System 7 is the newest Macintosh operating system (OS). The book is directed toward the novice, with much hoopla, discussions about taking a voyage through the seven seas, and easy-to-read 12-point fonts. Since System 7 has only five menu choices and 28 functions under these menu choices, only 11 of which are new or changed, along with a handful of mouse control modifications, the entire book could be condensed to a single reference sheet.

On a few occasions, Campbell digresses into areas that are only loosely related to System 7. This digression adds a few chapters to the book without enhancing the reader’s knowledge of System 7. On the other hand, the digressions are often interesting and sometimes educational, so they are not a big distraction.

A more serious flaw is that the book attempts to reach a mixed audience. Most of the book is directed toward novices, and presumably they are the ones who will buy it. Campbell occasionally leaves this audience behind with more technical discussions, but since he divides the book into well-defined topics, true novices can skip these chapters.

The first chapter describes the new features of System 7; it is by far the most important chapter of the book. The second chapter provides a nice description of the different Macintosh computers. This chapter is one of the author’s digressions; while it is a nice tutorial for novices, it has little to do with the subject of the book. At the end of chapter 2, Campbell briefly discusses software compatibility problems with System 7--the second most important discussion in the book.

Chapter 3 spends a great deal of time discussing how to make System 6 look like System 7. I cannot imagine, however, that many readers will expend much energy to clone System 7, particularly since the book is directed toward the novice user.

Chapter 4 holds the reader’s hand and leads him or her through the harrowing experience of installing a new system, while the fifth chapter finally begins to discuss the book’s main subject, System 7. The reader will be happy to see the familiar Mac look and feel preserved. The few changes in the new system are described well, but most will be obvious to System 6 users because of the care with which Apple created the Mac.

Chapter 6 reveals the System Folder, which is not to be confused with System 7. Again the author describes the differences between the new and older systems, most of which are self-evident if the reader has access to a Mac with System 7.

TrueType, a mathematical description of the system fonts, is covered in chapter 7--another of Campbell’s interesting digressions. It is true that TrueType is now a part of the operating system, but most of the information presented is more entertaining than useful.

Beginning with chapter 8, the book delves deeper into the Mac OS’s new features. Following a lengthy description of the new full-time MultiFinder, Campbell gets into memory management, virtual memory, and “Publish and Subscribe.” The “Publish and Subscribe” function, Apple’s new way of doing live copy and paste updates, is explained well, but the book lacks a list of applications that currently take advantage of this new feature.

One of the nicest things about Campbell’s book is that it contains lots of good lists, such as software that supports System 7, hardware specifications for the different Mac models, price lists for new and used Macs, and Mac vendors and their products. With this precedent set, I expected a similar list that might help one buy software to best take advantage of System 7. Another nice feature of the book is that it is liberally sprinkled with screen samples.

Chapter 9 goes into some detail about Interapplication Communications (IAC). This chapter is one of the more difficult and will probably not have an audience. The people who might want to know about IAC will scan the beginning of the book and put it back; the people who found the beginning intriguing enough to buy the book will not know what to do with this chapter.

Chapters 10 and 11 both talk about networking, but again will suffer from lack of an audience. Technically,  Campbell’s  discussion is good, and if you are already versed in networking, it is fairly light. On the other hand, most readers of this book will shelve it at about chapter 8. For the novice who suddenly finds him or herself administrator of a Mac network, this material is an excellent introduction to the subject.

Overall, this volume is a light description of the modified or new features of Apple’s newest Macintosh operating system. If you have never used a Mac, the book will be a welcome comfort as you get up to speed. If you are comfortable with a Mac but have never used System 7, I recommend you read this book--but borrow a copy.