Windows XP Pro - The Missing Manual
Book Review by Gerhard R. FischerSeveral volumes of Pogue Press/O’Reily’s Missing Manual series have been reviewed in our CHARLOTTE BYTES newsletter over the years. The present volume, published in January 2003 and co-authored by David Pogue, C. Zacker, and L. Zacker, is the latest in the series and compares very well with its siblings.
Like the other books in the series, this one is clearly and understandably written in a style addressing the novice as well as the more experienced computer user. The text is supported by numerous, well chosen, figures depicting the appearance of XP’s desktop and windows. One nice feature of the book are the special hints and comments enclosed throughout as "Gems in the Rough", "Up to Speed", Frequently Asked Questions", and "Tips".
The first part of the book, The Windows XP Desktop, presents a general introduction to Windows XP, beginning with a brief description of the features that are new to Windows, as well as a comparison of the features of Windows XP Pro and Windows XP Home Edition. This is followed by a description of the desktop and various features like files and folders, shortcuts and icons, and more, all in a way that can serve as a broad learning tool.
The subsequent parts are concerned with The Components of Windows XP, Windows Online, Plugging into Windows XP, and Life on the Network. Two appendices cover Installing Windows XP Pro and Windows XP, Menu by Menu.
I decided to peruse Part Five, Life on the Network, in a little more detail. Like the sections ahead of it, it is written in a comprehensive, clear manner and explains features like the different user accounts, workgroups and domains and how to set up the various possible user group/network combinations and their administration.
In conclusion: I do recommend the book to everyone concerned with Windows XP Pro. It thoroughly covers all aspects of the operating system and will be helpful to the experienced user and/or network administrator as well as to the new owner of XP Pro. If you wanted only one book on the subject, the Missing Manual is the one you should pick in order to use Windows XP Pro successfully and to best advantage.
Windows XP Pro - The Missing Manual
By David Poke, Craig Zacker, and L. J. Zacker
Pogue Press/O’Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, CA 95472
US $29.95 US - CAN $46.95