 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Windows Me Resources Major Keary |
Windows Me comes without a printed manual; Microsoft expects users to get
all the guidance they need from a less than effective online help system. The screens are short on technical
detail, don't provide illustrations or examples, and could never be described as verbose. For those who need
something better here is a selection of recently published Windows Me titles. It is worth noting that authors
are somewhat muted in their collective enthusiasm for WinMe.
Windows Millennium - The Missing Manual
David Pogue teamed up with O'Reilly to fill the missing manual gap, a phenomenon that is becoming more
frequent as software vendors abandon printed documentation. Titles in the series are of a consistently high
standard in respect of content, presentation, and design - right down to the lay-flat binding.
The author draws attention to the Microsoft "Software License Agreement" which advises purchasers not to use
WinMe in "nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation, direct life-support machines, or weapons
systems".
Potential users may find of more concern that, if using WinMe's Internet games feature, information about
their PCs is covertly sent to Microsoft; users, by the fact of buying the product, give MS permission for use
of that information.
If you are thinking of changing to WinMe, or buying new equipment with it preloaded, this title is highly
recommended as pre-purchase reading. WinMe may have attractive features, but it is still built on old
foundations; David Pogue brings to light many issues that are worth considering before going
WinMe.
The book is intended to provide users at all levels of technical knowledge and experience with the kind of
information they would expect from a proper manual, including troubleshooting solutions.
This is an excellent example of technical communication. The book is compact, which makes it all the more
useful because it is easy to keep close at hand - and the lay-flat binding is so convenient. It is
comprehensive, covering the topics that will be of interest - and necessary - to both new and experienced
users.
There are six parts:
The Desktop, which tells you about the things that show up on the screen;
Components of WinMe, covers commonly used applications such as browser, e-mail, word processors, etc.
with information about moving data between them, creating files, and so on;
Windows Online deals with Internet features and how to set up various services;
Plug-ins tells you about hardware extras that can be used with your PC (scanners, printers, etc.) and
how to solve installation problems;
Networking describes how to set up a small network suitable for home or small office application; and
Appendices that address WinMe installation issues and an explanatory list of menus and commands.
If you have decided to migrate to WinMe, this is the manual you are sure to find the most useful. It is
practical, well illustrated with screen shots that support the text, information is easy to find, and
procedures are laid out step-by-step for easy guidance.
| David Pogue: Windows Millennium - The Missing Manual ISBN 0-596-00009-X Published by Pogue Press/O'Reilly, 413 pp., RRP $39.95 |
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WinMe for Dummies
Windows Me for Dummies is written in the inimitable Dummies style. This is a very good launch pad for
beginners; there is no assumption that readers have any prior knowledge about computers or Windows. In
keeping with the series' style, technical terms are kept to a minimum. The book is in parts, an introduction,
using WinMe, a general help section, and a collection of useful tips and other information.
The introductory part explains what WinMe is and does, describes the main components of your computer, and
helps new users find their way around the system (how to use the mouse, clicking, what the cursor looks like,
the desktop, drivers, and so on).
Part 2 explains the buttons, bars, boxes, etc., cut-and-paste, and customising WinMe.
Part 3 is about using applications, and understanding the desktop, Explorer, and My Computer.
The software that comes as part of the WinMe package is described, and a chapter explains the fundamentals of
using the Internet.
Part 4 explains what the error messages mean, how to solve problems, and making use of the online help
system.
Part 5 is a collection of brief notes on a series of topics. New features in WinMe, ten aggravating things
about WinMe and how to fix them, a list of add-on options, an explanation of the Windows icons, ten FAQs,
installation notes, and a glossary. Of note is a tip on playing online games: "Windows Me's Internet games
don't care for firewalls or proxy servers .... ", which may have something to do with the matter of
collecting information about a user's system and sending it back to Microsoft.
Recommended to anyone who wants to get up and running with
WinMe from scratch; the information is brief, to the point, and accompanied by useful notes, warnings, and
tips. The depth of technical information is quite good, but the focus is on providing the kind of thing that
new users need, in plain language, at an affordable price.
| Andy Rathbone: Window Me for Dummies ISBN 0-7645-0735-4 Published by IDG, 386 pp., RRP $29.95 incl. GST |
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Windows Me Bible
Books in the IDG Bible series concentrate on practical
rather than theoretical issues, and presenting information covering the full gamut of things that users may
want to do. The tutorial style of Windows Me Bible works well, offering in-depth coverage of WinMe's features
for beginners through to advanced users.
WinMe has some good multimedia tools and the Bible offers comprehensive and detailed guidance for users who
want to make the most of them.
For those who like to customise their systems all the necessary information about WinMe's new features is
presented. There is also substantial and extensive coverage of Internet issues, including Internet phone and
modem installation.
The book is in parts. Part 1 is entitled, Know This or Suffer, which is a pretty good description. It
contains the essential knowledge a user must have, beginning with turning on the machine, to run WinMe.
Part 2 is a substantial (some 250 pages) coverage of using the Internet, from modems through to online
games.
Part 3 is to do with housekeeping. How to copy, delete, and move files; customising the desktop; using
the mouse, keyboard, and other input devices; and organising a virtual office.
Part 4 covers Windows' accessories, from the calculator, Notepad, character map, Paint, through to using to
using Scrap, which is an enhanced clipboard facility. A chapter deals with printing and fonts, and other
chapters deal with sound and music; enhanced TV, DVD, and video; digital images; and Windows Movie
Maker. A final chapter in this part is called, Road Warrior Tools and Techniques, and is quite a
good coverage of mobile computing issues.
Part 5 is about maintenance and system enhancement: install and remove software; install and remove
hardware; upgrading; multiple monitors; and managing multiple users.
Part 6 is quite a good introduction to networking and describes how to install and use a LAN.
Part 7 is called Advanced Stuff and covers a range of topics: icons, associations, and properties; the
Registry; and the Windows Scripting Host (for which readers really need some knowledge of JScript,
JavaScript, or VBScript).
| Simpson and Underdahl: Windows Me Bible ISBN 0-7645-3489-0 Published by IDG, 947 pp., RRP $59.95 inc. GST |
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Which One?
If you are a raw beginner, just taking a new computer out of its box, then I suggest starting with the
Dummies book. For the price it is a good investment, but you will need something else as your skill
level develops.
If you have used an earlier version of Windows, I suggest the Missing Manual, which is also a valuable
reference for anyone manning a help desk or otherwise advising WinMe users. Information is easy to find, and
it concentrates on fundamental operations. For anyone who uses WinMe for much-of-the-day-every-day, it is -
at least, in my opinion - the essential reference. After all, it is the manual that should have been
in the box.
Want heavy-duty detail in tutorial format? The WinMe Bible should be considered, particularly if you use
WinMe for business purposes, or all that Multimedia stuff.
There is a wealth of literature on the shelves, so some time browsing is well worth the effort.
Reprinted from the December 2000 issue of PC Update, the
magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
