Take Control FAQ

You can find answers to many frequently asked questions on this FAQ page:

General Questions
Pre-Ordering Info
Ordering Help
Downloading Tips
Tips for Onscreen Reading & Using Links
Printing an Ebook Yourself
Finding an Ebook Update
Managing Your Mailing List Subscriptions
How to Contact Us

General Questions Contact us

Look here for info about who we are and what we do.

How did the Take Control series begin?

Take Control began in 2003 as a radical rethinking of how books are written, edited, published, and yes, even how they are read. Take Control is run by the husband-and-wife team Adam and Tonya Engst. By the time they began Take Control, they had authored or edited more than 25 traditional books and written hundreds of magazine articles for major Mac magazines. And, they'd spent the last 15 years gaining experience in Internet publishing with TidBITS, their weekly electronic newsletter and Web site about Mac and Internet topics. These experiences helped them develop the Take Control model, which results in highly practical ebooks that cover much more detail than a magazine article but that are shorter, more focused, and more timely than a typical printed book. For more background, read the TidBITS article that introduced the series.

I'd like to write a Take Control ebook. How should I proceed?

Thanks, but we currently aren't accepting new authors

I'd like to edit a Take Control ebook. How should I proceed?

If you have experience with editing in the technology world, particularly with manuscripts about Macintosh topics, we'd like to hear from you! Use the contact form at the bottom of this page to send us a note.

I have an idea for a Take Control ebook that I'd like you to write so I can read it!

Great - we love to hear your ideas. Use the Search form available in the top navigation bar of our site, and if you don't turn up anything, please use our suggestion page to send us more information. Note that we have more ideas for books than we could write in the next 5 years already, but we do read all idea submissions.

You've written manuals for iKey and Now Up-to-Date & Contact. Will you write the manual for my product?

It's all a matter of whether the business details work out, but if your product has a sufficiently large user base, we're happy to talk with you more. Please use the contact form at the bottom of the page to send us information about what you have in mind, and we'll get back you.

I'd like to review a Take Control ebook. Can I get a review copy?

Sure thing. Just use the contact form below to send us a note, telling us which ebook you'd like to review and for what publication.

Do you use copy protection on your ebooks?

No. Our ebooks do not use copy protection because it makes life harder for everyone. So we ask a favor of our readers. If you want to share your copy of an ebook you've bought with a friend, please do so as you would with a physical book, meaning that if your friend uses it regularly, he or she should buy a copy. (Use the Help a Friend offer on the cover of each ebook - some ebooks have that offer on page 2 - to give your friend a discount!) The one exception to our "no copy protection" policy is with copies of our ebooks sold through certain other online bookstores, which require us to apply Adobe's digital rights management code to those files. However, if you purchase one of those ebooks, you'll notice a big red note on the cover telling you how to download a DRM-free version of the file for free.

How can I give one of your ebooks as a gift?

Any way you like! Seriously, if you want to purchase one of our ebooks for a friend or relative, just run through the order process as you normally would. Once you've downloaded the PDF file, you could simply send it to the recipient as a normal email attachment. Or, if you're looking for a more concrete object to present, you could burn it to a CD-R disc. (If you haven't done that on the Mac before, insert a blank CD-R, open the Untitled CD's window in the Finder, drag a file to it, and click the Burn button.) Also, many of our ebooks are available as printed books; check the left margin of any ebook's detailed description page on our site for info, or contact us for more info about a particular title.

Pre-Ordering Info Contact us

This section covers some common questions people have about payment methods, the eCD option, and other things that may come up when the cart is working properly. If you have a problem with the cart working incorrectly, please see the next section, which covers ordering problems.

Are your books available in traditional, printed form?

Yes, they are!

If you want only a printed version: Look on the left of any ebook's catalog page for a Buy Print Book button. Click that button to order a spiral-bound, nicely printed copy, which we provide via a printing service called Qoop, so you'll be purchasing in their cart (More info...). In some cases, also on the left of the catalog page, you'll see information and a link about a book from Peachpit Press that contains the text of the ebook. In that case, you can click the link to purchase the title through Amazon, and that title is likely to be available through most major bookstores.
If you want the ebook and the printed version: If a book is available in print through Qoop (it is if there's a Buy Print Book button on its catalog page), you can get it in ebook and print format, and for the same price as just buying the print book. Start by buying the ebook using the Buy Ebook button, which will take you through our eSellerate-powered cart. After you download the ebook to your computer, click the Check for Updates button on page 1 of the ebook (or, on newer ebooks, click the "Print" link on page 1) to open a special Web page that you can click through to advance to the Qoop cart. Since you already bought the ebook, the Qoop cart will automatically discount the price of that ebook (so if the price of the ebook is $10, you'll get $10 off the print version). More info...

Can I buy ebooks with PayPal?

Yes, eSellerate now accepts PayPal as one of the standard payment types, along with common credit cards.

Can I get my ebooks on CD?

We now offer an option for ordering a backup CD containing all the ebooks in your order. On the first screen of the shopping cart, under the Backup CD Service heading, click the Add to Cart button.

Can I order ebooks via phone or fax?

If online ordering isn't working for you - perhaps you're having trouble with the cart or you feel uncomfortable giving credit card information, even on a secure Web site such as our eSellerate cart, you can call or fax eSellerate directly to place your order. Keep the following notes in mind:

To take advantage of a bundle price or a coupon, start your order process via the Web, and once you're on the first screen of the shopping cart, copy the coupon code (look near the upper right) so you can give it to the operator or write it on the fax order form.
Your email address is an important piece of information to relay or enter correctly when placing a phone or fax order, since you will receive download information and your receipt via email.
For phone orders, call eSellerate, read the operator the SKU ID codes for the books you wish to purchase from our Phone Order page, and then provide your payment details.
You can place phone orders from 9 AM to 5 PM, U.S. Central Time, Monday through Friday. The Phone Order page includes the current time in the Central Time Zone.
For fax orders, fill in billing information on the Fax Order page, print it out, write in the rest of the necessary information (quantity, subtotal, total, date, and your signature), and then fax it to eSellerate.

Can I buy multiple copies of ebooks for students in a class I'm teaching?

Yes, if you're teaching a class and wish to purchase copies of our ebooks for your students, we offer steep discounts. For more information and to apply for class-copy pricing, visit our Class Copies page.

How do you convert currency from U.S. dollars for ebook sales?

Either PayPal, your credit card company, or eSellerate does the conversion. Here's more info:

You pay via PayPal: PayPal handles the conversion.
You choose U.S. dollars from the upper left of the first screen of the cart: your credit card company does the conversion; the amount you see in the eSellerate cart may not match your final total, particularly if your card charges a conversion fee.
You choose something other than U.S. dollars from the upper left of the first screen of the cart: eSellerate calculates a complete charge, including any fees that your card may impose and adjusting for the fact that the current conversion rates will likely fluctuate during the multi-hour process wherein eSellerate's computers and your credit card company's computers negotiate and complete the transaction. The charge you see in the cart will match the charge on your credit card statement.

Do you charge VAT for ebooks sold to EU customers?

Yes, unfortunately, we have to. The EU regulations surrounding VAT on sales from companies outside the European Union changed radically in the middle of 2003, and electronic books are regulated differently even than physical books. Sorry!

Will I have trouble if I'm using Mac OS 9 or earlier?

Possibly, not due to Mac OS 9 itself, but because people who are using older versions of the Mac OS often have older versions of other software as well. In particular we recommend that you use the following software:

Internet Explorer 5.1.7 (Mac OS 8.1 through 9.2.2) or Netscape 7.02 (Mac OS 8.6 through 9.2.2) to place your order.
StuffIt Expander 7.0.3 (Mac OS 8.6 through 9.2.2) to expand the Zip-compressed PDF file. Note that you must download the trial version of StuffIt Standard Edition to get it, but StuffIt Expander really is free.
Adobe Reader (various versions for System 7.5.3 through Mac OS 9.2.2) to open the PDF file. In the unlikely event that you experience problems using Adobe Reader, we ask that you upgrade to the latest version supported by your System; the Adobe Web site makes it easy to download the latest version for your system.

Ordering Help Contact us

Occasionally people have trouble completing an order via eSellerate. Here are some tips for getting through the cart and for getting your ebook if you encounter an error.

What if I can't order an ebook through your cart?

If, for whatever reason, you can't place an order with a credit card via the Web, phone, or fax (or through PayPal, which is an option in our shopping cart), please contact us and we'll work something out.

What if the ebook shopping cart doesn't work right?

Occasionally, people have trouble using our shopping cart, which is run by eSellerate, an online services firm that handles our ordering process. If you experience trouble ordering, try these tips:

Unfortunately, eSellerate does not support the AOL Web browser.
Quit your browser and then relaunch it. If this does not solve the problem, and you write in to us for help, please try to provide as much info as possible about what went wrong. A screenshot is ideal, if easily done on your end.
Try again later. Almost all the problems have been temporary.
Try another browser. Although we test our pages on eSellerate (and on this site) with multiple browsers, it's possible that you have different settings or a different version.
Notice that eSellerate runs multiple different store servers; if you have trouble with one of them, change the store number in the URL in your browser's Address field to a different store number (choose a number from 2 to 6).
If your order goes through, you will receive an email receipt to the address you gave during the order. That email receipt contains useful URLs, including one that takes you to a page that lets you download the ebook again.

I live in Nebraska, and I noticed that the ebook cart charges me sales tax. Is that necessary?

ESellerate, our shopping-cart service, is located in Nebrasksa, so they are required to charge Nebraska state sales tax to those who enter a Nebraska address. If you are a tax-excempt entity in Nebraska, you can place your order and then contact us and we'll have eSellerate reverse the charges on the tax. Or, if a reversal isn't helpful, contact us to get info about paying us directly via check or some other means.

I live some other state besides Nebraska, and I noticed that the ebook cart charges me sales tax. Is that necessary?

Yes, it is, because our shopping-cart company, eSellerate, is owned by Digital River. (Please see the above question about Nebraska.)

This is a somewhat new development, and right now (March 2008), as a consequence of the change, eSellerate is charging sales tax not only in Nebraska but also in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Georgia, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Utah. We are still tracking down the situation with tax-excempt entities in these states; we think it's the same as with Nebraska, but please contact us to check first, if you are concerned about definitely getting your order tax free.

Downloading Tips Contact us

At the end of your ordering process, eSellerate displays a Download button, which you click to download the associated ebook. If you experience trouble downloading, try these tips:

Don't spend hours on this... if you've tried a few things and it's not working, contact us using the form at the bottom of this page, and tell us what you've tried and what problem you are having. We will get back to you, probably with an easy solution!
If you are getting a server error, it may be because you clicked a Download Ebook button twice. We are working with our engineers on this problem, but for now, be careful to click only once! In this case, the download probably did work; the "server error" relates to your second click, not the first one. If you really want to click again, close the Web page, make sure no ebooks are downloading, and then come back to the page through the URL on your email receipt.
The last screen of our shopping cart offers download buttons, but you should use them quickly. A few hours after that last screen shows in your browser, it will time out, and the downloads won't work. If that happens to you, look in your email for a receipt. That receipt will have a download URL on it - load that URL to find the After-Purchase Services page and then look for a link on the left to "re-download."
If you are getting a server error and the above suggestions don't seem to apply, please let us know so we can tell our engineers. However, and particularly if this is on the weekend, do try again in a half-hour or so (use the URL on your email receipt; then click in the left column to "re-download"), since the problem may go away before we even check our email. (if you do get your order, send us another email so we know you are all set, thanks!)
If you order multiple books, you must click the Download Ebook button for each one.
eSellerate does not support using download accelerators or other download utilities (like iGetter), so please stick with a normal Web browser.
In case you can't find your receipt, or the URL on your receipt isn't working, go to this special Web page, which will help you access your ebooks.
We distribute our ebooks as Zip-compressed files to ensure that clicking Download downloads the file to your disk rather than merely displaying the PDF file in your Web browser. Your computer is likely to automatically "unzip" the file, but if it does not, you'll need to use a utility that can expand Zip files, such as StuffIt Expander" (Macintosh), ZIP Reader (Windows; free) or WinZip (Windows; $29). Make sure you have a recent version; older versions don't always work.
Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and later usually expands Zip files automatically if you use Safari to download, though that's not necessarily true if you use another Web browser.
If the file downloads as a d.aspx file rather than an appropriate Zip file, you may be able to expand the file by dropping it on StuffIt Expander.
The d.aspx file may appear if you use Internet Explorer on the Mac and you downloaded it by Control-clicking the Download button and choosing Download Link to Disk from the pop-up menu. Try again, but this time just click the Download button normally, or use another browser.
The d.aspx files can result from using YazSoft's Speed Download utility; this is apparently fixed in Speed Download 3.0. If you encounter problems with Speed Download, try turning off Speed Download and downloading again. (Yazsoft writes, "Go into the 'Plugins' section of the SD preferences and manually delete all the 'File types to be handled by Speed Download 2 and 'Save'. When you want to re-enable Speed Download, simply go back to the 'Plugins' preference and click 'Restore Speed Download File helpers' and then 'Save'. Thanks for your continued support.")
If you have ever used YazSoft's Speed Download and deleted it, it may have left your settings in an unusable state, which could result either in a d.aspx file or a blank window displaying this URL: file:///private/tmp/501/Temporary%20Items/.__SDPluginHelper.html. According to YazSoft, you must use the uninstaller in the Speed Download folder. Either download a new copy and run the uninstaller, or if you can't download that either, contact YazSoft and ask for a copy of the uninstaller.
If you use the FlashGot download extension with the Firefox Web browser, the file may be corrupted or downloaded improperly. Work around this by saving the files to disk rather than downloading through FlashGot.

Tips for Onscreen Reading & Using LinksContact us

Electronic books are a new experience for many people, but they provide you with a good deal of flexibility that isn't available with printed books: you can follow links to move around quickly and you can search the material to find a particular topic quickly.

Once you've downloaded and expanded the file, you'll have a PDF containing the actual ebook. Here are some tips for reading the ebook:

If you wish to use Adobe Reader, make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Reader.
In Mac OS X, you can use Adobe Reader or Apple's Preview utility (in your Applications folder); if you experience trouble with one, try the other. Don't use Preview in Jaguar, since it doesn't support links.
If graphics appear as grey boxes in Adobe Reader, select the Display Large Images checkbox in Adobe Reader's Preferences window.
If you're using Acrobat Professional, make sure that your Web Capture preferences are set to open links in your Web browser, not in Acrobat.

Why would I want to read onscreen?

If you wish to print your ebook, we understand, and it will work fine. However, these ebooks are designed to be read onscreen and to avoid common problems with the way PDFs are presented onscreen: the type is larger than in most PDFs, the space between the lines is taller, and you'll find lots of bookmarks and links to help you navigate. You can search for specific terms, insert your own bookmarks, and avoid ending up with an out-of-date printout next time we update the ebook. The topics we tend to cover in Take Control ebooks change rapidly, and information can become obsolete in the blink of an eye.

Where's the table of contents? How do I use it?

The table of contents is on the first (cover) page of the ebook, and you can click any topic in the table of contents to jump to it. However, PDFs have a bookmark feature that provides table of contents that can be accessible at all times, not just when you are viewing the cover. In the bookmarks list for your ebook, you'll find all the main topics in the table of contents, plus all the second-level topics. We recommend that you work with bookmarks showing so that you can move quickly among the topics.

Where are the internal links and how do I use them?

The internal links are formatted in blue. To use one, just click it.

When I click a button or link in my ebook, nothing happens. Help!

Try picking a different function for the mouse pointer. In Preview, look for a different tool button on the toolbar or look for a Tools menu on the menu bar. In Acrobat, make sure the Hand tool is selected. Also, if you are using Preview under Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar, links won't work in Preview, so try Adobe Reader instead.

What basic settings should I use for viewing a Take Control ebook?

In Adobe Acrobat 5, the Take Control default settings on the View menu are Fit in Window and Continuous. For most people with larger monitors, those should be fine. To focus only on reading, in Acrobat 5, choose View > Full Screen, or in Acrobat 6, choose Window > Full Screen View. (Press Esc to leave full-screen mode.) Preview ignores our default settings, but to emulate our defaults, choose View > Continuous Scrolling and select Scale Pages to Fit Display in the PDF pane of Preview's Preferences window.

How do I make the text bigger?

In Acrobat, you can increase the size of the text by clicking the window's Zoom button to make the window as wide as possible, and then choosing View > Fit Width. You can eke out more horizontal width by closing the Bookmarks tab (click the Bookmarks tab at the far left of the Acrobat window). In Preview, resize the window manually and click the Zoom In button; to save more horizontal space, close the bookmarks drawer (Command-T).

How can I scroll quickly?

To scroll using keyboard shortcuts you must first click in the main text area. The Page Up and Page Down keys may be the easiest (and they scroll by screen when you are viewing less than a full page). In Acrobat, the Left and Right arrow keys scroll to the previous and next page starts.

Web pages are appearing in my PDF. What do I do?

This problem occurs in Adobe Acrobat Pro if your Web Capture preferences are set to display Web pages in the PDF. We recommend that you turn this setting off for viewing Take Control ebooks because it harms their presentation and makes it impossible to successfully download updates. To turn it off, choose Acrobat > Preferences, switch to the Web Capture pane, and choose In Web Browser from the Open Web Links pop-up menu.

Printing an Ebook YourselfContact us

Although you can order a spiral-bound, double-sided, 7x9 printed version of most of our ebooks (click "Check for Updates" on the cover, or - on newer ebooks, click "Print"), you can also print your ebook yourself. Although our primary design goal is to make a good-looking ebook, we also design the ebooks so they will print reasonably on a typical home printer. Here are some printing tips:

Click "Check for Updates" on the cover to make sure you have the latest version of the ebook and to verify that we don't plan to release a new version shortly. If you want to commit your ebook to paper, it makes sense to print the latest possible version.
To use paper more efficiently, consider printing 2-up (with borders showing), which puts two pages on a single piece of paper. Alternatively, if your printer supports it, try duplex printing (which puts one page on each side of a piece of paper. However, do not mix 2-up and duplex printing unless you enjoy novel pagination schemes.
When printing on a color inkjet printer, to avoid using a lot of color ink (primarily on the yellow boxes we use for tips and figures), look for an option to print entirely in black-and-white.
In the unlikely event that Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader cannot successfully print this PDF, try Preview; several readers have solved printing problems by using Preview.
Your printer may not have enough memory to print the entire ebook at once. If it gets stuck before completing the job, or cannot print the ebook at all, try printing in batches of 50 or so pages.

Finding an Ebook UpdateContact us

We offer free minor updates to electronic books in the Take Control series, and it's also possible to access those updates if you purchase a print version.

How do I check if an update is available for an ebook I purchased?

On the first page of your ebook, in the lower left, click Check for Updates (see the image to the right; newer ebooks have a different cover design; the link is at the top of the first page). A few of our oldest titles lack a Check for Updates button; in that case, Contact us and we'll take care of you.

On the resulting Check for Updates Web page, you may see some (or occasionally a lot) of new material relating to the topic. You'll also learn if we are planning an updated PDF in the near future. Updated PDFs that we consider to be minor updates are free, and you can download them from the Check for Updates page. In some cases, so much material will change that we'll do a major new edition of the ebook and, in that case, we'll let you know about the new edition and give you a link for buying it, usually with a nice discount.

I can see the Check for Updates button, but when I click it, nothing happens

Likely, you have the wrong mouse-pointer tool selected. A TidBITS article, "Solve Link-Clicking Problems When Reading PDFs" has information that should help you select the right tool.

Can you send me an email message when you release an updated PDF for my ebook?

Yes! To sign up, click the Check for Updates button on the first page of your ebook. On the resulting Web page, look near the upper right for a sign-up form. Please be aware, however, that a few people on these lists tend to not receive update notices because of spam filters and other Internet glitches.

You can also find news about updates in the News section of the Take Control Web site (look on the home page); those updates also appear in weekly TidBITS issues in a special Take Control section near the end. Occasionally, for especially important updates, we will pull email addresses from our eSellerate database - but only if you've indicated that it's okay to contact you, and use that larger mailing list to inform you of that update.

And, finally, major updates (updates that are so major that they constitute a new edition) also get announced on our TC-Announce mailing list, a list that we use to announce all of our new ebooks. You can sign up for TC-Announce higher up on this Web page - scroll up a bit and look for a sign-up form at the right.

What if I bought the printed version of the title, and don't have a Check for Updates button?

In that case, contact us and we'll send you the ebook version of your title so that you can use the Check for Updates button, as explained just above.

What if I bought a Peachpit book that contained the text from an ebook, and I want an update?

If you bought a Peachpit book with "Take Control of" in the title, consult the introductory text or the index to learn about how you can download the ebook version of the title.
If you bought a Peachpit book from the Real World series, contact us, being sure to tell us which Peachpit book and the last word in the index for that book, and we'll send you the ebook equivalents of the Peachpit book.

Managing Your Mailing List Subscriptions Contact us

We run a number of mailing lists, including the public Take Control Announcements for announcements of new releases and private lists for owners of each of our ebooks to learn about updates or other news of interest.

How do I subscribe to Take Control Announcements?

Scroll up, and then enter your email address in the New Releases form in our right-hand column. Click Send, and when you get the confirmation message, reply to it. You can also subscribe to Take Control Announcements whenever you subscribe to one of the update lists for an individual ebook. If you checked the "Notify me" checkbox when ordering and replied to the confirmation message, you're already subscribed.

How do I subscribe to an ebook update list?

Click the Check for Updates button on the first page of your ebook, and in the Web page that appears, enter your email address in the Email Notification field, select the appropriate checkboxes, and click Subscribe. You must reply to the confirmation message for each list.

How do I manage my mailing list subscriptions?

Visit our Manage Mailing List Subscriptions page, where you can login (requesting a new password if necessary) and both subscribe to and unsubscribe from various lists. Note that if you unsubscribe from an ebook's update list, the only way to resubscribe is from that ebook's Check for Updates page.

How do I change my email address for these lists?

Again, visit our Manage Mailing List Subscriptions page, where you can also change your email address.

How do I unsubscribe from your lists?

Hate to sound like a broken record, but our Manage Mailing List Subscriptions page provides exactly what you want.

How to Contact Us

If you still have questions or wish to contact us for any reason, please use the form below to send us email. Although we often respond to customer questions right away, our goal is to reply within one business day.

Name:
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