We've just released a pair of ebooks, both by Joe Kissell, that help you keep your Mac running well. The first, "Take Control of Maintaining Your Mac, Second Edition" looks at how to start on the right foot with keeping your Mac running smoothly, and then it explains weekly, monthly, and yearly tasks that anyone can perform easily to enjoy peak performance and avoid pesky problems. Along with telling you what to do, it includes a section about what not to do, explaining several time-consuming tasks that don't provide any real benefits.

The second ebook, "Take Control of Troubleshooting Your Mac," version 1.1, goes beyond maintenance to teach you how to solve any problems that might pop up. In particular, you'll learn how to perform 17 specific problem-solving tasks (including clearing caches, running disk-repair utilities, and checking your RAM), how to solve 9 common problems (including printer problems, mouse problems, and Mac-won't-turn-on problems), and how to proceed if you encounter a novel problem.

In both cases, Joe has updated the ebooks for the latest versions of Mac OS X, and for the latest versions of various utilities that play a role in Mac maintenance and troubleshooting.

You can buy either ebook separately for $10, or (at the links above) look for "Bundle Discount" options that let you save 30 percent if you buy three or more books at the same time.

Those who own the first edition of "Take Control of Maintaining Your Mac" can upgrade for half off (or free if you purchased in 2009), and those who already own "Take Control of Troubleshooting Your Mac" get a free update. We've sent all sorts of email about the updates; if you didn't receive an email message about upgrading, open your PDF and click Check for Updates on the cover (page 1) for update details.