Microsoft Books

Last March 2007, I purschased the Vista Visually Series that this writer wrote. And, I was so impressed with the author and the content of this book that when I discovered this newer Vista book by the same author, I bought it as well. The reason that I bought this book that I wanted a quick overview on both Tips and Tricks of Vista. After one year using Vista, I have learned so much more about it. Yet, there is always more to learn and an easier and better way to do things in Vista. This author gives you 10 very easy to read and follow chapters that give wonderful and helpful information yet do not bore or overwhelm the reader. The graphics are excellent! The most helpful chapter I found is chapter 5, which is called "Enhance Internet Security and Privacy". Although this chapter could have been longer and more detailed, it gives enough information about: Scanning for Spyware, Web Page Media Safely and Privately, Spam info, and super email info and more. Another chapter I was very impressed with the content is chapter 6. In this chapter the author gives you basic Internetting tips and faster movement in pages showing you how to use tabs, a real help when you are browsing more than one web page at a time and wish to go back to each of them. Also in this chapter I found many good suggestions for websites, safe websites, web feeds and more. Superb book, superb author, I highly reccomend this book!

I purchased "Vista Simplified",I also purchased "Vista Manual"(The missing manual).
Vista simplified is an extremely good instruction book.It introduced me to Vista and how to use Vista.It contained information to me that is not obvious unless you know how to find it.

The "Missing Manual" Gives a more detailed
introduction to Vista. It is very inforamtive and explains everything in plain language. It includes descriptive information
that is easy to follow.It is also a good reference book
if one gets into trouble

I highly recommend both books.
George High

This is one of the finest instructional books I have ever come across. The step-by-step instructions are very clearly written and illustrated. There is no guess-work required regarding the interpretation of the instructions. Each task is preceded by an informative narrative explaining its' purpose and effect. Every command is numbered, with a corresponding number highlighted in relavent screen shots to show exactly how to perform the task. Tips, recommendations, cautions and other options are also included after most tasks. Instructions on removal to return you to the previous configuration are also prevalent. Difficulty levels are assigned. There is much more detail here that is present in most Vista manuals. The pages are glossy and in color. I can't think of a single recommendation to improve this book and shall consider other books in this series. Excellent!

Great book for vista. Simple instructions, clearly written. Nice full color illustrations, although some of the text is a little difficult to read in some of the pictures. Includes tips on each section and a difficulty level bar which rates how hard each task is to perform for the average user. Overall a great starter book. Hope they write 100 more tips.

I ordered this book and another book on Dec 22nd, and it was on my porch early afternoon on Christmas Eve. I did not expect to get it that soon!

This book makes everything so simple. Everytime you get a new computer, and it has a new operating system, you can't do much with it for a while. I was actually able to do things with this book explaining the steps.

I was so impressed with it, I just ordered the author's 'Teach Yourself Visually Windows Vista' book. It is the first book to impress me for it's ease and userability.

Back in the "OLD" days they use to supply books with computers that helped to explain how to do tasks...or at least the steps a new user shoukd go through to find the info on the computer. NOW ALL YOU CAN DO IS GUESS WHERE SOME USEABLE INFORMATION IS LOCATED, AND HOW TO GET TO IT.

AN EXCELLENT SOURCE BOOK....THANK YOU!

I used this book to help some people get acquainted with their computers and to get online. This is a perfect lifeline for anyone just learning about computers and to use as reference. I highly recommend it.

I have been using this book for 2 days and already I feel at ease with my new computer. I had a computer (an Amiga) years ago and had no idea how or what I was going to do with the new one my husband had just bought me. I live on Guam and needed immediate support at the house and this book gave and is still giving support to me. I also feel very comfortable with the step-by-step instructions. It is like having your own instructor helping you to discover the computer (and your) ability! I love it!

I'm in my 50's and never even looked at a computer till my sons got me one and was I ever scared of it but with this book everything just fell in to place for me it's the greatest book there is I tried others but they just made things worse for me.
So if you are new at this and have trouble understanding these big word detail books get this one you'll love it.

I bought this book for my mother, who is 76 and very computer-phobic. Having this book helps her believe she actually CAN use the computer!

Who said picture books are only for kids? All the new technology is forcing us to learn a brand new language, brand new culture, brand new way to do things. Who wouldn't be intimidated?

The "Simplified" series helped ease the pain. When Windows 98 came out, I was almost intimidated, until I saw this book. This may be basic for some techies, but this book is a lifesaver. I learned so much, that I am now totally comfortable anytime new software programs are introduced.

By the way, the shelf life is longer than some people think. I've had the book since it first came out, and I still refer to it when other folks come to me for my "expertise". I also have other Simplified books on Office 97, Word, Powerpoint, Creating Web Pages, and the World Wide Web. Other folks consult my "Simplified" library for information rather than struggle with their boring manuals.

I highly recommend this book. When I switch to Office and Windows 2000, I am getting the Simplified book. Can't see me getting any other reference.

This book has been very helpful to me in my personal study of statistics. It is practical, with everyday applications, as well as explanations behind the formulae. Be sure to buy one with the CDROM. It is essential to solving the problems suggested in the book.

I really just had to take the class to finish my masters. The book explains the theories behind the formulas. Having an instructor was very help to understand it all.

I have a large library of math texts from many years in school and I have never read one that was so much fun. This book is really interesting and practical. Finally a statistics book that does more than scare the wit out of somebody. I would highly recommend that more professors choose this book for their students.

Incredibly useful book, easy to use. Contains all the Excel information you will even need in a basic statistics class.

I have used this book in my classroom for the last 3 years and found it very illustrative and simple for students to comprehend statistics. It covers theory with practical examples and therefore keeps it 'real' for students. I have used other books in the past, but students found them theoretical and 'brain show-offs' by authors who really did not care for student comprehensions unless they were math majors. This book is far different and even beginner students can easily relate to the hundreds of practical examples that the author provides.

The Excel examples are easy to follow and my science students usually pick up many practical models from these examples. The regression covered at the beginning level in Chapter 3 is fully covered in multiple regressions in Chapters 17 &18 in a way that makes it easy to teach...

Of the 40-60 stats books I have in my office, this is by far my favorite....

Dr. Bjarne Berg
Assistant Professor Lenoir-Rhyne College
School of Math and Computer Science

I am using this text as the basis for a university-level business web application development course. It is a better introduction to ASP.NET 3.5 than any textbook I have found. The chapters unfold logically, each new skill building on the last. The prose is clear and relaxed. The code examples are correct and clearly presented. Imar has used the same organization and logic skills needed for good programming to produce an excellent book!

This is a good hands-on tutorial. The author will walk you through an operation, and then explain how it works. I like that approach.

The online resources provided to accompany the book have been very helpful to me. When you start working through a new chapter, you might find it a good idea to start with the official source code provided for the previous one, instead of relying on the results of your own work, especially if you skip some of the exercises.

There is an online forum for the book, and the author and the editor do a great job of answering questions.

To fully benefit from the code-intensive examples in the book, you may want to study C# or VB in its own right as well. If you have no knowledge of programming languages at all, you might find the book a little hard to understand.

The book could benefit from some more editing, which is why I have only given it four stars. Nevertheless, I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn ASP.NET 3.5.

Recieved book in excellent condition! The book is very organized and very constructive in teaching me what I need to learn in a step-by-step manner. I very much recommend this book!

I think this is a great start for anyone looking to get into ASP.NET. The entire book takes you through creating a professional-looking website. The book was very well thought out and I have yet to see any errors. I've found the author to be very responsive on the WROX website, as well.

I've picked up copies of Beginning ASP.NET 2.0; Build Your Own ASP.NET 2.0 Web Site Using C# & VB; Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 E-Commerce in C# 2005 From Novice to Professional; and Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5 Step by Step (the only one I can recommend). With all of these, I struggled to read them and didn't feel as though I learned much, or in the case of the last, failed to get much more than an overview of ASP.NET (albeit a good one).

However, with Imar Spaanjaars' book, I finally feel comfortable with ASP.NET 3.5.

In this book Imar works through the steps of creating of an actual, fully-functional, ASP.NET 3.5 Web site, that's actually not that bad (ignoring some questionable design).

Unlike other books, Imar covers both the Express and commercial versions of Visual Studio, in a very unobtrusive way. In addition, Imar doesn't rely solely on the ASP.NET components, but gives a good deal of actual programming, in both C# and VB (in a very clean, comfortable, way).

While it's true that he references a number of other Wrox books, such as Professional ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB (Programmer to Programmer), there is very little that needs to be examined to get a site up and running, that would suit the majority of business needs.

Overall, my faith in the ability of Web developers to write good books has been restored by this tome (and at over 700 pages, tome it is). A Web developer Imar is, and to us, as equals, is to whom he speaks. This is clearly seen in his summaries and tips, at the end of each chapter.

I give this book 5 stars of 5. If you've read the other books and been left sad, confused, and/or angry, this is the volume to pick up.

Note: I will be reading this book twice, once I've finished with Professional ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB (Programmer to Programmer). There is so much in this book that bears repeating, and many things that I'm sure I missed in my first read, since it's so full of (valuable) information.

This book was very helpful and easy-to-read, I found it even easier to follow and read than "Windows '95 for Dummies." While the size can look intimidating (bigger than some phone books), you are soon pleased to find out that the size is such to accommodate many pictures of exactly what the screen looks like through each individual point-and-click step, making it much easier to stay on track with your applications. The detailed table of contents made it easy to jump right to the page you wished to view to take care of any specific problem or question you might be having about something. Since I had never used any version of Windows before,I found this book to be extremely helpful, and I would consider it a "must-have" for anyone making the jump to Win '95 or those who would like to have a great "how-to" book at arm's length. Very well-done

I teach Windows 95 at our college as well as consult with businesses. I recommend this book often to clients and students. It is one of the best manuals I've seen on Windows 95. It is not-threatening.

This book is clear, concise, and very easy to understand. I have several books, but have worn out the cover on this one. I have never had a problem that this book has not shown me; in diagrams; how to solve. I give it a "20". Wonderful for the novice just starting with Windows 95, or as a reference for any problems that may arise. This book resides within easy reach beside my computer. I teach computer basics to senior citizens, and ask them to purchse this book in my first class

I purchased this book to teach my Windows 95 class. I taught a class before with a different book and nobody in the class payed much attention. The first class I taught with this book everyone was excited. They looked through the book and they were ready to learn. I purchased two other books on Windows 95 and neither of them stood up to The Big Basics. I really enjoy using this book because of the Guided Tours it has. It lets everyone follow along without being lost. And when they take the book with them they will have a great study guide for home.

An excellent book for both the beginner and the experienced computer user. As a teacher using this book in the classroom, I found that the numerous illustrations combined with the clear step by step directions easily walked my students through the workings of Windows 95. I would call this book a definate must have for any computer user's library.

Learned how to do things with Windows 98 that I thought didn't exist or were even possible. Microsoft should take a lesson from the author and provide more information to those who plan to use Windows 98.

     The Windows 98 operating system has the distinction of taking the computer industry by storm and having created one at the same time. Much-heralded as an improvement over the Windows 95 and 3.1 releases, it offers a number of noticeable improvements in terms of desktop appearance, file management, hardware and software installation, and the inclusion of a top-notch Web browser. Joe Kraynak wrote The Big Basics Book of Windows 98 to provide computer users with in-depth coverage of this exciting new operating system!

     Readers are taken on a guided tour on everything from configuring their desktops, installing programs and hardware, managing files, and using the new Outlook Express e-mail and Internet Explorer Web browser programs. Each topic of discussion is fully illustrated and adequately described. This book is loaded with quality grayscale screenshots of desktop displays, pull-down menus, and other features offered. Learning is a breeze!

     As is the case with any new program some problems do arise that require serious and immediate attention. Chapters on supplying "quick fixes" and troubleshooting solutions will help the uninitiated to adapt themselves to this new operating system with ease. 101 questions and solutions are provided to assist readers to work through the most common technical difficulties they will face.

     This book is ideally suited for students, beginners, and those persons requiring quick answers. Its large 8 1/2" by 11" format and easy-to-read writing style makes the book an effective educational tool. Hobbyists and company employees alike will benefit from putting it to use. This is a fully detailed reference book. It's a real time saver and economically priced! Highly recommended!

Well this is it it doesnt get simpler then this.Its a how to picture manual step by step and in easy to understand every day terms.I give this two thumbs up!:-)

I love this book! I use it all the time and it usually can help me! If you've always had a LAN guy taking care of problems, and suddenly, there's no LAN guy cuz you're using your PC at home, this book is for you!

Learned how to do things with Windows 98 that I thought didn't exist or were even possible. Microsoft should take a lesson from the author and provide more information to those who plan to use Windows 98.

'The Book of Visual Basic 2005: .NET Insight for Classic VB Developers' by Matthew MacDonald is another fantastic book written by the busy author Matthew MacDonald. Presented in a very entertaining and fun format thanks to the No Starch line, this book will cover Visual Basic 2005 from top to bottom and show you why it's one of the most popular and easy languages to develop in. With ~500 pages of material and 14 chapters, this book doesn't skimp on any of the good stuff (plenty of whip cream and jimmies for everyone).

If you are a VB programmer and want to learn about how far it's come and why the .NET framework makes RAD ever more RAD than ever before, pick up this book, read it, and enjoy it.

Easy to read and even easier to recommend, this is a solid best buy.

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Very well written and organized. I've read it once and am re-reading it again. Highly recommended.

This is definitely not a complete work on VB or .NET. It does serve as a good walkthrough of the features of .NET and their use through Visual Basic. So as long as you know what you are buying you will likely be pleased.

The writing is solid, and the graphics are used effectively. This is not one of the screenshot heavy tomes so often seen in the VB world.

The focus of this book is to take a traditional Visual Basic developer who is already experienced writing Visual Basic programs and use that as a base to move them to the .NET platform. One of the problems of the traditional Visual Basic program has been that it has its own way of doing things and is built on a platform that is different from other object-oriented languages such as C++ and Java. Of course this is not the only problem but if you program in more than one language then Visual Basic's dlls would often replace and create problems for the other language and vice-versa. The vision of .NET was to create a common language runtime with common classes that can be used for all languages. The problem is that this meant a complete rewrite of Visual Basic and many of the expressions used before no longer work. This need to relearn how to do so many things has slowed the adoption of the .NET framework for Visual Basic. This book comes to the rescue by providing a convenient learning pathway that starts with the familiar for the Visual Basic 6 programmer and moves them from there to the correct use of the .Net framework to accomplish the same goal. For the Visual Basic programmer making the move to the .NET platform The Book of Visual Basic 2005 is highly recommended.

Are you a Visual Basic 6 developer? If you are, then this book is for you. Author Matthew MacDonald, has done an outstanding job of writing a book about Visual Basic 6 developers who want to shed some of their current habits and start learning more about how the .NET platform works and thinks.

MacDonald, begins by showing you why Microsoft decided to create a whole new framework for programming and what it threw in. Then, the author provides an overview of the design environment. Next, he looks at the .NET world, with an overview of language changes, an exploration of the class library, and an introduction to namespaces. The author also provides an overview of Windows Forms. He continues by showing you the basics of object-oriented development, the most modern and elegant way tosolve almost any programming problem. Then, the author explores VB 2005's object oriented features and advanced class construction techniques including interfaces nd inheritance, the most anticipated Visual enhancement ever. Next, he shows you how to make your own components and get the essentials you need to know in order to transfer your applications to other computers. The author also describes debugging in the IDE, outlines some tips for making bug-resistant code, and introduces structured exception handling. He continues by showing you how to deal with Data: Files, Printing and XML. Then, the author presents an overview of databases and ADO.NET. Next, he provides some advice about when to create threads and how to use them safely. The author also describes the basics of ASP.NET, Microsoft's all-in-one solution for creating web-based applications. He continues by showing you how to create web services and, best of all, let .NET take care of all the plumbing. Finally, he shows you how to deploy your application: the streamlined web-based ClickOnce model, and the more comprehensive Visual Studio setup project.

Throughout this most excellent book, the author strives to give you the essential facts and insights. More importantly, the emphasis here isn't on becoming a "language nerd," but on gaining the insights you'll need in order to understand .NET development and to continue learning on your own.

I bought this book for an overall understanding of BI without wanting a deep dive into the technicality of the technology. This book hit the spot nicely. Explained clearly the evolution of BI, the uses and some real-life solutions. In the final section it then went into the technology at a perfectly pitched depth. If you are looking for a BI reference guide, this is the wrong book for you. However, if you just want a clearly written book on the concepts behind BI and it's real life applications, this is the book for you.

I chose this book, because I needed to get some background on BI fairly quickly. It satisfied that need very well. It is quite well-written and some parts read more like a story, which is quite the opposite of the "just the facts, ma'am" approach of Kimball and his associates. (That is not a stab at Kimball. I am a big fan and I believe they have so much to say that they don't really have the space to make it story-like. Kimball has a completely different goal with his books -- but this is not a Kimball-review.)

At the start, the book introduces us to the Director of Imports at a gift and novelty wholesale company. Her initiative of selling a certain item didn't work so well, and we get to know the steps she has taken to analyze the data to find out what happened. Along the way, we are introduced to many Data Warehousing / Business Intelligence (DW/BI) concepts.

After the story, some basic DW/BI terms are explained in more detail. The authors explain quite well where they fit in the process of getting from mounds of static data, to a useable set of data for analytical purposes, which they call the BI Roadmap.

The book contains five case studies of a few pages each, which help fix the process of implementation.

If you know nothing about DW/BI and you quickly need a framework on which to hang whatever knowledge you gain elsewhere, I'd say this is a great start. Also, if you've implemented a DW/BI system and failed, this may help get you back to your roots. However, if you've read a lot of in-depth material and maybe have an implementation or two (successful) under your belt, this will only serve as a relaxing read; you won't gain much new knowledge from it.

I give it 5 stars, because it does what I think it attempts to do. It gives you background knowledge and a framework; it does not attempt to be an encyclopaedic work and desk reference, like Kimball's books are. Therefore it reads in a fraction of the time it would take to read Kimball. If background is what you're looking for, enjoy.

The book was a very easy read. Finised it in one afternoon. Definitely recommended for a novice. However, if you have an understanding of BI, then this book is not for you.

I like the cover. Its orange !!!

First of all, I will have to admit that I am a Microsoft advocate. I like their solutions and I think very highly of what they have to offer with SQL Server and Analysis Services.

This book lays down a good foundation for anyone to follow. It explains the concept of BI, the uses of BI, and the payback of BI. What more do you want.

I have been in charge of an SAP/BW group for a large consumer electronics company for the past 4 years. SAP's architecture for BI is very expensive, inflexible, and limited. Using Microsoft's concepts of BI would be cheaper, very flexible, with much more capabilities.

So, grab this book, read it, then read it again. Install SQL Server 2k. Install Analysis Services (comes with SQL Server 2k) and install SQL Servers Service Packs 1-3).

Then experiement with what they are telling you in this book and you will be amazed at what you can do....and cheaply!!!

Good Luck!

Techies will enjoy learning from real world examples of business intelligence technologies. Business leaders will appreciate how complex technical and business topics are tackled from various perspectives - what is BI, how BI will help your organization, and the most helpful chapter, how to actually identify, start and implement a BI solution.

Only wish the authors had spent a little more time identifying pitfalls, but that is why you hire experts to help you out.

Well, you know it's a winner b/c it's in Addison Wesley's Microsoft .Net Development series. Like their Hejlsberg title, this is pure reference. However, there's a lot to it (almost 900 pages in total) and EVERYTHING in the CLS is covered here. It's very technical, and definitely not a cover to cover read, but there are many good examples and if you need a quick reference for any topic in the Framework, this book is a must have.

.NET, unlike Java, is an implementation of an ECMA and a ISO standard.
This book, from the Microsoft employees that created .NET and with input from members of the standards bodies, annotates the standard with comments that provide insights into the reasoning behind the standard. If you are in one of these categories, you should seriously consider buying this book:
1. advanced .NET developers
2. language designers
3. tool designers
4. those interested in understanding virtual machines
5. developers of libraries
6. Java developer (wondering what a standard looks like, just kidding. As an intermediate-advanced Java developer, the book is very interesting though.)
7. developer who wants insight into current software architecture
Otherwise, the book is still a useful guide to help you grow as a developer if you even browse it sporadically, and unlike many programming books, it will not be obsolete in a year.

When Microsoft released its .NET platform, it attempted, and is attempting, something quite audacious. It is putting forth a programming environment whereby you could combine modules written in different languages, without recompiling, let alone rewriting.

Arguably, Microsoft set itself a harder task than did Sun with java. Along this road, as the book describes, a standard arose - the Common Language Infrastructure. It describes a Virtual Execution System and what type of executable code can use it. So a version of Pascal, say, that wanted to run on a VES would need to pass the compilation rules of a Pascal compiler that adhered to CLI.

An analogy might help. In some rough way, you might consider CLI + VES to be like a java virtual machine, and the choice of a language to use atop CLI to be like running java under its jvm. Granted, this is crude, but many readers are probably unfamiliar with CLI, whilst having more acquaintance with java.

Warning. The book may be heavy sledding for most. The main audience is compiler writers and language developers. Daresay that even experienced developers may not usually deal with a language at this level.

A slight irony is that CLI is meant to decouple programmers from any specific platform, which is why Microsoft pushed it over to a standards body. But the most developed instantiation currently appears to be .NET, which is inextricably interwoved with Microsoft's operating systems.

Excerpt from C# Online.NET Review (wiki.CSharp-Online.NET):
"...this book goes beyond the online documentation to clarify and amplify the original standard and describe its implementation.... the single source programmers, language and tool designers, and library and VES developers need to render the CLI and the CLR fully comprehensible."

This is not just a reference guide (although it is a very good one). It is also (due to the annotations, often funny) that give you insight into the 'why' behind thing like naming, design decisions, things that were internally debated that we would not normally know about, and in general you come away feeling like you were there creating .NET. I find it required reading and often use it as a reference. 5 stars. An amazing read.

Kind Regards,
Damon Carr
(...)

Anyone who is new to Visual Basic 4.0 or those who are migrating / upgrading from Visual Basic 3.0 to Visual Basic 4.0 , will find this book as the basic tool to Object-Oriented approach in Visual Basic. Author has given some good ideas to tackle class hierarchy , not supported by VB. This is a must buy for all Visual Basic 4.0 learners who want to develop Business Objects in VB 4. But a serious developer who has already done programming in VB 4 may not find this book as very informative , for most of the subjects described may have been already done by him. (By the time I got this book I had already done a lot !) Hence , ABC learners must go for it but practical developers must use the experience they have

I was surprised to find the first half the book devoted to project and object design with very little code. Yet these sections turned out to be far more compelling than the (excellent) coding techniques that followed. I found the book an invaluable source for the more intangible side of programming: rather than teach dozens of techniques for coding yourself into misery, the author demonstrates how to design one's objects and applications correctly from the beginning. I can honestly say the book has saved me days, if not weeks, of effort by showing me how to design first and code later

If you are an experienced programmer looking to get into the Object Oriented side of VB, buy this book! Deborah Kurata and ZD have done an excellent job of laying the foundations of OO for you. All you have to do is read the book

Deborah Kurata has given the Visual Basic programming community something it has desperately needed for years -- a pragmatic framework for project development. In fact, any developer using one of the modern Interactive Development Environments (IDE's) will benefit from reading this book. Kurata skillfully combines a straightforward object-oriented methodology with practical examples of VB's new OO features. Every VB programmer (arguably every programmer of any language) should own this book

If you want to learn more about the entire design processes -- objected oriented design -- then read this book. You will not learn neat tricks in this book or even pick out a lot of Visual Basic code; however, you will learn how to better plan, schedule, and manage projects. Bottom line... if you must pick a book that will go beyond learning the language, and go into real-world project design... GET THIS BOOK