Hardware Books

The second and updated edition of the Old Fart's Guide To The Macintosh caters to the new senior citizen computer user and the retiree who wants to get a quick handle on the Mac. The basics become as plain as where to buy one, whether to consider a new or used one, and how to turn on/off the machine. Don't expect this to be a slim handbook of quick reference: it's best used on a step-by-step basis for new learners and is packed with the building blocks of computer knowledge.

This book is written by a young man named Aaron Rosenzweig who has a keen understanding of how to explain the essentials of computers in ways that people born before the era of computers can understand.

Macintosh users, of which I am one, have been quite well provided for by helpful manuals (the iMac for Dummies and How to do Everything with your iMac spring to mind). But there's always room for more, if they add something new to our knowledge of these user-friendly and constantly evolving computers.

Well, Aaron Rosenzweig has done just that, in a very thorough, clear and logical way, especially when explaining AppleWorks, which he describes as the greatest single piece of software ever created because it is easy to use and can do so many things.

Aaron's manual assumes no knowledge of computers, and starts from scratch with a comprehensive run-down of what computers are (not just Macs), their software, hardware, viruses and gadgets, such as mice. He then leaps straight into a discussion about Operating Systems, and a thorough exposition of the Macintosh itself. A description of the Internet follows, then AppleWorks, printing, information and storage, software categories, digital hubs, user groups, computer problems, advanced topics and, right up to date, what's new in OS 10.3 (Panther). The book concludes with a description of some useful web sites and a comprehensive glossary.

I would recommend this book-part manual and part commentary-to any Mac user, though I must warn that it's primarily aimed at the US market and to those who are using OS X. As one who is in neither category, I would yet argue that this is a small price to pay for a well-written, comprehensive, easy to read and understand guide. And if it's any consolation, Aaron is prepared to write a specifically Australian version, if he can find a co-author. Any takers?

When categorizing books, it would be easy to say that the technical genera is something that one "has" to read, rather than "gets" to read. There is good reason for that. Technical books are too long, too boring and don't give any perspective. Thankfully for Mac users, there is one glowing exception: Aaron Rosenzweig's Old Fart's Guide to the Macintosh.

Now in its second edition, this ultra up-to-date book stands out for its ability to gather and feed a sea of Mac information in a different way-with personality and luster. Although the title may be a put-off to those who don't consider themselves an "old fart," let me assure you, this book is for anyone who wants to learn more about the Mac.

Aaron's keen sense of direction plots a well-defined path through the jungle of computer literacy. Starting right from the beginning, he uses these great analogies to relate confusing digital ideas to everyday life. Whether talking about New York chefs and operating systems or small towns and passwords, the most confusing ideas are brought down to level that can be understood and related to by all.

Although it might sound like this book is geared just to Mac tyros, it provides a wealth of information and background that even seasoned users will appreciate. From typing letters to creating your own internet radio station, the number of plausible solutions to accomplish almost anything on the Mac is impressive. What's taken me over a decade of trial and error to figure out, Aaron has put on the table for anyone to utilize in only minutes. Many other Mac resources, computer classes, and even personal tutors give you the "how," but not the "why." Aaron makes sure the reader understands how to do something by backing up a few steps and explaining the underlying reason for why it needs to be done. This applies an incredible mental adhesive to the information in the book.

The first chapter, "What is a Computer?," starts with the basic idea of a computer, and why people need one. Those of us new to computers, or the Mac, will appreciate this the most. The basic parts of a computer and what they do are explained in this chapter. Fundamental terms such as hardware and software are also defined along with examples. Adjusted users might wish to skip ahead, but this chapter provides an easy first step for those with no prior computer knowledge.

Gradually getting deeper into the Mac, the second chapter is dedicated to operating systems. It's only fitting that this is a unique chapter for a unique OS. It starts by explaining why an OS is a vital part of a computer, and how it directly affects the user. After the basic concept of an OS is established, the chapter segues into the differences of Mac OS 9 and X. An informative synopsis of the NeXT evolution tells how it played a major role in fabricating today's Mac OS. Additionally, the concepts of Mac "system software" and "OS" are differentiated in addition to some tips on when to use Mac OS 9 and "Classic mode."

Chapter three pulls concepts from the first two chapters and uses them to explain why Mac is the superior computing platform. If you're not a Mac fan, this chapter should pull you over from the Dark Side. For the rest, it points out why PCs are substandard computers. After establishing that concept, the different models of both Mac desktops and portables are compared and contrasted. This provides a nice guide for people who want a new Mac, but aren't sure which model serves their needs best. If a new Mac isn't your thing, don't worry. There are also tips for getting a used system, and what to watch out for.

The next chapter gets into working with the Mac through the desktop. Basic concepts such as clicking, drag and drop, windows and the Finder are explained with very helpful screen shots for reference.

Chapter eight is a whopper of a chapter that covers almost everything about using the internet, and then some. Keeping with style, it explains what the internet is, how it works and why it affects you. The chapter covers how to get online, what email is and how to use it, different ways to browse the web, using Sherlock, video conferencing and instant messaging... just to name a few. Each topic is nicely broken down by concept followed up with suggestions of good software to use.

Word processing nowadays may seem much more complicated than punching keys on a typewriter. But with a little help, anyone can reap the benefits of modern word processing. "Typing Letters with AppleWorks" is a whole chapter dedicated to getting the most out of Apple's free productivity software. From setting margins to checking spelling, you'll be whipping out letters in no time.

The final and most in-depth chapter truly adds the icing to the cake. Whereas most of the book up until now has been geared for people new to the Mac, this chapter rips loose and lets comfortable users really get their hands dirty. The chapter goes into many aspects of UNIX, including the terminal, X Window systems and GNU. There's even a section on how to get started with computer programming. If you're the artistic type, don't pass up the "Computer artwork and graphics" section, which goes into 3D and video effects software. If words or melody are your thing, don't feel left out. There's section on desktop publishing and a great music section that includes how to create your own recorded music as well as an internet radio station.

This book is well worth reading and is something to keep around by the Mac for those times when it seems like you can do no right. In addition to Aaron's great voice, I also enjoyed this book for its completeness, accuracy and clarity.

It's Christmas time. A very special time of the year, when family and friends just seem more important. It's a time when you sit back and think about how good life is, and how much you really love the people around you. Your family, your friends, that weird guy who always walks around town wearing the top half of a superman costume, screaming things about the Bible. And most importantly, Christmas time is a time of giving. I'm talking gifts, baby. Some of you may be giving the gift of a Macintosh to a loved one, and that may be the first computer for some of those loved ones. Handing them, perhaps, the greatest gift you could give. A doorway into the information super-highway. The means to express their ideas and creativity in ways other gifts could never provide. The ability to be entertained with music, movies, reading, and more!

Well, if you are giving the gift of a Mac to someone who isn't familiar with Macintosh, or if you know someone who has a Mac, and doesn't really understand how to use the computer effectively, then I have the perfect book for them: "Old Fart's Guide to the Macintosh" by Aaron Rosenzweig.

As the book states on the front cover, "A book for those who recognize the word 'computer' but do not know exactly what they can do". It does a good job of that. Aaron Rosenzweig took great care to explain not only how to use the software on the Mac, but also how to use things that seem so trivial to an "advanced user". There is a whole section on how to use a mouse, another just on how to turn the computer on. Also, the author doesn't just tell you how to use these things, he explains them, along with alternatives, and even the history of them. For instance, he explains the differences between a mouse, a trackball, a trackpad, and a tablet. He not only explains the differences, but the advantages and disadvantages to each, along with suggestions on which would be best for what type of person.

Another really nice feature of this book is that it has the definitions of "technical words" throughout the book on the side of the pages that the word is used. And it continues to put those definitions there, so that you don't have to flip back if you forget a word. These side areas also have pictures, for instance, a picture of the "command" key on the keyboard for when he mentions a keyboard command using the "command" key.

The book doesn't stop at the basics. It teaches how to use the Finder, how to change the way your computer behaves with System Preferences, how to save things to disks, (hard drive, CD, DVD-R, etc.) and all the things a person would need to know to use a Mac on a regular basis. There is even a 60-page section on the Internet, including some helpful links (2 Guys was mysteriously missing for some reason). The book even goes on to teach how to use AppleWorks, and all the iLife applications. (iTunes, iPhoto, iChat, iMovie, iDVD)

At the end is an advanced topics "for the curious", that delves in to things like .Mac, UNIX, Computer Artwork, Different Processors, etc.. And there is even an entire section on Panther at the end that discusses the differences between it, and previous versions of OS X.

Throughout the entire book, you can tell that the author really has a love for the Macintosh, and really knows not only how to use a Mac, but also the history of the Mac. He explains why things are the way they are and how it got that way, but does it in a way that doesn't seem like it would be too much information or become boring for a beginner. He also does a very good job of explaining alternatives. He talks about Windows and Linux, and explains why he thinks the Macintosh is the best choice. He talks about the different models Apple offers, and which model would be the right model for what type of person. He talks about software alternatives, and more.

While the book is designed for an older person who is new to computers, I would suggest it for a beginner of any age. It is enjoyable to read and very informative. Even though I know the Mac pretty well, I enjoyed reading it and never felt bored. Aaron Rosenzweig has put together a great book, and is a valuable asset to anyone who wants to "Learn how one computer will unleash your unlimited creative potential".

"Old Fart's Guide to the Macintosh" is available for $29.99US from Cocoa Nuts website and I give it 4 out of 5 pants.

-iKen
http://www.2guysamacandawebsite.com

This book is loaded with information on how to code JCL efficiently. We cut the run time for a 12 hour job to 3 hours using this book. I highly recommend the book for IT Professionals working with JCL.

This book is loaded with practical and valuable information. Excellent tool--even experienced IT professionals will benefit from the tips and techniques.

This JCL publication has all the parameters and statements most often used. The book also presents the most efficient and effective means to code the most common JCL parameters and statements. Olivia Carmandi hit the bullseye, writing a book that contains practical day to day answers in an easy to use format and size, an appealing tool to the busy IS professional.

This is an outstanding book that addresses and responds to the needs of its target audience in a very time efficient, practical, and helpful manner. Five stars.

A good little book for the most commonly used JCL and ideal for someone who does not have to deal with JCL on an everyday bases. The format is easy to follow and book size makes is easy to slip it into you pocket.

The focus of this book is on developing your survival skills quickly, helping you grasp and understand major concepts and terms so you can be productive in days; not weeks or months. JCL is an intense and complex computing skill and highly-valued in the industry. Traditionally, learning JCL takes years, learning small components at a time. Many programmers and operators eventually give up the chase. This book will help ensure that you don't. To paraphrase the line, "this is not your father's JCL manual." This book is not a thousand pages of prose, explaining every conceivable element that might appear in JCL. Instead, it focuses on what is actually being used in the computing world and packages it for easy consumption. I wish such a book had been available when I was learning JCL many years ago.

Happy Reading!! David Shelby Kirk

I had looked at this book for a long time, but delayed buying it. I finally bought it as a supplement to other, more technical books I have. It gives me the information I need without numbing my mind in geek-speak. During the first 24 hours after buying it, this book got me out of several difficult problems quickly and effortlessly. Surprisingly, it is not the diagnostic flow charts I have found most helpful, but the book's running text located by way of index entries has been the most helpful to me in solving the problems I had, one of which was the Blue Screen of Death related to the recognition of a hard drive on an OS installation.

For people who love computing but don`t want to be bogged down with techno-crap, this book is for you. We all run into problems sooner or later and we waste a lot of time, energy, and money trying to fix them. This book will help you diagnose the problem, fix the problem( or find out how to get more info)and most importantly, how to keep your PC running at it`s best. I had the Blue screen of Death,( but not anymore)and I was on the verge of buying a new PC. Think what I saved. My PC has never worked better. Thanks Mark!

I'm 13 and own several books on computer issues, but none of them are as all inclusive as this one. This book covers networking, hardware, software, printers and internal issues, most of it from a troubleshooting piont of view. This book is VERY easy to understand and is perfect for people who need a book that covers everything

I have been involved with computers for more than 20 years, and this book is the best troubleshooting book that I have seen for computers. The information is very well organized and easy to use. There are many flow charts in the book to quickly resolve problems, and there is a very helpful table listing different problem symptoms and solutions. The book also has in-depth chapters on certain problems. It is a book that can easily be used for quick reference for a problem, or it can be studied in detail. Blank screens, software and hardware problems, faulty power supplies, and input/output devices are all discussed in the book. Solving just one problem would pay for the book, and you'll be glad you bought it after using it several times.

I have spent hours on the phone with Dell, Microsoft, SBC, HP and countless other ISPs and manufacturers and have not been able to resolve issues or restore my system to usable status. This book tells you all that you need to know to put your system back in order, without transferring you around, routing your questions to India or blaming software or other system components for your problem. If you are tired of wasting your time using "tech support" this is the book you should have.

Bought my copy from Booksamillion's website. This kit has EVERYTHING. The CD has actual practice tests with several modes as well as a second CD with video tutorials and more, Flash Cards, and a HUGE book with pictures and easy to understand language. Worth every penny.

I found the material to be very complete and the flash cards were an excellent addition to the study materials. Well worth the money.

The resource kit is awesome! You get everything in both books for software and hardware by Jean Andrews for half the price! It's in black and white, but who cares if you are getting a deal like that, instead of buying both books in color?! Plus you get all kinds of ways on CD to test and prepare for the A+ Certification, as well as flash cars to quiz you for the test! This is great! Buy this instead of both of her books for hardware and software! This covers it all! Also Amazon sent it to me super-fast! It was in the mail before I knew it! Thanks Amazon!
Sincerely,
James

This kit did help me pass the A+ exams. Admit it, technical books are a bore. I usually get narcoleptic on the fifth page of most computer books. This book was not like that for me however. I actually read the whole book (over the course of about 4 weeks), watched many of the videos (which I admit were not all that useful for me - but it helped to get to know the author), went through the flash cards once, and (very helpful) took all the CertBlaster CBT tests (a couple times). The best part of the book is the way it's crafted. It's a physically large book (which makes it easy on the eyes - and the pages lay flat) and it's well illustrated. The sentences are carefully constructed to convey knowledge. They explain things the way they are without getting boring. Even though I have 14 years experience in IT, I found myself saying: "I didn't know that, that's good to know". In that respect, the book stands on its own as a good way for anyone not familiar with the way things work in the personal computer world to get familiar with computerdom. I found a few mistakes - for instance: "Windows 2000 does not offer automatic updates" and the test answer (of false) for the question regarding the speeding up of a CD drive as the laser moves to the center is wrong (s/b true). There are also a couple things that were a bit dated in my opinion, such as giving the impression BTX will be the new standard form factor (when was the last time you saw a BTX board?) and the somewhat debatable assumption that Mozilla Firefox is a safer browser than IE (no flaming allowed).

As of this review I have not yet taken the 220-602 but will add to this review when I take this portion of the A+ as well.

I took my A+ essentials 220-601 yesterday, 1-8-08, and passed using this study material. So far this has been quite effective as both a learning and test preparation tool. It works because it is written well and has good structure which goes a long long way when people need a guide to an area of study.

The Certblaster CD based training was pivotal in helping me retain the information presented in the manuals. A word of caution, when you install the Certblaster Programs to your computer, make sure you immediately click the update buttons for each test prep install. This will bring the test prep CD to current status. The CD is version 1.0 where with the updates the information is brought up to like version 2.02. So make sure you do this after you install.

The formula I used was to take the practice tests in assess mode which check to see what your strong and weak points are and it maps out what subject matter you need to study the most and from what I saw it was quite accurate. So I followed the course outline it presented me based on my weaknesses and studied those first to the point of total and utter overkill. Once I was able to consistently score 95% minimum on the practice questions in those weak areas, only then did I go back and study in my stronger areas, again to the point of total and utter overkill, for added assurance that I would pass the real thing. I basically trained myself to make sure every shot made a dent when I took the test for real. Also make sure you get a good night sleep before you go take the real test.

Like I stated earlier, I will update this review when I take the 220-602 IT Technician test and give my results but so far it has done exactly what I needed it to do and I give it a thumbs up.

UPDATE: I just took the 220-602 test on 4-8-08 and again by following the formula mapped out by the test assessment software, and studying until I was literally blue in the face for about 5 weeks up to the night before the test, I passed the 220-602. I am happy with the test prep course, and I think it is a great investment for anyone who is willing to study for the A+ certification.

:) I passed both the 220-601 and 220-602 on the first try :)

For 95% It covered all subject matter very well. The only thing I felt was somewhat weak about the test prep kit was the Networking section. I read the entire Networking Curriculum several times, and it did not seem to be as "test specific" as the other sections were. When I was using the networking section of the test prep CD in assessment and study mode, there were many questions asked that were not even covered in the test prep guide. So watch out! Not to say that the Networking section was not good information, because indeed IT IS GOOD INFORMATION. I just feel it was not as "test specific" as it could have been, which for some could possibly make a hole that could be stepped in on test day. Use outside study materials if necessary for that one, which the prep CD will have direct links to online content and resources to click on during study mode if you have an internet connection. Take advantage of all of this.

And above all, Study! Study! Study! Study! Study! Put into practice and really engross what this Resource Kit is teaching you. You will thank yourself on test day.

Overall I give this Product a 95% out of 100, and I think it is absolutely worth it.

I have been reading Gene Steinbergs great computer books since I got my first bondi-blue IMac, which was the very 1st Apple IMac - the one that made Apple famous - again! Mine was the second revison of this great computer, made in 1998, and has had one repair under the 4 year aftermarket extended warranty. I finally upgraded to my current IMac G-5, the last of the ones with the old Motorola chips, before the switch to Intel chips. My trust bondi-blue baby - that I still miss - has been set up for a friend, after being serviced, even more ram put in, and set up - so 10 years later - it is still working!
Gene has a neat,simple way of communicating on how to do things - I may use a Apple product - but I am not a genius technical dude - and Gene can communicate to me about how to do things on my mac, and how to help prevent problems. I have also e-mailed Gene for years with problems I have had, and he is the only
author I can think of that has actually taken the time to answer my questions - above and beyond the call of duty for the author of fairly inexpensive books!
Today Gene is also known for his great e-mail newsletter The Night Owl, as well as the Paracast. Gene and his son Grayson are also the authors of "attack of the Rockoids" - a great sci-fi book, written when I believe Grayson was still a teenager.
Overall, a great computer book that you will use again and again, one to keep on a shelf near your computer!

I can't believe you really read that book. I found tons of things in Mr. Steinberg's book that I didn't know and I've been working with Macs for years. I couldn't name five people who know how to really set up their monitors, for example, yet "Upgrading & Troubleshooting Your Mac" told me how to use the onscreen menus, what all those strange functions mean and how to calibrate the color. I don't know of any other book with this sort of information. Maybe that reader from San Francisco knew all this, but most folks dont.

I have had this book for just about a month now and have used it to upgrade my processor, level 2 cache, video memory, RAM, and change my clock battery. I am fairly proficient with Macs (14+ years) and I own 4, which I keep in excellent shape. This book is an excellent reference for the do-it-yourselfer who is not afraid to "get under the hood" of their Mac.

After skimming through other sections, I found many more tips on improving MacOS performance and Web browsing performance. When I think about an upgrade to any of my Macs, I look through my book to see what is involved, and if it is worth the trouble. When my Macs start "acting up" I can usually find the solution to the problem in my book.

All in all, this is an EXCELLENT book for any Mac product owner. It comes with its own CD of demo software and is well worth the cost. If you can find the "Mac Manuals 2.0" CD from James Engleby, you have a pretty complete collection of the tools, manuals, specs, and software you'll need to fix-up ANY Mac.

Being computer litterate, but knowing just a few facts on Macs. This book has helped me through the transition from "the other platform" as Gene describes it. Easy to follow and fun to read(even for a non-native english speaker as myself). You feel as having an informal conversation with the author thougout. Hard to put down, you will want to finish it as soon as you read the first chapter. If you know a bit of hardware this book is a great guide for conecting and upgrading your Mac.

Our publishing company has 12 newspapers, (3 dailys) and all of them use > Macs for desktop publishing. We started using Macs in 1986 and I've been a > Macintosh systems manager for several years, but even an old dog can learn > a new trick now and then. You have taught me several during the reading of > your book (Upgrading & Troubleshooting Your Mac). > I look forward to your next one.

An excellent book only spoiled by numerous typographical errors in the text although you will find the source code on the companion CD to be largely correct. Although Windows 95 is nearing the end of its commercial lifespan this series of books is still valuable to anyone wanting to write backwardly compatible Windows 98 applications. Although the typographical errors in the source code in this book are fairly obvious, some errors in the 2nd Volume in this series (Windows 95:WIN32 Common Controls and Messages API Bible) are are extremely misleading. For instance on page 677 it states that the EN_MAXTEXT message contains the identifier of the edit control in the low 16 bits of the wParam variable when it is actually in the high word of wParam. Another place it falsely states that the callback function used by the EM_STREAMIN returns nonzero to continue transferring data. However this series of books is still invaluable for anyone still writing in WIN32.

Despite any errors in this book. It has the 1 thing that is lacking in almost all books DECENT examples. Combined with the MSDN library, and Programming Windows by petzold you can go very far. Today most people are so enamored with visual basic and wizards they never bother to learn HOW windows works. This book along with vol 2, can help you in get a better understanding of windows event based programming! It is not the end all be all of books LOTS of win32 calls are missing (after all its been a few years since 95!). But it has the core of them. This book is an great item for any win32 programmers tool belt.

I have bought the 3 books which form the API Bible series - all of them very worthwhile, especially the Common Controls and Messages book. It mentions every Windows Message you are likely to encounter, and also how to code the common Windows controls. The examples, although in C, are easy enough to translate. I program with PowerBASIC, and the Bible series is invaluable to my work.

This book is simply brilliant! It covers absolutely everything about basic Win32 GUI programming: from creating windows to thread syncronization.

I'm new to Win32 programming, but found this book readable, with good explainations and examples, and it continues to be a excellent detailed reference. The CD which complements the book is also very good, offering updates to the book and code which can be used in your own programs.

However, I do regret the lack of information about Common Controls, and a Message Reference, which are in the second book, 'The Windows Common Control and Messages API Bible', which explains why I only give four stars.

Despite this, I would recommend both these books (and possibly the third for those interested in ODBC or Telephoney) for any Win32 programmer, old or new. In one word, indespensible.

This book is invaluable. Though I am new to straight API programming,(I previously primarily used Delphi), this book was easy to understand yet, concise and powerful enough to get a decent application running suprisingly fast. However, as this is the is volume one of three, important topics such as control interaction are left to the later volumes. This book is worth every cent and likely a little more!

The Windows C++ API is a beast that many have struggled against. The authors have done a great job in covering the fundamentals.

This book is definitely for intermediate to advanced c++ developers and it makes no attempts to baby the reader with the basics. The authors do make sure to go step by step in some sections where necessary. The sections on dynamic link libraries and windows exception handling were especially helpful.

As you guessed by the title, this book covered exactly what I was looking for. C/C++ programmers who are dealing with Windows kernel objects, shared memory objects, events, semaphores, security and the like will appreciate this.

The book covered and clarified information that may/may-not be available on MSDN (I never saw it there while searching...), and did so with an overall approach that ties the topics together, shows how they are used, and generally is more understandable. I appreciated this book much more than jumping around through a bunch of disjointed MSDN pages trying to understand how these elements work. The book gives you deep understanding and more than a few tricks you can use in the debugger.

Beginning developers, or developers working on managed code prob. wouldn't have much use for this book. Consider this the nitty-gritty reference manual for how all of the low level stuff gets done.

I appreciate this book, it won't end up back at the used bookstore.

Excellent choice of topics (kernel objects, processes, threads, jobs, fibers, memory management, DLL et SEH)and a good compromise between the depth of analysis and an easy reading.
The book is very attractive visually; the bold fonts are really used at right places and numerous examples (as a matter of fact quite serious in itself) are very, very readable.
A must for a serious programmer.

This is an excellent book on the fundamentals of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems up to vista. The author definitely is an authority on the subject, and the book is pretty easy to follow with the C/C++ samples.

Particularly I like the chapters about the workings of DLLs. And the explanation of Windows memory management is also very clear.

Perhaps the book can be made a little thinner or use somewhat lightweight paper as I found it is pretty heavy to carry around.

In all, this is a very good desktop reference book if you are windows developer. Even though those RAD platform such as .NET make our life easier and enable us to make a good-looking app quickly, still, from time to time, you'll find a some level of understanding of how windows works help you write better code.

I am very satisfied with this book.

I have been programming for over 10 years, but my Windows specific C++ programming is relatively weak due to inexperience with it. Note that if you are in the same boat, you will need additional resources (web based, help files, other books) on top of this book as this book assumes you are already proficient in creating Windows apps.
They make no attempt to tell you otherwise, it is an expert level book - but even if you already know C++ well, there is much Windows specific details that this assumes you know.

Great book and very useful, just not entry level, so know that going in.

This has a lot of information and quick tips in it on how to do a lot of stuff in Vista and speed your system up. I bought it for my husband and he read it cover to cover.

I have to agree with what one of the other reviewers had stated about not needing to be a geek. This book is very nicely laid out, is visually pleasing and an easy read.

I would recommend it for someone trying to get up to speed on Vista as well as for those who may be buying someone a computer that has Vista installed. It would be very helpful for finding and learning about new, key features.

I am an author of technical books myself, having written five up to this point. I can tell that this author put in the time and effort to create an excellent reference that really covers what you'll really use in the operating system. The "Information Kiosks" are superb. You can really go through the book quickly - reading just the Kiosks - and get a lot of value right away. The shortcut key for accessing the traditional File, View, Edit, etc. menus in the Information Kiosk on page 90 was worth the price of the book to me. I didn't know that one and I pride myself on knowing valuable keyboard shortcuts (sorry, I'm an old DOS geek).

The "Street Jargon" sections at the end of each chapter should probably be read first - just my suggestion. This section defines new terms introduced in the chapter and knowing their definitions in advance will be very helpful. I'm sure the author would have placed them at the beginning given a choice, but this series by Wiley already has the structure fixed in place.

The section on Networking with Windows Vista (pages 325 to 335) provide an excellent, to-the-point understanding of how to configure a wireless or wired connection. No fluff, just the steps.

I used Chapter 9 to learn how to use the non-technical features of Vista like photo editing and the photo gallery. Us Information Technology people tend to learn about the "under-the-hood" features and not spend the time discovering these great tools. Actually, this book is aimed more at a Vista user than a Vista support professions, but it is filled with vast amounts of information for the support professional too. Trust me, your users will want to know the great shortcuts provided in this book.

I could go on-and-on about what I like in this book, but suffice it to say: I feel that, if you don't read this book, you don't know everything you need to know about Windows Vista.

Have a great summer everyone. - Tom Carpenter - Author: Wireless#, CWNA, CWSP and 70-431 Study Guides

Michael Meskers explains the subject well, showing good screen shots, having handy self-study quizzes, and making fun glossary entries by treating the entries as "street jargon." There's no Windows computer topic you couldn't find here - he even helps you understand how to update your knowledge if you're a DOS-based dinosaur (like I once was). I particularly loved the info on Vista's free tools, including speech recognition software, and also really appreciated the easy to use information on the Windows Security Center. Reading Michael's book even helped me overcome a security software blocking problem on an older computer (employing Internet Explorer). I like the book and it's right above my computer because it's a handy reference for the future. I wish all computer books were written this well.

So this is the long-anticipated (and somewhat delayed) Vista. Microsoft's answer to increasingly aggressive Macintosh and linux forays on the mass desktop. Meskers takes us on a guided tour, where he assumes that we are not computer experts. So he strives to write as plainly as possible, minimising technical jargon. This is reinforced by the train inspired graphics sprinkled generously throughout the book. So chapters begin with a turnstile logo and title "Enter the Station". A little hokey, I found, but maybe the metaphors will work for you.

Overall, the impression given by the book is that Vista's look and feel is converging to that of the Mac. It does seem that the ease of use is similar.

The most advanced feature of Vista, at least as explained by Meskers, could be speech recognition. It lets you control the computer using spoken commands, rather than the mouse or keyboard. To some users, this will be a paradigm shift. But to others, the novelty may quickly wear off. The speech recognition capability is impressive, and easy to set up. But it is not perfect. It may work best with isolated words as commands. Specifically, the best use in Vista could be inside Microsoft's Office suite. Unsurprisingly, this has been well integrated with speech recognition. And the restricted context of Office commands greatly improves the recognition.

First I should say that I HATE Word. So does Word annoy me? Obviously. However, I'm forced to use Word at work and am struggling with it each and every day and swearing at MS. I thought this book would help and it does. It's a very well written book that is easy to understand. The author is an expert in Word simply from having to use it for years and has figured it all out himself. Instead of being the typical manual that says do this/do that, the author has written it almost in the style of a FAQ, but in organized sections to make it easier to find answers. The author uses some amount of humour - statements like: will Word do that? No, get over it. Would I say that this book solved all my annoyances? No. But it certainly reduced the number of them. If you are completely annoyed with Word, switch to a different program. If you have to use Word, buy this book, it's worth every penny.

If you've ever said-even under your breath-"I hate Word," you'll like this book.

The book has answers for dozens of the little aggravations that Word visits upon you. It solves things you thought you just had to live with (though you knew you'd never forgive the programmers at Microsoft who made them this way).

The author writes in an engaging question- ("The Annoyance" by you) and-answer ("The Fix" by him) style that's friendly and yet precise. I would have liked it to be a bit less wordy, but it's okay because the directions are very clear and even, in many cases, contain version-specific instructions for Word 2000, 2003, XP and so on. He also sprinkles the text with occasional helpful tips in little text boxes.

Lots of documents you open frequently? The author shows you how to add a Work menu that will keep up to 9 documents readily available (p. 16). Hate it when Word won't let you put a .jpg or .gif in a document? You can change an option in the Office Setup Wizard. Want to unclutter your menus? Learn how to customize which commands show up.

Boy, this one really annoys me-how about you? Sometimes when I close Word, it asks me if I want to save the changes to Normal.dot. Now, I happen to know that Normal.dot is the default template for new documents. But I don't remember making changes to it! Why is this happening?
To kill this seemingly random prompt, choose Tools -> Options, click Save tab and uncheck "Prompt to save Normal template" box (pp. 9, 14). But it might still happen to you for other reasons-the only solution they say is to quit Word and restart Windows. Sigh.
That #$%^&@# Task Pane

This one I was paying my tech guru to fix for me-but he couldn't find the "next step." I gave up worrying about it but continued wasting time (and putting extra stress on my mouse hand) having to manually close the "new document" task pane that pops up-and stays up-on my screen, hogging valuable screen space. We'd both found the place to supposedly turn this off (Tools -> Options, click the View tab, uncheck the Startup Task Pane box in the Show area, click OK) but, as the author says, it just wouldn't obey! So I'm going to give you this whole fix in case that stupid pane annoys you, too.
If the task pane doesn't obey on your first effort, close Word and create a system restore point. Don't be afraid-this isn't as scary as it sounds. Choose Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore, click the "Create a restore point" option, click the Next button and follow the prompts.Next, choose Start -> Run, type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to the following Registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common\General (in some versions it may read "...\Office\10.0\..."). Then, right-click the DoNotDismissFileNewTaskPane key, choose Delete from the shortcut menu and click OK to confirm. Choose File -> Exit to close the Registry Editor. Restart Word and you're done. This works like a charm, and I'm thoroughly delighted.

Template magic

Here's a really good tip if your work involves creating many documents of certain basic types, or if you work with others who have to create documents for you that use specific styles. Too bad I didn't read this one before that last big project-I spent hours manually correcting all the headings and fonts in the other writers' drafts because they didn't know how to use styles!

To create a template for each type of document you need, choose File -> New and in that task pane on the right that we mentioned earlier, click either "On my computer" (Word 2003) or "General templates" (Word XP). Up comes the Templates dialog box. (In Word 2000, choose File -> New to get there.)

Highlight an existing template, click Template at the bottom, and click OK. Save the .dot file with a name you'll remember. Then lay out and format the document (fonts, headings, etc.) as you want all final documents to appear. You can even enter text that you want to have in all documents based on this template.

You can create AutoText and AutoCorrect entries for boilerplate text (your company info, etc.) that doesn't specifically belong in any template. Save the changes to the template and then close it. To create a new document based on the template, open the Templates or New dialog box, select the template and click OK.

To create a template from an existing document, choose File -> Save As, select Document Template in the "Save as type" drop-down list, specify the name and click the Save button. Templates and documents look pretty much the same except for the file extension.
File gigantic?

Ever had your file be too big to send by email-even after you've deleted everything but a paragraph? That's enough to make you crazy. The author goes into a long-drawn-out explanation of why this happens-get the book if you want to read it. Otherwise, just turn off the culprit (fast saving). Choose Tools -> Options, click the Save tab and uncheck the "Allow fast saves" box.

Got a bunch of documents open and want to save them all? Shift-click the File menu and click Save All. Then, to close them shift-click File and click Close All. Easier yet (as you may already have discovered from having to shut down because Word just hangs there), just close Word and it saves and closes all your documents for you.

Home document security

Ever notice in Windows Explorer that someone else originated one of your documents? Maybe you asked your friend to help you draft something. If you want to be sure the other person's name doesn't appear when you move your cursor over that document in Explorer, remove the personal data (metadata) from the document.

Choose File -> Properties and manually delete what you want. In Word 2003/XP, choose Tools -> Options, click the Security tab and check the "Remove personal information from file properties on save" box. Then, save the document to preserve your changes.
HTML malfunctions

Writing HTML pages in Word? First piece of advice, don't-if you can help it. Word's HTML code is so wordy and clunky that your page will take longer to load and, heaven help you if you want to make changes outside Word. You'll be trying to change a font and end up with some of the strangest behaviors.

If you must use Word for HTML, save as "Web Page, Filtered" for pages you want to put on your web site. That cuts out a small amount of the messy code, but not much.
Potpourri of pleasantries

Want to stop those ridiculous "Shall we report this error to Microsoft" prompts? Who crammed all that useless code in there anyway? Just turn it off. You'll find out how on p. 30.

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I'm pasting from the web the formatting is way off, even if I should accidentally remember to use Paste Special. The author tells us how to fix this-sort of. Choosing Edit -> Paste Special and selecting the "Unformatted text" option should give you plain text. If not, paste the text into Notepad first, then copy it and paste it into Word.

Ever get something someone copied from an email and it's full of spaces or >> signs at the beginning of each paragraph with a first-line indent? I knew this, but it's a good tip to share with you in case you don't.

Use Find and Replace. In a later fix he tells you all the symbols to indicate formatting in this dialog box. Replace ^p (paragraph mark) and four spaces with ^p and a distinctive string - for example, ^pfirstlineindent. Then replace firstlineindent with nothing but the paragraph formatting that you need: delete the contents of the "Replace with" box, choose Paragraph in the Format drop-down list, specify the indentation level, click OK and click Replace All. (Alternatively, once you've deleted the whitespace, you can use a style to apply a first-line indent to all of the paragraphs.
Learn how to reformat WordPerfect documents on pp. 32, 78.

Here's a big question for most of us I bet: How do I correct automatic numbering in numbered lists? You know you're not going to be happy with the answer when a guy starts his response with "Bad news" and it's four pages long (pp. 80 to 84).

Do you ever get aggravated that when you're selecting text with the mouse, it keeps grabbing more than you want? The author says this is Word's smart-selection feature.

Choose Tools -> Options, click the Edit tab and see whether "When selecting, automatically select entire word" and "Use smart paragraph selection" boxes are checked. If so, try unchecking them and see if you prefer the resulting selection behavior.
Do you have to count your words sometimes? I like this one: Instead of using Tools -> Word Count each time, do this: Display the Word Count toolbar; go to View -> Toolbars or right-click any displayed toolbar and click the Word Count item. To force a recount, press Alt + C or click the Recount button.

Sometimes have to type web or email addresses and don't want the auto-hyperlink? Read all about it on p. 94.

I've never been good at using Compare and Merge Documents-like when someone else has made changes and you want to see where they are. Here's a cool tip for comparing multiple versions:

Open the original version and choose Tools -> Compare and Merge Documents. In the Compare and Merge Documents dialog box, select the first of the other versions of the document, click the drop-down arrow on the Merge button, and choose "Merge into Current Document." Word merges the documents and marks the changes with revision marks. If the results look okay, repeat the procedure with the next version, etc.
Hate how Word's columns act when you need to change the width of one of them? Try clicking Shift as you drag it. This makes Word keep the columns to the right the same, but it does mean that your table's overall width will change.

How do I convert a long list of names or other data that are separated with regular old spaces instead of tabs? He says it's easy.

Choose Edit -> Replace and replace ^w (whitespace) with ^t (a tab). Select the list, choose Table -> Convert -> Text to Table, make sure the Tabs option is selected and that the "Number of columns" box shows the right number of columns, and click the OK button to perform the conversion.
All told, I'd say get this book if you experience periodic aggravations with Word. Don't try to go through the whole thing. The index is pretty good, so just keep it next to your computer.

When it comes to word processing programs Word is so predominant in the marketplace as to be ubiquitous. Unfortunately just because it is everywhere doesn't mean that there are not a lot of problems with it. Learning how to deal with all those annoying problems is the purpose of this book. The author covers installation problems, dealing with multiple versions, moving Word to another computer, dealing with long startup times, when it runs slowly, when it takes a long time to close, modifying the toolbar, saving all open documents at once, keeping separate versions of the same document, dealing with crashes and document corruption, transferring your auto-correct entries to another computer, the myriad problems of working with styles and layouts, printing problems (and there are many of these), mail merge, and even dealing with problems specific to the Mac OS.

Written in a question and answer format it contains all the most commonly asked questions about how to get Word to work the way you want. I've worked with Word for years and still found a couple of tips in this book that I really appreciated. If you use Word for anything other than an expanded notepad you will want a copy of Word Annoyances.

This book is a guide to making Word work your way. Users are advised on how to get rid of Word's greatest annoyances, such creating hyperlinks the user doesn't want, and how to turn off automatic paragraph numbering, among others. It provides solutions to common and unusual problems in editing, formatting, printing, faxing, and scanning. There are hundreds of customizations, fixes, workarounds, and instructions which show you how to make Word work your way. You can save a lot of time by using the advice in this book.

Because I spend most of my time programming and not writing reports and such in Word, I just figure that certain quirks of Word existed because I was too dumb to know better. While that may still be the case, I now have a way to make my Word time more productive and less annoying... Word Annoyances by Guy Hart-Davis. This is a *really* good book for anyone who uses Word (although Microsoft may tend to disagree)...

Contents: Installation, Repair, and Configuration; Creating and Saving Documents; Text Entry and Editing; Formatting and Layout; Forms, Revising, Proofing, and Finalizing; Printing, Faxing, and Scanning; Tables, Columns, and Text Boxes; Automate Annoyances Away with Macros; OLE, Mail Merge, and Office Applications; Mac Word Annoyances; Index

If you've never had the pleasure of reading an Annoyances book before, here's how it works. The author gathers up a large number of questions and "annoyances" from regular users of the product. Then in an irreverent question and answer format, he (or she) proceeds to show solutions and workarounds to allow the reader to bypass those irritations. Since this book deals with Word, you'll learn all sorts of interesting stuff on how to "fix" auto-formatting, how to change your default template, and dozens of other gems that will quickly make this one of your favorite Office books (much to Microsoft's chagrin). I'm sure they'd like you to believe that their software doesn't have any annoying features, and that everything is very helpful and well-implemented. Not! Even things that I didn't give a second thought to before now stand out as things I don't have to live with.

Obviously, not every tip in this book will apply to your needs or situations. You'll either never use a particular feature, or you've already figured out how to fix the behavior. But there are far more instances where you'll say "so *that's* how you get rid of that!". So get a copy of this book, sit down in front of your computer, open up Word, and start reading. The "Eureka!" moments will start coming fast and furious...

What sets this book apart from other software quality management books is its focus on real-world solutions. Many quality improvement strategies sound great on paper, but are impractical to implement because they end up slowing project progress and stirring resentment throughout the ranks. Rather than ignore the demands of modern day development, this book embraces them. The result is a refreshingly realistic approach to boosting software quality... while at the same time actually improving team productivity and developer satisfaction.

I've read this book from cover to cover. I've read many books on software development, software processes, best practices, qualitative approaches, and quantitative approaches, many from SEI. This book has to be one of the top two. For software professionals in leadership positions facing today's pressures of delivering quality software that meets customer expectations according to plan, this book is a must-read. You will be able to implement techniques directly into your organizational processes and deliverables with considerable ease. Kolawa and Huizinga have forged a grimoire that should be on every software leaders' desk, be they Project Managers, Software Architects, PMO Directors, of Vice Presidents of Development. Here are the key take-aways from this book:

1. Clarity: All concepts, practices, and examples were extraordinarily clear. There was never a question as to what was meant, or confusion in the information conveyed.

2. Readability: The text is very user-friendly. Coming from a very technical background, I tend to read challenging and complicated material. In this book, you were able to frame both technical and complex material in a readable way. In other words, I never had to re-read anything in the book. All of the material was very easy to understand. I feel the ability to effectively reduce complexity to simplicity is the hallmark of good authorship.

3. Implementable: I found the practice-side of the book to be what I call `out-of-the-box.' This means I was able to take material directly from the text and apply that into my process(es) or deliverables with very little work or trouble. (I actually did this multiple times.) This is a testament to the subtitle of the book, Best Practices in Software Management.

4. Usefulness: The book is actually aimed at being useful within for-profit businesses. Theoretical books are good for concepts, but it's up to the readers to find ways to translate the theory into executable practices (which often is beyond the role and responsibility of the readers). Your book actually bridges this gap, and provides mechanisms to help readers implement valuable techniques into their organizations, independent of their infrastructure.

These four points make a huge difference for readers looking to improve their software development processes to ensure profitability, cost savings, and customer satisfaction. Producing quality software while building defect prevention into your processes is key in today's competitive software marketplace. With these techniques, your organization will continue to become better, managing, reducing, and even eliminating the traditional sources of defects in software deliverables. You won't be disappointed in buying this book, as you'll refer to over and over again as you build process improvement into your organization.

This book offers a straight-forward, realistic approach to solving challenges of day-to-day projects that the software industry faces. Not only does it address the necessity of technology businesses to increase efficiency and productivity, but it also takes into account the psychological need for individual software professionals to be challenged and intellectually fulfilled on a daily basis. The powerful gains of software automation are amplified by the strategic best practices described in this software management book.

Automated Defect Prevention delivers a realistic approach to the nagging software quality problem. If you are responsible for developers who deliver business applications, you need to read this book. If you are an software architect or engineer, the book will offer a pragmatic road map to achieve incremental productivity gains within your software development lifecycle.

When I read this book I had a huge realization. Most of the quality initiatives that I had been involved with or observed had introduced (or layered on) additional tasks and responsibilities for either the architect, developer or QA engineer. Over time, these layered tasks ultimately resulted in dragging down productivity. Investing in the *correct* infrastructure to automate the monotonous/repetitive is the key to success. Quality should be the outcome of intelligent investment in productivity.

One issue I have with the software industry is that too many project managers, or stake holders managing software people, lack the understanding of just how important software quality is and how it can benefit the software teams and products. As the people most accountable for what happens with a software initiative, managers should have a solid understanding of what options are available to improve developer skills and the software they release. This book provides that needed information and helps explain who is responsible for what tasks, when they should be considering phasing in a particular practice and the benefits of a given item.

I like the way the information is presented in this book because I feel a project manager would be able to quickly evaluate a practice for phasing in without facing an all-or-nothing approach that some other books take. If, for example, a manager felt that they enjoyed the chapter on testing models, this book provides the information on what is needed, the benefits and the roles people need to take to phase that approach into their teams.

I enjoyed this book and I wish that more development teams used many of the practices in this book. While there were samples at the end of the chapters and a chapter on case studies, I would have liked to have seen a bit more information on difficulty and time constraints presented within some of the sections themselves. Overall this is a great book and definitely worth having on your desk.