When you get a new computer, iPhone, or iPod, the device comes preconfigured in the way Apple feels will be the most useful to the greatest number of their customers. But what if you want your exciting new gear to conform to your wishes and requirements rather than Apple’s preferences?

If you long to individualize your gadgets and make them your own, just consult the latest release from the folks who bring you Make magazine — The Big Book of Apple Hacks. Bigger in size, longer in length, and broader in scope, author Chris Seibold’s new collection of tips, tricks, and hacks helps you to get the most out of Mac OS X, your iPhone, the new line of iPods, and Apple TV.

Into the weather? With a few tools Seibold shows you how you can turn your Mac into a weather-monitoring beast. Got an old MacBook? Seibold can help you soup it up. Got Leopard? Find out how to gain control over your widgets with three simple tricks.

“Most of the hacks in the book are answers to questions or problems people have had when using their Apple products,” says Seibold. With wit and style, Seibold takes you under the hood with complete and clearly illustrated step-by-step instructions to help you personalize your stuff.

“One of my favorite hacks is from a contributor (Rich Lefko). After he left a job he wanted to keep his work data (he used a PC at work) without having to buy a Windows PC. Rich’s hack was brilliant. He discovered a way to swap out the hard drive of the MacBook and install the hard drive from work and boot into Windows. So now, on the rare occasions he wants a Windows machine, he just switches out the drive in his MacBook.”

Indeed, by tinkering in ways Apple never envisioned, you’ll learn how to:

• Optimize your operating system, whether you have Mac OS X Leopard or Tiger
• Customize the applications that come with Mac OS X, including Mail, Safari, Dashboard, and the iLife suite
• Tweak system and device settings in minutes with Quick Hacks
• Perfect your peripherals with hacks that hone your hardware, from Apple TV to the new iPod touch
• Protect your data with backups and keep your secrets by tightening security
• Open up the iPhone and iPod to all kinds of possibilities
• Run Windows and other operating systems on your Mac

Indeed, with help from the The Big Book of Apple Hacks, you can truly be the unbending overlord of all your Apple gadgets and systems!