 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Windows XP - For the Bookshelf Major Keary |
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The following is quoted from PC World's web site http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,68796,pg,1,00.asp.
"Though there's no good method of telling in advance how easy - or nightmarish - upgrading to Windows XP will be, here's some advice that applies to almost every-body: Prepare to patch. . On October 25, the day it shipped the new OS, Microsoft posted multiple bug fixes, compatibility updates, and enhancements on its Windows Update Web site - more than 18 MB of them, all told. The same day, Microsoft's Knowledge Base support site also listed hundreds of confirmed bugs found in Windows XP, most of which still don't have patches or solutions. And the company's general-purpose Windows XP newsgroup continues to receive thousands of new posts every day."
Bugs and patches; words that might suggest to Gilbert and Sullivan buffs a parody of A Wandering Minstrel I, sung of course by Bill Gates dressed as Nanki-Poo.
There are two things about WinXP worth noting: it seems to be attracting more critical comment than previous versions, and - at least, in Melbourne - most of the sales of WinXP books are from suburban bookshops, which suggests some enthusiasm on the part of home users and a lack of interest at the professional-user level. Given that both Win95 and Win98 had 'second releases', perhaps the professionals are waiting for XP MkII. Another factor is the `activation' feature of WinXP, a software protection device the behaviour of which is something of an unknown.
If you are running XP, or thinking about it, there is plenty of literature available. Two examples of good texts that cater for computer newbies and experienced Windows users respectively are reviewed here and will be in MelbPC's library for those who would like to examine them more closely.
Users and potential users should check news groups and run a search on the Web in order to obtain up-to-date information on patches and other fixes.
How to Do Everything with Windows XP
This book assumes no prior knowledge of Windows and is especially suitable for someone who has bought a new computer with the 'home edition' of WinXP loaded. There is an appendix that describes the installation and activation procedures, but it is brief.
The book begins with an introductory part that describes how to use the operating system, manage the desktop, configure settings, install and setup programs, manage files and folders, connecting a printer, fax, scanner, and 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, email, and networking. Networking can be a complex business and the book deals with it at two levels: for the home user and for advanced applications. There is also a useful chapter on users, groups, and permissions. 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. Rather than wait until some problem arises (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.
This is a good introduction and tutorial - and on-going reference - that offers remarkable value for money. The material is well organised and information is easy to find and - more importantly - easy to understand. The style is clear with good depth of technical information that does not over- whelm the reader. The coverage is comprehensive and extends to the various peripheral devices (modem, scanner, printer, digital camera, and so on) that users are likely to regard as necessary equipment. There are plenty of side notes that contain helpful information, tips, warnings, and other advice.
| Curt Simmons: How To Do Everything with Windows XP ISBN 0-07219300-X Published by Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 518 pp., RRP $44.95 incl. GST |
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The Complete Reference: Windows XP
A title in the highly regarded Complete Reference series from Osborne/McGraw-Hill, this is also good
value for money when compared with the price of many computer books. There are various versions of WinXP,
with more to come. The most common versions are the Home Edition and Professional, both of
which are the subject of this book. A companion CD contains the full text in HTML format; it can be run under
any browser and is hyperlinked to provide rapid access to cross references.
The introductory part explains the basics of WinXP, answering questions such as, 'What is the Desktop?',
'What is the Taskbar?', and how Windows and other programs are configured. It is well presented and a
resource that should be helpful for trainers who are running introductory courses that extend to installing
and running programs, and the basics of multiple user systems. Other parts deal with, in a logical order:
using and managing files; configuring Windows; working with text, numbers, graphics, and multimedia; the
Internet; networking; housekeeping; and WinXP internals.
The two versions, home and professional, are not treated separately in the text. In the
introduction there is a list of the differences between them; even though the those differences are mentioned
where appropriate, readers who are using the Home Edition should note its few limitations.
This is a detailed and comprehensive reference suitable for both inexperienced and intermediate-level users;
it begins with information required for basic use of WinXP and progresses through to advanced topics, such as
data encryption, and setting up and using a network. There is good advice on troubleshooting, and useful
information on installation and upgrade issues. If you have used an earlier version of Windows this is the
reference to have; if you are a computer beginner, then start with the previous title (How to ... Windows
XP). Given its reasonable price and comprehensive coverage this title deserves a place in libraries that
service computer users.
| John Levine and Margaret Levine Young: The Complete Reference: Windows XP ISBN 0-07-219297-6 Published by Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 1070 pp. + CD, RRP $75.00 incl. GST |
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MBA's Guide to Windows XP
Professional
Redmond Technology Press books are not often seen in local bookshops, but one of their titles, MBA's Guide
to Windows XP Professional, is available. One assumes that 'MBA' stands for Master of Business
Administration; the book is clearly aimed at business people who don't need elementary explanations, but
who want a straightforward account of how to do the things that relate to their work.
Windows XP is supposed to be a significant, and long, step from DOS-based versions of Microsoft Windows
rather than a soft-shoe shuffle around problems that should not have been present in the first place. For
whatever reason, many business people will find them selves using WinXP and will need a guide to an operating
system that is more complex than its predecessors.
This title fills that need. The reader is assumed to be familiar with computers and business-oriented
software. The object of the book is to explain the new XP interface, how to use the facilities that come with
the system, and how to sort out the inevitable problems.
It is in parts. Part I, Business QuickPrimers, explains how to use the interface and desktop, work
with files and folders, use the control panel tools, and print.
Part II, Business Tools, looks at XP's 'business accessories', using the XP OS on a portable machine,
Internet and communication tools, and using the system tools. I thought the chapter on system tools would
have been more appropriately placed in Part I with other housekeeping topics.
Part III, Business Projects, is oddly named. It contains chapters on installing the professional
version of XP, setting up a network, working with a client/server network, troubleshooting system problems
and errors, and creating and executing a disaster recovery plan. I found this part of the book
practical and presented in a sensible way.
The book offers a comprehensive coverage of the topics most likely to satisfy a business professional's
needs: fonts, printing, blue-screen-of-death, installing new hardware, customising the desktop,
networking issues, how to optimise the use of the XP programs, and so on.
I have not been able to find a local price; the cover price is US$39.95, so it should sell at around
AU$80.00. Amazon list it at US$27.96 plus freight.
| Coleman, Dyson, and Nelson: MBA's Guide to Windows XP Professional ISBN 1-931150-19-2 Published by Redmond Technology Press, 625 pp. |
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Reprinted from the July 2002 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
 
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