Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    2. Computer Graphics - Photoshop    3. Computers    4. Computers - General Information    5. Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Electronic Publishing    8. Hardware - Personal Computers - General    9. Reference - General    10. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General    11. Databases & data structures    12. Text & document processing: general   

Reviews (6)

Basic
The projects in this book are more basic than in other books I've seen. There aren't any unique or remarkable designs and those that were interesting, I have seen done much better in other books. Also, I'm the type of person who likes to look at a project, figure out how to do each step, and do it my own way(feels more fulfilling at the end when you do succeed!). Hence, I found that this book was much too hand-held and at times the steps were so minutely set out, that I lost track of the 'bigger picture'. However, I would highly recommend this book to beginners.

The essential guide works
This book is really good to follow instructions and to figure out what supplies you will need and shows you how to create something but giving you basic instructions which are good. It's isn't too wordy and you can follow unlike other books I've purchased. If you are a beginner you will enjoy looking through the pages and creating projects.

Nice with great directions
This books is full of visuak instructions that show each and every step for each type of book covered. There are some very interesting styles in here that are possible for any level of bookmaking. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bookbinding    2. Books    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Personal Growth - Success    7. Self-Help    8. DIY   

Reviews (17)

Thank God Somone's Listening!!
Tired of the usual "Blah, Blah, Blah" in computer books? FINALLY - somone is listening to the needs of graphics professionals and students wanting to learn tips and tricks for doing these effects and animations! Foster not only shows you HOW to do these techniques, but more importantly, WHY! I have found this book indespensible in my advancement way beyond the basic tools and functional training of other After Effects books. If you want to learn animation or do any kind of special effects on your own, then get this book NOW!

extremely useful
have bought many books on after effect and photoshop.
Not for the complete beginner...
I have to say that you MUST need a solid undertanding or at least the basics of After Effects before getting this book.Also, there are not many figures to ilustrate the projects in an easy way.
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Subjects:  1. CD-DVD Technology    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - Photoshop    4. Computers    5. Computers - Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Computer graphics software    8. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design   

Reviews (6)

Brief but informative overview
"Iran: The Essential Guide to a Country on the Brink" is a brief but detailed survey of the history of Iran. While the book itself is not especially short-it's 240 pages-the chapters are very brief, some being a single page. Just about every topic is covered, from Cyrus the Great and the Achaemenian Dynasty to the current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and everything in between. This includes Iran's people, culture, resources, and politics. The chapters are arranged alphabetically which makes it a quick and easy reference. Being encyclopedic in nature, the book is relatively objective and does not seek to support or condemn Iran or it's people. Those with any significant foreknowledge of the region would probably not find much new here, but as an introduction, I would not hesitate to recommend this book.

Insightful Aid To Understanding Contemporary Iran
The Islamic Revolution in Iran happened over a quarter of a century ago and Iran has often been in the news ever since.
Depth, analysis, and perspective
This book provides an excellent overview of the history and psychology of this complex country, why it is in the difficult position it is in today, fascinating analyses, and some of the most authoritative background information available. It is highly perceptive and extremely readable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - General Information    4. Digital jukebox software    5. Hardware - Peripherals    6. Interactive & Multimedia    7. Operating Systems - Macintosh    8. iPod (Digital music player)    9. Computers / Peripherals    10. Storage media & peripherals   

Reviews (18)

Great Book for Beginners
Photoshop CS2 Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide is the best Photoshop primer I've ever read.The author works through image adjustments in a very logical progression.He begins with very simple edits and works his up to more complex fine tuning.The instructions are both step-by-step and very clear.He also does an excellent job of explaining the "big picture" of why you want to make these adjustments and does not just turn you into a mouse clicker following steps by rote.
Not what I expected, but pretty good
This wasn't exactly what I expected:There's no discussion of VersionCue, versioning and naming in general, or color managment.
The best most helpful guide I own
I am teaching a beginning Photoshop class to adults, and bought this book to help me with my lesson plans.I have been mightily impressed.I have used Photoshop daily in my work since Photoshop 5, and am learning MANY new basic techniques that somehow have escaped my attention until now. I will not only save time, but improve my output with what I have learned from this book!His writing is very clear, and is also interesting to read.I have recommended it to my students, and am incredibly glad I found it before my teaching began! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adobe Photoshop    2. Adobe Photoshop (Computer software)    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Graphics - Design    5. Computer Graphics - General    6. Computer graphics    7. Computers    8. Computers - Desktop Publishing    9. Desktop Publishing - General    10. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    11. Photoshop   

Reviews (2)

useful books
the book have quite a lot of words but easy to understand, quite useful book for designers that can have more input not just design elements but to enrich on design direction

THE Guide for Freelancers
I've been a freelance designer for many years and have read many books and papers on the business-side of design. I have to say that Perkins' book is the most thorough, easiest-to-understand guide on the ins and outs of freelancing I've read to date. The book is a practical guide on how to meander through the process of running a design organization - whether you're a one-person shop or a full-fledged agency. This book is a must-have for the serious design professional. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Graphics - General    2. Computers - General Information    3. Industrial Design    4. Industrial Design - General    5. Management    6. Management - General    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Technology    9. Business & Management    10. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General   

Reviews (9)

Thanks from a beginner
I bought a couple of books about Dreamweaver and I want to thank you for creating one that even a beginner could follow. The other books I bought were way over my head and I found myself lost before I even got started. I guess if I get more advanced I may appreciate some of the other books, but as someone who is new to Web design, I want to thank you for helping me get started. I couldn't have done it without you.

Covers the Basics
Having only once created a webpage on FrontPage, I thought I was a bit ahead of the game. Still, I decided to look into a how-to book for dummies like myself.
A rush job
The first 75% of the book deals with plain HTML, forms and other buttons and takes one from 0 to 5 on a scale to 1000.A lot of space wasted on mechanical clicking around the interface.Explain the menus and options and how to use them and don't need to walk through each one as if I've never seen a mouse.Now, if all you want in a web site is a bunch of words, links and pictures, all you need is MS Word and then Save as HTML.So, I imagine the fun part is when you have a database, to make the site smart... The database examples have missing steps and built in assumptions, no clue as to what could go wrong, etc.Needless to say, I spent many hours searching the net to fill the missing spaces left by this book.To my surprise, I found Macromedia's ONLINE UltraDev help a much better resource, with better explanations and a lot more graphics.Thanks Jannine, but no thanks! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer - Internet    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Data Processing - General    5. Design    6. Desktop Publishing    7. Desktop Publishing - General    8. Dreamweaver (Computer file)    9. Internet - Web Site Design    10. Programming - General    11. Web sites    12. Computer Software Packages    13. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design    14. Databases & data structures    15. World Wide Web (WWW)   

Reviews (7)

Adobe Photoshop CS2
Jack Davis not only delivers incredibly useful and creative ideas for us, but translates the moves into steps easy enough for a newbie to follow and acheive great results, but witty and interesting enough for us old pros out here to stay interested and intrigued. He delivers the most useful set of actions, styles and patterns I've seen to date on the CD. Buy the book. You'll be doing yourself a favor.

Add This One-Click-WOW! Book to Your Digital Art Library
If you haven't added one of Jack Davis' WOW! books to your digital art library, you should consider the latest One-Click-WOW! for Photoshop CS2. It's packed with preset styles and effects for every task you might have. What is a preset? Basically, it is a special effect or group of effects (style), such as a drop shadow, that already has the options set for you. After you install the presets from the CD, they will appear with the other presets in the Styles Palette. All you need to do is apply these ready-made presets to your image. In his WOW-Styles Tutorial which is included in the book, Davis gives you all the information you need to apply and customize the 900+ presets in Adobe Photoshop and ImageReady. He explains the mystery of using layers and clipping masks, changing the resolution, brush size and scale of the presets as well as how to customize the WOW! presets and save the changes as a new style to your own Styles Library.
For quick, pro results
Jack Davis' ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2 ONE-CLICK WOW! is based on a cd-rom which packs in over 900 of the time-saving enhancement solutions contained in the workbook ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2 ONE-CLICK WOW! From working with the shapes gallery and tinting photos to WOW custom overlays for framing and their differences, ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2 users will find the WOW manual packed with important tools for quick, pro results. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adobe Photoshop    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers    6. Computers - Desktop Publishing    7. Desktop Publishing    8. Desktop Publishing - General    9. Computers / Computer Graphics / General    10. Photoshop   

Reviews (8)

Bad from the get-go
I've had reasonable luck with the Visual Quickstart series (the PHP/MySQL books are very helpful, in my opinion) but this volume has proven confusing right from the start, and that seems pretty odd for a how-to book on software that's basically self-explanatory.I got as far as the discussion on how use sidebar widgets, which precedes by 5 chapters the discussion of how to install a theme that utilizes sidebar widgets.Pretty crazy.Buy a different book (or just use the WordPress documents on-line).

Useless even for a novice
I have just started building my website using WordPress and bought this book to help me understand the intricacies of WordPress. The book falls way short of providing any sort of help. It is supposed to be a 'QuickStart Guide' which means that it should help in getting up and running quickly. It fails miserably in this task. Too thin on substance. No clear instructions on even the simplest of tasks e.g., it shows you to create a new page but doesn't say anything about how to make that page availble on the homepage via a link.

Not Much Help in Getting WordPress Up & Running
I generally don't complain about someone else's hard work and I've stumbled across some bad books in the past.This is the only negative review of a book that I've felt compelled to write.
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Subjects:  1. Blogs    2. Computer Books: Web Programming    3. Computers    4. Computers - General Information    5. Design    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Internet - General    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Programming - Software Development    10. Social Aspects - General    11. Web publishing    12. Web sites    13. Computer Software Packages    14. Computers / Social Aspects / General    15. Publishing on the Internet   

Editorial Review

Some people make their living with a camera, and for these people the maturation of digital photo technology means a significant shift in their trade. Read more

Reviews (85)

easy to follow examples (but the creativity is not included)
a serie of examples with easy and fast results, even if not all for "dummies". Do not ask why Photoshop works but just use it!
A Must-Have!
I have recently begun using Photoshop and at first just tried "feeling" my way through it.That didn't work.Then I tried using articles I found in magazines and off the internet.That was a little better but still didn't get me where I wanted to be.Then I decided to get a book to help me.On more than one photography forum this book was recommended.Now that I have it I see why.
Photoshop Tricks that you really use
I have several books on Photoshop, but none that I use daily.The easy to follow directions in this book offer tricks that you will use every day to improve your photos.It has helped me "save" many less than perfect shots. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adobe Photoshop    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Computer Graphics - Photoshop    5. Computers    6. Computers - Desktop Publishing    7. Desktop Publishing - General    8. Digital photography    9. Digital techniques    10. Handbooks, manuals, etc    11. Image processing    12. Microcomputer Graphics    13. Photographic Techniques Using Specific Equipment    14. Photography    15. Techniques - Equipment    16. Computers / Computer Graphics / General    17. Photographic equipment & techniques    18. Photoshop   

Reviews (32)

worthless....
This is without a doubt the worst reference on typography that I have ever read. It is filled with useless metaphors and examples. I really expected more from the Adobe Press.

5 Quick Truths
1. Entertainment, not resource. Provides insight into the uses of type, as well as a brief history of many different typefaces. Robert Bringhurst's "The Elements of Typography" (0881792063) is a better book for those in need of a resource.
OK, not useful
This book was more flash than content.It looks very nice, always having a gripping picture on the left, a nice layout on the right, and font examples that illustrate the point.As a beginning designer, I didn't learn anything new or concrete, but enjoyed having the book wash over me for awhile.
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Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Desktop Publishing - General    5. Electronic Publishing    6. Graphic Arts - General    7. Microcomputer Text Processing Software    8. Type and type-founding    9. Typography    10. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General    11. Graphic design    12. Publishing on the Internet   

Editorial Review

There's a reason that a large slice of the open-source movement has defected from running Linux on its laptops to running Mac OS X. The reason is the Unix core that underlies Mac OS X, and the development tools that run on that core. Cocoa makes it easy to create very slick Mac OS X interfaces for software (as well as to create applications in a hurry), and this new edition of Read more

Reviews (80)

Productive reading
This book is a very helpful introduction to Cocoa and it is updated with the latest information about this framework.

EXACTLY What you need to get started.
I just got my first Mac Mini (been a PC programmer for years and years).
Best I've Seen
The book is step by step and includes full example programs.You will need a bit of C/C++ know how first, but this Hillegass will take the novice quite a ways to becoming an experienced application developer.I only wish Hillegass would write a book on scientific Cocoa programming. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Apple And Macintosh Programming    2. Cocoa (Application development    3. Cocoa (Application development environment)    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computers    6. Computers - Languages / Programming    7. Mac OS    8. Macintosh (Computer)    9. Object-Oriented Programming    10. Operating Systems - Macintosh    11. Operating systems (Computers)    12. Programming    13. Programming - General    14. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    15. Programming Languages - General    16. Computers / Operating Systems / Macintosh    17. Programming languages   

Editorial Review

It isn't easy finding a job these days and for those working in the creative fields like graphic design, illustration, photography, filmmaking, and music, a digital portfolio is just the shiny object you need to catch the attention of a prospective employer. But you can't just slap a few files on a CD and call it a night. As Cynthia Baron points out in Read more

Reviews (5)

comprehensive material.
Most artists can't do everything - usually they are somewhere in the middle of a chain of production responsiblities that don't include the skillsets involved with presenting a portfolio, digital or otherwise. Many points of insider knowledge are invaluable - I was on the cusp of using PowerPoint for my CD portfolio (my wife has strong skills with this) before being warned that this bussiness presentation software's would be viewed with derision by art directors, and that a high resolution version of a website format is the way to go here - this one parcel of knowledge was worth the price of the book alone, but it is far from the only lesson imparted. Highly recommended - it doesn't stray into realms of esoterica for the sake of pagecount.

Great beginners guide
This handbook is targeted at beginners in designing portfolios to submit their artwork or photos when job hunting.It is filled with information, however most is very basic and will only be a review for most readers.

Superb resource for a wide variety of portfolio formats
If you set can aside the near 100% focus on digital media (though it is excellent for that kind of format) and not hyperventilate in feeling like you need to come up with Flash or DVDs after reading this, it offers solid points on portfolio content, whatever format you choose.
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Subjects:  1. Acoustics & Sound    2. Art portfolios    3. Computer Animation    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computer Graphics - General    6. Computers    7. Computers - Desktop Publishing    8. Design    9. Design - General    10. Design services    11. Desktop Publishing - General    12. Graphic Arts - General    13. Graphic arts    14. Marketing    15. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    16. Computer graphics software    17. Computers / Computer Graphics / General    18. Image processing    19. Multimedia   

Reviews (4)

Way more than just another InDesign book
I give this book five stars because:
STUNNING.
I bought this book thinking that it would be a simple guide to the typographical controls within InDesign CS2. It IS that, certainly enough, but it surprised me no end by being one of the best books I have (and I have a LOT) on thinking with type, using type correctly, and how to be a better designer through type usage. Even if you DON'T have InDesign, there is a tremendous amount of knowledge to be assimilated here on the finer points of good typography. An excellent resource, worth twice its price.

Typography Masters In a Book
One of the greatest educational and instructional books I've read since Indesign One on One. This book literally teaches you the good, the bad, and the ugly of typography using Indesign.
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Subjects:  1. Adobe InDesign    2. Adobe InDesign (Computer software)    3. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    4. Computers    5. Computers - Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing    7. Desktop Publishing - General    8. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General    9. Desktop publishing software    10. Text & document processing: general   

Reviews (15)

Worthy for those with some previous experience...
If you're looking for an in depth detailing on how to use Maya this book isn't for you, I'd suggest reading the Maya Saavy series instead.As hobbyist Maya user for the last two years I did find this very interesting though. Unlike many technically oriented books, it visually illustrates the different parameters of the tools and methods. The examples are vivid, large and well labeled. Such as the paint effects section, you can see the difference in choosing tube length and the possibilities you have by applying pressure sensitive strokes. The back is filled with case studies and the various ways Maya is integrated into daily CG work, such as the classic Bingo animation or the morph targets used in Vampire the Masquerade game. Just what I needed to start using Maya
Before I purchased "Art of Maya" I looked through it at a local bookstore. I was impressed with how clearly it laid out a series of quick tips and techniques. As others have noted, it is not a "manual" nor does it claim to be. But, it shows many important techniques that a new user to 3D and Maya can get going on creating with Maya in a relatively short period of time. In many instances, the techniques shown helped clarify areas of operation that I did not understand via the built-in tutorials that came with Maya. I still have much to read in this book. I highly recommend it.

the contents is not suitable for the title
the printing is very beatiful,the cover is attractive, butRead more

Subjects:  1. Animation    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Computers - Desktop Publishing    5. Desktop Publishing - General    6. Film & Video - General    7. Interactive & Multimedia    8. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    9. Performing Arts    10. Computer graphics software    11. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    12. Image processing: computer animation   

Reviews (7)

Worth It Just for Interviews
When I first paged through this book, I was incredibly excited.It seemed to have so much information I had been looking for.
Best book on Flash animation, best book on working in Hollywood
Although this book is written for animators with intermediate Flash skills, anybody in animation and general Flash users would greatly benefit from reading this book. Even if someone just wants to use 3D wireframes to spice up a client's product in Flash on a webpage, they'll save time and frustration by first reading the numerous tips and workarounds that the pros use as detailed in interviews throughout the book.
Excellent Animation Book
Basically only buy the book if you have already been exposed to some flash before. It contains wonderful details about film production and animation techniques unique to flash MX 2004. I highly recommend it!!!
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Subjects:  1. Computer Animation    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Computers    5. Computers - Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Flash (Computer file)    8. Computers / Interactive Media    9. Image processing: computer animation   

Reviews (7)

Good, but problematic....
I just passed my 70-271 exam and I do believe this book was an important factor in my score. However this book is problematic.
Don't use this book as a primary study guide
There's a lot of unnecessary info in this book that you won't even see on the exam.The practice questions in the book are way too wordy and confusing.Exam Cram has helped me in the past, but not this time.

Don't buy this book, it's awful.
I believe my email to the editor explains it all.I have copied and pasted it below.
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Subjects:  1. Business Software - General    2. Certification    3. Certification Guides - General    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computer Books: Operating Systems    6. Computer technicians    7. Computers    8. Computers - Accounting Packages    9. Desktop Publishing    10. Electronic data processing personnel    11. Examinations    12. Microcomputer Operating Environments    13. Microsoft software    14. Operating Systems - Windows    15. Study guides    16. Tests    17. Computers / Technical Skills    18. Microsoft Windows   

Editorial Review

Setting up a Web site ranks among the most deceptively simple tasks in all of computerdom. At the end of the day, you just edit documents (and who hasn't done that before?). Even HTML, the underlying language of Web pages, is pretty easy to understand. But once the creation process gets underway, it becomes apparent that HTML coding is tedious, and that page designers often spend hours figuring out tiny layout details. Adobe GoLive CS is meant to ease and automate the process of creating and maintaining sites, and Read more

Reviews (27)

Excellent Resource for Beginners
I am a technician by trade, but I am very new to the web building world.The last time I attempted to build a web page was when c-tags were in style.When I bought this book I knew almost nothing about GoLive CS.I have now completed most of the lessons in the book and I will say I was hard-pressedto find any errors.Trust me, I know error proned books (i.e.CCNA).This book is perfect for a beginner and will lead one by the hand.The lesson material on the CD uses good examples.The book is far from exhaustive, but it will get one started.There is a whole lot in GoLive that is left to explore.After reading the book I have been able to build a good sized web site with many pages, and with many different styles.

Essential tool to get started with GoLive
One thing GoLive is not and that is intuitive. This book starts you off with a hands on approach and after a time it starts to make sense. I used it methodically and did not find any mistakes mentioned in the other reviews - it helps to use one's head and guess where one overlooked, or mis-understood an instruction as the program is very fiddly. Highly recommended.

Overall, a good introduction to GoLive
***This review is for the Revised Edition*** (FYI, I use the Mac version) Firstly, I have completed the whole book and have NOT found it to filled with errors. There are a couple of areas (specifically I think it was 3) where I had to do a double take and make sure I was following the directions as I was supposed to. Some confusion comes in because the names of some of the palattes are very similar to the names of the work screens, so you need to pay attention if the directions say "Click on the navigation palatte" or "Click on the navigation screen." At a couple points in the tutorial, it got a bit confusing, however it was nothing I could not figure out with some careful reading. It is not a complete reference on GoLive, as I feel I just scratched the surface with the text so far. I would recomemend this book to others basically because there is no other text to learn from. However I would like a more complete exhaustive text that goes deeper into GoLive. One thing I do fault the book for is not having a brief chapter of summary actions like "To fix orphaned files...do the following.."and then list them. There is no summary page or chapter on commands, icons and what they mean. I find myself knowing what I want to do, however I have to look it up to find out detailed instructions on how to do it. Like I said, overall, not a bad book, especially because there isn't anything else out there.
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Subjects:  1. Computer - Internet    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Desktop Publishing    5. General    6. Internet - Web Site Design    7. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design    8. Internet languages    9. Publishing on the Internet   

Reviews (4)

Awesome book for anyone looking to learn low-level
This book fills in most gaps you might encounter while learning about the low-level BSD/Mach aspect of Mac OS X and Darwin.Mach and BSD iokit is described in detail, and there are tons of useful code examples all over the book.This book even explains ipc and pipes very well, and isn't the size of the bible, like other books.It gets to the point as soon as you get past the TOC.

Read This Book
If you're a Mac OS X developer and want to get serious about it, this book is mandatory. It is always on my desk right by the computer, and really is that perfect reference. Nothing really compares to this book, the previous Aaron Hillegass book is rather basic but is more of an introduction. I have a BS degree in CS and even though a lot of this has been covered, the rest of it is done in graduate school. So if you're looking for that little bit extra, give it a shot.

Probably more helpful for people with no/little Unix experience
Although this book is well written in concept, the editing of the final product is awful.There are a great deal of grammatical errors which seemed to me a basic word-processor would have caught.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Languages    2. Computers    3. Computers - General Information    4. Programming - General    5. Reference - General    6. Computer Programming    7. Computers / Operating Systems / Macintosh