Tidbits (styledTidBITS) is an electronic newsletter and web site dealing primarily withApple Inc. andMacintosh-related topics.[1]
TidBITS has been published weekly since April 16, 1990, making it the longest-runningInternet technology publication[2] and the second-oldest Internet-only publication of any sort.[3][4] In July 1992, TidBITS launched the first Internet advertising program,[5] based on the PBS sponsorship model.
TidBITS is published byAdam C. Engst, author of a number of computer books, including four editions ofInternet Starter Kit for Macintosh,Eudora for Windows & Macintosh Visual Quickstart Guide, and five editions ofiPhoto for Mac OS X: Visual QuickStart Guide, along with a number of books in the Take Control series.[6]
The senior staff ofTidBITS are:[7]
From 2003 to 2017,TidBITS also published a series of electronic books inAdobe Acrobat (PDF),EPUB andMobipocket (Kindle) formats[8] that cover issues related tomacOS and the digital lifestyle. The "Take Control Books" series first appeared in October 2003 with the publication ofTake Control of Upgrading to Panther which was issued at the same moment as the official launch ofMac OS X version 10.3 Panther. Excerpts of the Take Control books can be downloaded free of charge, and some have been published inMacworld magazine.[9]
The series includes many books for using and upgrading the various versions of Mac OS X[10] andiPhone software;[11] applications such asApple Mail[12] andiTunes; and general technology such aswireless security and choosing adigital camera.
There are also some wider lifestyle titles such asTake Control ofThanksgiving Dinner as well as more highly technical titles such asTake Control ofMac OS X Server byCharles Edge. Reviewers have describedTake Control titles as "thoughtful" and "loaded with useful tips and humor".[13]
In 2017, TidBITS sold the Take Control Books imprint to alt concepts, a company run by the authorJoe Kissell.[14]