TweetFollow Us on Twitter

Reviews: Mac OS X training from TackyShirt

Volume Number: 19 (2003)
Issue Number: 9
Column Tag: Reviews

Reviews: Mac OS X training from TackyShirt

Training that doesn't suck, really.

by Michael R. Harvey

Their tag line is, "because training and fun are not mutually exclusive." For most training materials out there, however, that is not the case. Then came Sam Crutsinger, President and "Media Kingpin" of TackyShirt Inc., a company he formed to produce quality technical education that is also entertaining. Says Crutsinger, "This is the 21st century. We should be able to present education in a way that keeps people engaged and gets the point across. I hate to read. [David] Pogues books are great, but I still have to sit down and read the thing to absorb it." Add to that his many years of experience in video editing and production, and a desire to do it different, and better than anyone else, and you have the ingredients for an interesting recipe.

The core idea behind the training was to make it educational and fun. In other words, don't bore the viewer into a coma. So, to start, they chose to keep each of the segments under fifteen minutes (based on educational research published in a study from NYU). Next find some talent. Crutsinger called on some of the most well known, as well as some of the most knowledgeable, folks in the Mac community. Andy Ihnatko, long time columnist for Macworld magazine, Bo LeVitus, author of many Mac related books, Shawn King, host and Executive Producer of Your Mac Life (an internet based radio show), and John Welch, a regular presenter at MacWorld Expos, and columnist for MacTech magazine. He got these four names together, put them in front of sets not seen before in any technical training, and for two weeks committed to tape pretty much everything they uttered about the Mac, and Mac OS X. And, it seems, some things not quite Mac related (there are a few Easter Eggs on the DVD, one of which is outtakes of some behind the scenes shenanigans). Then came the hard part, editing that mess down to usable, and useful, nuggets. A daunting task when you take into account how much detail went into every segment.

The first fruit of this labor is entitled Mac OS X Disc 1: The Basics. Yeah, pretty dull title. Fortunately, the dullness ends there. On the disc is nearly four hours of fun education. In rotating pairs, Shawn, John, Andy, and Bob take turns presenting some aspect of Mac OS X to the new user. They are accompanied by picture in picture computer screen shots, animations, and active desktop screens that show exactly the what, where, and how of the topic they are discussing. And it is a discussion. They are not lecturing to an invisible audience, but rather seem to be carrying on a conversation with each other, and the viewer. Of course, there are other characters that constantly attempt to steal the spot light including chatting set pieces, and icons run amok, to name a few. They do not, however, distract from the learning. They actually seem to enhance it.

This is a basics learning tool, though. What can advanced users get out of it? Well, we watched it. We thought it would bore us to death. This is, after all, the basics. We, and you, are almost certainly well beyond that. Surprisingly, there are a few tidbits of knowledge to be had. There is always that one little thing you never noticed before that will help make you more productive, and this training may just show it to you. Putting that aside for the moment, this product is aimed at those who are starting from square one. So, we showed it to a couple of new Mac OS X users. One who was completely new to Macs, and a switcher from OS 9. Our newbie enjoyed it immensely, and got a lot out of the DVD. He felt though, that some knowledge was presumed in the material, and said if he had some experience with OS 9, he would have gotten more from the training. Our OS 9 upgrade liked it quite a bit, too. Her main complaint was that Andy Ihnatko talked too fast, and lost her at some points.


Our next question was how can this material be useful to MacTech readers? By in large, we figure the folks reading this review would not get their investment out of it. However, every one of us knows at least one person that really, really, needs this DVD. Maybe that friend, colleague, family member will stop calling every other day if they watch it. For some of us, this training could help at the job. Consultants, and administrators with clients and users in need of updated training will all find Tackyshirts material invaluable.

All is not lost for the advanced user, however. This is Disc 1 of what will ultimately be a four disc set. No date has been set for subsequent releases, but follow on discs will cover topics such as troubleshooting, and backup strategies (Disc 2), intermediate level training, and popular applications (Disc 3). Disc 4 is where most advanced users will get the real goods. This disc is scheduled to cover under-the-hood kinds of topics, teaching the Unix underpinnings, and advanced capabilities of Mac OS X.

TackyShirt Presents Mac OS X Disc 1: The Basics is currently available only from the company at their web site. Disc 1 is $39.99, plus $4.95 shipping per item (international shipping is $9.90 per item). Future installments are slated to be the same price. You can even get yourself one of their t-shirts sporting the cool TackyShirt logo for $10.85 (one buck more for us XXL types).

One final warning. When you do sit down to watch this, don't have any other plans. You may think you're just going to watch one segment real quick, but you are just lying to yourself. This stuff is digital crack, and before you realize it, you'll have lost two hours to it. Don't have a wedding or a funeral to go to, because you will be late, and end up cheesing off the others, especially if you are the guest of honor at either of those events.

www.tackyshirt.com


Michael R. Harvey

 

Community Search:
MacTech Search:

Software Updates via MacUpdate

Latest Forum Discussions

See All

Whitethorn Games combines two completely...
If you have ever gone fishing then you know that it is a lesson in patience, sitting around waiting for a bite that may never come. Well, that's because you have been doing it wrong, since as Whitehorn Games now demonstrates in new release Skate... | Read more »
Call of Duty Warzone is a Waiting Simula...
It's always fun when a splashy multiplayer game comes to mobile because they are few and far between, so I was excited to see the notification about Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile (finally) launching last week and wanted to try it out. As someone who... | Read more »
Albion Online introduces some massive ne...
Sandbox Interactive has announced an upcoming update to its flagship MMORPG Albion Online, containing massive updates to its existing guild Vs guild systems. Someone clearly rewatched the Helms Deep battle in Lord of the Rings and spent the next... | Read more »
Chucklefish announces launch date of the...
Chucklefish, the indie London-based team we probably all know from developing Terraria or their stint publishing Stardew Valley, has revealed the mobile release date for roguelike deck-builder Wildfrost. Developed by Gaziter and Deadpan Games, the... | Read more »
Netmarble opens pre-registration for act...
It has been close to three years since Netmarble announced they would be adapting the smash series Solo Leveling into a video game, and at last, they have announced the opening of pre-orders for Solo Leveling: Arise. [Read more] | Read more »
PUBG Mobile celebrates sixth anniversary...
For the past six years, PUBG Mobile has been one of the most popular shooters you can play in the palm of your hand, and Krafton is celebrating this milestone and many years of ups by teaming up with hit music man JVKE to create a special song for... | Read more »
ASTRA: Knights of Veda refuse to pump th...
In perhaps the most recent example of being incredibly eager, ASTRA: Knights of Veda has dropped its second collaboration with South Korean boyband Seventeen, named so as it consists of exactly thirteen members and a video collaboration with Lee... | Read more »
Collect all your cats and caterpillars a...
If you are growing tired of trying to build a town with your phone by using it as a tiny, ineffectual shover then fear no longer, as Independent Arts Software has announced the upcoming release of Construction Simulator 4, from the critically... | Read more »
Backbone complete its lineup of 2nd Gene...
With all the ports of big AAA games that have been coming to mobile, it is becoming more convenient than ever to own a good controller, and to help with this Backbone has announced the completion of their 2nd generation product lineup with their... | Read more »
Zenless Zone Zero opens entries for its...
miHoYo, aka HoYoverse, has become such a big name in mobile gaming that it's hard to believe that arguably their flagship title, Genshin Impact, is only three and a half years old. Now, they continue the road to the next title in their world, with... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

B&H has Apple’s 13-inch M2 MacBook Airs o...
B&H Photo has 13″ MacBook Airs with M2 CPUs and 256GB of storage in stock and on sale for up to $150 off Apple’s new MSRP, starting at only $849. Free 1-2 day delivery is available to most US... Read more
M2 Mac minis on sale for $100-$200 off MSRP,...
B&H Photo has Apple’s M2-powered Mac minis back in stock and on sale today for $100-$200 off MSRP. Free 1-2 day shipping is available for most US addresses: – Mac mini M2/256GB SSD: $499, save $... Read more
Mac Studios with M2 Max and M2 Ultra CPUs on...
B&H Photo has standard-configuration Mac Studios with Apple’s M2 Max & Ultra CPUs in stock today and on Easter sale for $200 off MSRP. Their prices are the lowest available for these models... Read more
Deal Alert! B&H Photo has Apple’s 14-inch...
B&H Photo has new Gray and Black 14″ M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max MacBook Pros on sale for $200-$300 off MSRP, starting at only $1399. B&H offers free 1-2 day delivery to most US addresses: – 14″ 8... Read more
Department Of Justice Sets Sights On Apple In...
NEWS – The ball has finally dropped on the big Apple. The ball (metaphorically speaking) — an antitrust lawsuit filed in the U.S. on March 21 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) — came down following... Read more
New 13-inch M3 MacBook Air on sale for $999,...
Amazon has Apple’s new 13″ M3 MacBook Air on sale for $100 off MSRP for the first time, now just $999 shipped. Shipping is free: – 13″ MacBook Air (8GB RAM/256GB SSD/Space Gray): $999 $100 off MSRP... Read more
Amazon has Apple’s 9th-generation WiFi iPads...
Amazon has Apple’s 9th generation 10.2″ WiFi iPads on sale for $80-$100 off MSRP, starting only $249. Their prices are the lowest available for new iPads anywhere: – 10″ 64GB WiFi iPad (Space Gray or... Read more
Discounted 14-inch M3 MacBook Pros with 16GB...
Apple retailer Expercom has 14″ MacBook Pros with M3 CPUs and 16GB of standard memory discounted by up to $120 off Apple’s MSRP: – 14″ M3 MacBook Pro (16GB RAM/256GB SSD): $1691.06 $108 off MSRP – 14... Read more
Clearance 15-inch M2 MacBook Airs on sale for...
B&H Photo has Apple’s 15″ MacBook Airs with M2 CPUs (8GB RAM/256GB SSD) in stock today and on clearance sale for $999 in all four colors. Free 1-2 delivery is available to most US addresses.... Read more
Clearance 13-inch M1 MacBook Airs drop to onl...
B&H has Apple’s base 13″ M1 MacBook Air (Space Gray, Silver, & Gold) in stock and on clearance sale today for $300 off MSRP, only $699. Free 1-2 day shipping is available to most addresses in... Read more

Jobs Board

Medical Assistant - Surgical Oncology- *Apple...
Medical Assistant - Surgical Oncology- Apple Hill Location: WellSpan Medical Group, York, PA Schedule: Full Time Sign-On Bonus Eligible Remote/Hybrid Regular Apply Read more
Omnichannel Associate - *Apple* Blossom Mal...
Omnichannel Associate - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Read more
Cashier - *Apple* Blossom Mall - JCPenney (...
Cashier - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Blossom Mall Read more
Operations Associate - *Apple* Blossom Mall...
Operations Associate - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Read more
Business Analyst | *Apple* Pay - Banco Popu...
Business Analyst | Apple PayApply now " Apply now + Apply Now + Start applying with LinkedIn Start + Please wait Date:Mar 19, 2024 Location: San Juan-Cupey, PR Read more
All contents are Copyright 1984-2011 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon.