The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group How to Do Everything with Windows XP - for the bookshelf Major Keary |
Ideal for the computer novice who has just acquired a machine with the Home Edition of Windows XP loaded, this book assumes no prior knowledge of Windows or even how to use a computer.
After explaining what do when you open the carton, the author runs through how to use the operating system, manage the desktop, configure settings, install and setup programs, manage files and folders (directories), connect a printer, fax, scanner, or digital camera, and all the other things a user needs to know.
The next part, Getting Connected, is about connecting to the Internet and setting up a firewall, use e-mail, and Networking. The description here makes the steps easy to follow, but even experienced users encounter problems with setting up a Network, so don't be surprised if you need a little extra help.
Part 3, Cool Things You Can Do with WinXP, is about games, the media player (a pretty sophisticated multimedia facility), and Movie Maker. Part 4, Optimising, Troubleshooting, and Fixing WinXP, contains essential information that the user needs to deal with problems. Rather than wait until something happens (which it will), new users should familiarise themselves with what is in this part of the book. Part 5 contains appendices with useful information, such as keyboard shortcuts.
A good introduction and tutorial; the coverage is comprehensive and includes the peripheral devices (modem, scanner, printer, digital camera, and so on) that users are likely to regard as necessary equipment. The style is clear with good depth of technical information and plenty of side notes that contain helpful tips, warnings, and other advice.
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Curt Simmons: How To Do Everything with Windows XP 2/e ISBN 0-07-223080-0 Published by Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 454 pp., RRP $44.95 incl. GST |
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Reprinted from the May 2004 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
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