We're starting to clear the decks in anticipation of Apple's promised release of Leopard next month, so we have not one, not two, but three free updates for our loyal Take Control readers.

The first two updates are aimed at anyone who uses Apple Mail, bringing Joe Kissell's "Take Control of Apple Mail in Tiger" and "Take Control of Spam with Apple Mail" completely up to date with the world of Mail in Tiger. Both of these books were last updated about two years ago, so we encourage current readers to download the free update and check out the What's New list in each. If you aren't among the 4,500 people who have already taken advantage of Joe's expertise with Apple Mail, you can buy either title for $10 or get both - 246 pages all told - for only $15 (look for the Buy Both button in the left margin of either book's Web page).

Energized by the cheese and baguettes in Paris, Joe has also managed to crank out yet another a free update to his "Take Control of .Mac" ebook. It addresses the changes that Apple made to .Mac a few weeks ago, adds information about using your own domain name with .Mac, explains how to use the new Junk Mail filter in .Mac Mail, and more. For those who are new to .Mac, or who would like help using all of .Mac's features, the 194-page book is $15.

(If you already own an earlier version of one of these ebooks, click Check for Updates on the cover of your PDF to view the book's Check for Updates Web page, from which you can download the free update.)