The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
Windows 98 in a Nutshell
A Desktop Quick Reference
 Bernadette Houghton
 bernieh@iaccess.com.au

Aimed at intermediate and power users, Windows 98 In a Nutshell by Tim O'Reilly, Troy Mott and Walter Glenn is a comprehensive reference guide to Windows 98 Second Edition. The information in the book is well organised and clearly explained, with plenty of illustrations and an excellent index at the back.

The book documents the Windows 98 operating system and the utilities shipped with it. There are useful tips and practical suggestions, and you'll find plenty of examples and ideas for modifying Windows 98 to suit yourself. The book doesn't document each and every element of Windows 98, but the authors have attempted to explain those facets that aren't immediately obvious. Since the focus of the book is on user applications, you won't find in depth information on network administration or system configuration, but the issues are covered at a basic level.

The book has four parts -

  • An overview of Windows 98, including a description of the new features. Windows 98 is such a mammoth program that it's sometimes difficult to find specific features - a Task Index makes this easier.
  • An alphabetical reference guide for each major element of Windows 98, including the GUI, Control Panel, and DOS and other command line utilities. You'll also find descriptions of add-on programs, such as Outlook Express, Scandisk, Microsoft Fax and Windows 98 Resource Kit Sampler.
  • A description of the underlying mechanisms in Windows 98, such as Windows Script Host, batch commands, the startup process and the organisation of the Registry.
  • Useful lists, such as keyboard shortcuts, common filename extensions and their associated programs, an explanation of the system files and the Windows directory organisation, plus a list of special/reserved characters.
Y ou'll find Windows 98 In a Nutshell offers enough information to give you a solid working knowledge of Windows 98. It's a handy reference handbook; not the kind intended to be read from cover to cover, but definitely useful for clarifying specific aspects of Windows 98.

Tim O'Reilly, Troy Mott and Walter Glenn
Windows 98 In a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference
ISBN 1 56592 486X
618 pages
Published by O'Reilly & Associates
US$24.95

Reprinted from the February 2000 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia