Acknowledgments

If you've never written a book before ”let alone edited one ”it's hard to comprehend just how much time it takes to write a bunch of words and take a few screenshots. While working on this book, I spent many nights writing alone into the wee hours. Of course, this meant that I missed a lot time with my wife, our kitty Max, family, friends , and my bike; those who mean the most to me deserve a great deal of thanks. You're about to read more "Thank-You's" than what you'll hear on Oscar night, but trust me, these are well-placed and I won't get on my soapbox and preach politics at you.

First and foremost, I need to thank my wife, Kellie, for putting up with me taking on another solo book project, and for understanding that I'd rather be writing than editing most days. Kel puts up with a lot from me ”writing, editing, ranting about writing and editing ”and still manages to keep me around the house.

Thanks to my family for their support and encouragement with everything I do ( especially through all those bike accidents). On my side of the fam, we have my folks, Greg and Carol, my brothers, Skip, Jerry, and Doug, their wives, children, pets, etc. On the in-law side, I'd like to thank Red (Bob) and Carole, Sheri and Jason and their munchkins, Mazzy and Aiden, and last but not least, Jeff.

Other friends I'd like to thank include (in alphabetical order this time so there's no fuss about who was listed first): Shirley Brooks, Kirk and Lisa Elrod (and the rest of the Elrod clan), James Duncan Davidson, Katie and Joe Johnson, Jamie Lavery, Susan Nimmo, Marsha Petty, Greg Tocco, and Bill Whytock and Rowan (the Happy Dog ). Thanks for understanding that your dorky friend, Chuck, likes to write and play with computers, and sorry that I couldn't hang with you all those times when you wanted to go out and party. (But I do appreciate those of you who realized my Kryptonite was ice cream.)

Many thanks to the good folks at Apple, especially those of you on the .Mac team, for providing valuable feedback on early drafts of this book, and for welcoming me into your department for a week to make final tweaks to the manuscript. While I can't say who you are without causing ripples on the Loop, this book wouldn't have been as complete (or accurate) without your guidance and input. Thanks!

I know this one's odd, but I'd like to thank the cartoonists and comedians who have kept me laughing through the rough spots life has thrown my way. These kind folks (I can only presume, right?) include Bill Amend ( FoxTrot ), Berke Breathed ( Bloom County and Outland , Opus and Bill rule!), Dana Carvey, Bill Cosby, Michael Jantze ( The Norm ), Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, Bill Waterson ( Calvin & Hobbes ), and Robin Williams (yes, reality is just a concept).

Finally, this book is dedicated to the memory of my brother-in-law, Jeff Robinson. A faithful Mac user , my fourth brother, and a crack-up in his own right. Jeff passed away from complications of surgery for Crohn's disease soon after I started writing this book. A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the CHILD Foundation (Children with Intestinal and Liver Disorders) in Vancouver, British Columbia. Additional information about Crohn's disease can be found on CHILD's web site at http://www.child.ca. And while you're there, break out that wallet and make a donation, will ya?