achievements have been documented in major media around the world. (Yes, that was him juggling a keyboard in USA Today a few years back!)

Bob is known for his expertise, trademark humorous style, and ability to translate techie jargon into usable and fun advice for regular folks. Bob is also a prolific public speaker, presenting more than 100 Macworld Expo training sessions in the U.S. and abroad, Macworld keynote addresses in three countries, and Macintosh training seminars in many U.S. cities. (He also won the Macworld Expo MacJeopardy World Championship three times before retiring his crown.)

Bob is considered a leading authority on Apple technology. From 1986 to 1989, he served as Editor in Chief of MACazine; from 1989 to 1997, he was a contributing editor/columnist for MacUser magazine, writing the Help Folder, Beating the System, Personal Best, and Game Room columns at various times.

In his copious spare time, Bob heads up a team of expert technical consultants who do nothing but provide technical help and training to Mac, iPhone, and iPad users via telephone, e-mail, and/or unique Internet-enabled remote control software that allows the team to see and control your Mac no matter where in the world you may be.

If you're having problems with your Mac, you ought to give them a try. You'll find them at www.boblevitus.com or 408-627-7577.

Prior to giving his life over to computers, LeVitus was an ad man at Kresser/Craig/D.I.K. (a Los Angeles advertising agency and marketing consultancy) and its subsidiary, L & J Research. He holds a B.S. in marketing from California State University.

Dedication

For the sixty-seventh or sixty-eighth time (I’ve lost count), this book is dedicated to the love of my life, my wife and best friend, Lisa, who taught me almost everything I know about almost everything I know except computers.

And, again for the sixty-seventh or sixty-eighth time, this book is also dedicated to my kids-who-aren’t-really-kids-anymore, Allison and Jacob, who love their Apple gadgets almost as much as I love them (Allison and Jacob, of course, not the gadgets).

Author’s Acknowledgments

Thanks to super-agent, Carole “Swifty” Jelen, who has represented me for as long as I’ve been a writer. It’s been well over 20 years, and you are still the greatest agent on earth.

Special thanks to everyone at Apple who helped me turn this book around in record time: Keri Walker, Monica Sarkar, Janette Barrios, Greg (Joz) Joswiak, Teresa Brewer, and all the rest. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Big-time thanks to the gang at Wiley: Bob “Worry-Free” Woerner, Pat “In Need of a Nickname” O’Brien, Andy “The Big Boss” Cummings, Barry “Still No Humorous Nickname” Pruett, my longtime technical editor Dennis R. Cohen, who (as usual) did a rocking job, and to everyone else at Wiley and the bookstores that help bring my books to you.

Thanks also to my family and friends for putting up with me during my all-too-lengthy absences during this book’s gestation.

Super-special thanks to Saccone’s Pizza, Sodastream, The Garden Spot Café & Catering, The Noble Pig, and J. Mueller Meat Company for sustenance.

And last but certainly not least, thanks to you, gentle reader, for buying this book.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

Executive Editor: Bob Woerner

Project Editor: Pat O’Brien

Copy Editor: Melba Hopper

Technical Editor: Dennis Cohen

Editorial Assistant: Anne Sullivan

Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case

Project Coordinator: Sheree Montgomery

Cover Image: Front Cover image: ©iStockphoto.com/EpicStockMedia