A Window to Macstuff

Mac users may be an endangered species, a microscopic minority that stoutly refuses to surrender to Microsoft's ubiquitous operating system, probably why this column hasn't really done justice to their way of life.

Not any more. This week's first peek is at a site devoted to all things Mac. And the next one is at a site from the house of Mac - Macmillan that is, full of learning and fun.

www.macinsearch.com

Beginning as it does with a song parody, this site is quintessentially Mac. Here you have a neatly arranged collection of links on the world of Mac, covering the widest possible range of Mac interests - from applications to games to viruses.

There are useful links to information on configuration, development and text processing, besides dope on where to pick up fonts, books and software.

A fairly good-looking site, it also has discussion corners where you can check out the latest on hardware, iMAC, files, software news and rumours!

There is also a wealth of news reports which keep up-to-date on the hottest and latest happenings in this exclusive computing world, besides links to other Macsites.

www.idiotsguides.com

From the famous publishing house, Macmillan, comes this excellent learning resource, a''relaxed, casual-dress-only learning place'' as the folks behind it call it, where you can explore hundreds of topics that interest you.

It has now put many chapters from its series of Idiot's Guides online, which includes over 350 titles in over 25 categories, free of cost.

Covering everything from arts and science, business and personal finance, computers and Internet to family, health, fitness and reference, this site is a veritable treasure trove for the knowledge seeker.

A very clean layout enables easy navigation through the site's contents. You can click on the chapters button and search by categories to locate the exact write-up on a particular subject, if available.

Besides, there is a Learning Place where you can quickly pick up nuggets of information on a vast range of topics, from living with breast cancer to history of the opera.

Interested readers can also check out how to sign up for freelancing and copy editing, how to submit an idea, and syndication opportunities. You can also meet authors and other readers, and share your knowledge and experiences on the subjects of interest.

Compiled by C. Ramesh (cram@thehindu.co.in)

Please e-mail us at eworld@thehindu.co.in if you have queries on computer usage or if you find an interesting way of using the computer.