BeOS Bible, The

When the BeOS gained portability and could be run on PowerPCs and Intel-based hardware, its level of accessibility increased dramatically. As computer users make the switch from the operating systems they currently use to Be's explosively fast and legacy-free environment, thorough and informative documentation will ease their transition to this multimedia-enhancing powerhouse. Scot Hacker's The BeOS Bible supplies readers, recent BeOS converts, and knowledgeable Be developers with a wealth of information on the history, current state, and technical intricacies of this OS.

Hacker adequately introduces BeOS by providing a substantial chapter on the operating system's development chronology. In the second chapter, he provides a fairly exhaustive tour of BeOS and its abilities, including screen shots and explanations of the user interface, demonstrative graphics illustrating the use of menus, and descriptions of the bundled software that is included.

Once the tour is over, Hacker begins at ground zero, addressing more technical subjects in the order that you will most likely encounter them. Starting with the process of installation, he moves step by step into other topics ranging from the simple, such as accessing the Internet, to the more complex, such as turning your BeOS machine into a Web server. In addition, The BeOS Bible provides overviews of some of the most popular and useful third-party applications available for use on this operating system. --Ryan Kuykendall