Microsoft Books

Easy to use, good illustrations and very good direction on how to use all the parts off windows vista.

From learning how to use Vista's basic programs such as Photo Gallery and Media Player to working on a network and customizing components, Illustrated Windows Vista Guided Tour offers up an intensely visual style to simplify instructions. This means full color on every page, plenty of screen shots and examples, and a step-by-step tutorial which can't be beat. Any general computer library seeking solid, eye-catching Vista references needs this.

Word 2000 is slightly different from Word 97, and it was just enough to make me crazy. I couldn't figure out how to perform certain operations and other books that I checked out didn't have the answers for me. I happened to come across this book, and much to my amazement it had everything I was looking for and more. I love the screen displays which guide you step by step through everything you might possibly want to do. I've learned a lot of new tips from using this book and it is never far from my side. The book is written so that beginners as well as experts will have no trouble reading and understanding it. I can't live without this book and you won't be able to either after you get your hands on it.

I have never found a problem in Word 2000 this book could not solve for me. So few books back up the promise the title suggests.

This book gives me insight into knowing how to keep my computer running efficiently. It shows me ways of doing what is needed to maintain my computer so that I use it. The color graphics are a helpful part of this book. They help show me what the wording of the text is saying to me. This book is a refernce guide that everyone should have. To know how to care for your computer is highly important these days. This book shows me how to do just that. This book shows me how to get more out of my computer than if I didn't have this book. I love this book.

Another good book in the Master Visually series. Even as a computer tech I found this book very informative. The average non-geek computer user out there will find plenty of ways to tune and tweak their machine without doing any harm to the computer or themselves. Just follow basic instructions. Most high end techies will find this book pretty basic but it is a book I can recommend to my clients. I'm not a book reviewer but once again it can be said that "a picture is worth a thousand words"!

I knew a lot about Word when I picked up this book but I learned so much more after I reviewed these chapters. The tasks are well explained and the book is well organized.

This is the most outstanding book ever written on MS word 2000. The book is perfect for a beginner or an experienced user, with it's step by step instructions that really does teach you how to master the software.

I am a non-traditional student right now (accounting), and I have taken some Excel courses where we used a tiny bit of VBA. This, along with a database application design course, piqued my interest to learn more about Visual Basic.

It's been a few years since I did any programming at all, and I had no experience with visual programming environments. The last time I programmed was back in the 90's, with Pascal and C. And even though it's been a while since I programmed, I knew I didn't want a "raw beginner book." I wanted a book I could grow into. Enter "Mastering Visual Basic 2008."

This is not a book for people who have no programming experience (although a bright, industrious person could probably do it). The basics of programming (declaring variables and basic programming constructs) are covered in two chapters. The rest of the book teaches the aspiring programmer how to work within the Visual Studio environment. The programming examples are useful and can become starting points, letting the reader add functionality as needed.

The author does assume some previous experience, and occasionally leaves out some details here and there, which can be slightly frustrating at times. For myself, however, this worked out okay, because in hunting for the missing details, I actually learned more about the program than I might have if all the details were spelled out. (Yes, the cloud has a silver lining!)

I'm not nearly finished with the book, but the content so far has me looking forward to working my way through all the chapters. Highly recommended!

'Mastering Microsoft Visual Basic 2008' by VB expert Evangelos Petroutsos is a fantastic way to get up and running with one of the most popular programming languages in the world. Visual Basic has come so far since it's early days and now the reasons for using VB have gone far beyond just RAD (Rapid Application Development) as you can write world-class applications far beyond the most basic tasks you would have chosen VB for 10 years earlier.

Everything that you would want covered is here in this book, from the basics of how to use VB to condition clauses to array and string access to database connectivity and the newest goodies .NET 3.5 has to offer. Written in a clear, concise manner that calmly takes you from one chapter to the next, I found this book to be an absolute joy to learn from. Sybex has a rich history of publishing easy to use computer books that nearly anyone can learn from and this text is no exception.

Chapter Overview:

01. Getting Started with Visual Basic 2008
02. Variable and Data Types
03. Programming Fundamentals
04. GUI Design and Event-Driven Programming
05. Vista Interface
06. Basic Windows Controls
07. Forms
08. More Windows Controls
09. TreeView and ListView Controls
10. Building Custom Classes
11. Working with Objects
12. Building Custom Windows Controls
13. Handling Strings, Characters, and Dates
14. Storing Data in Collections
15. Accessing Folder and Files
16. Serialization and XML
17. Querying Collections and XML with LINQ
18. Drawing and Painting with Visual Basic 2008
19. Manipulating Images and Bitmaps
20. Printing with Visual Basic 2008
21. Basic Concepts of Relational Databases
22. Programming with ADO.NET
23. Building Data-Bound Applications
24. Advanced DataSet Oprations
25. Building Web Applications
26. ASP.NET 3.5
27. ASP.NET Web Services

My only qualm with this magnificent book is that I wish some color could have been introduced, especially in the sections that discuss the new WPF way of creating applications. These new style apps are meant to have a great look for the user and I feel the tried and true black/white/grey look hurts the book a little bit but this in no way lowers my rating of it.

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This is an excellent product. The video lessons themselves are really valuable, showing you how to perform functions in the software. The instruction manuals are extremely well-written and simple to follow. It covers all the same material as classroom trainings, at a fraction of the cost. If you want a great value and a superb learning tool, this is for you!

Excellent product! Very well explained, displayed and easy to understand!

Shelley Coffey

Very thorough guide to all the steps you need to take to master this violent noir thriller.

Detective Max Payne returns to fight the crime world. Love comes calling, as the gumshoe's heart is under siege as well this time.

Helped me beat some of the hardest puzzles in the game. I turned to the guide whenever it seemed like I was stuck at an impossible spot.

Max is one of my favorite video characters. This game is a rare intelligent thriller. If you're tired of the same rocket-launcher binges against the same monsters and aliens, get into the murkiest world of all: the criminal mind.

Reviewing a strategy guide for a game you are lukewarm about is one of those piquant experiences. Especially when the guide is better than the game. Unfortunately, Max Payne 2 failed to grab me. I didn't find it particularly difficult either. If you go everywhere and try everything you will eventually figure everything out. Except for maybe the last 15 minutes.

So here is a guide, put together by Tim Bogenn, that is a clear, easy to use walkthrough. One could almost fault it for a lack of emphasis on strategy, since it simply tells you what to do each step of the way. The only source of confusion is that Begenn chose not to provide maps, and sometimes the pictures aren't as graphic as they should be.

But if you need a guide, this will carry you through. It includes information on the advanced modes and weapons as well. Since there are exactly 12 weapons there really isn't anything left out. So this is a first for me - a five star rating for a guide to a game which I only gave 3 stars. Go figure!

Ever since I failed my 70-291 test, I've supplemented all my certification studies with these shortened Exam Cram books. They always provide a great summary of what I've learned the 3 weeks or so I spend studying more detailed guides.


This one SEEMED a bit longer than the others, but there is alot of material for this test. Either way, I was able to read it in about a week (just 1 chapter each day, less than an hour), and it really explained things much clearer than MS books. The difficult concepts from the material fully sunk in, and I felt twice as confident for the test - which I aced with an 826.

I've also used the Exam Crams for the 70-291 and 70-293, but this just clearly has been the best so far. It reads very smooth - the author has a natural way with words, and turns simplicity into an art form.

I wish I could give a more detailed review of where it helped me most, but it's been a few weeks now and I'm on to my next test. On the positive, I don't remember any errors - spelling or technical. The study guide I'm reading now has already had a handful of errors in just 5 chapters!

After this book, I am giving much more consideration to using the full Exam Cram study guides for my tests! Bravo to Que - books of this quality should just boost their reputation into outer space.

My thoughts - HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

As it says in the introduction, this book does not teach you everything you need to know about a topic, it is aimed strictly at test preparation and review. The authors have studied the test and put together a guide that if diligently worked will almost certainly enable you to pass the test. 70-294 is one of the core exams that everyone gaining an MCSE must pass.

This book contains a number of parts that are designed to provide information on the test. The first thing in the book is a Cram Sheet that provides key facts about the exam. This is a brief document, but covers the general areas with which you should be familiar. This is followed by the main part of the book, broken down into nine chapters. The chapters concentrate on a major area of the test and are followed by a short examination. Following this are the two complete practice examinations and their answers. [...]

I think the authors have really worked hard for this course. Its really good and the best part is the simulator on which you can practice by doing. I thank the authors for such an excellent work. Keep it up.

I think this is an excellent course for someone doing their MCSE TCP/IP. The authors have done a good job. The unique feature that this courseware has is its LBT simulator which gives you hands on practice. The exams are also quiet good comparable to the Transcender's.

Are you a techie that has been thinking about making money on your own? This is the first technical consulting book that gives you all the information from A to Z in the MCSE business. This book distinctly differs from other consulting books by not just talking about how to be a consultant, but how to run a successful business as a good MCSE consultant. It is apparent that the author practices what he preaches and freely shares his knowledge and experience with the reader. Partitioned into "Finder, Minder and Grinder" routines this book includes a broad range of topics and touches all angles of the biz, which give food for thought in every possible direction. If you are a MCSE consultant or just thinking about striking out on your own, this book is a great reference, easy and engaging to read, full of useful information and thought provokers. My favorites are Brelsford's Rules of Ten, considerations of different market niches, a very well written sample proposal and tons of links to helpful websites. If you want to add value to your MCSE consulting, have a note pad ready while reading this book.

I started my own consulting business and bought quite a few books. By far, this book tells you what you really need to know. It gave me the tips I really needed, not just the "philosophy" but also the down-and-dirty details. If you are looking to start an IT consulting business, even if you aren't into the "Microsoft-centricity" of the MCSE, this book has a LOT to offer. I am dubbing it indespensible for the IT consultant just starting out... AND those already in business.