The XP Missing Manual

The Missing Manual series fills a serious deficiency found in many current software packages: no manual. I must say that Sun Microsystems is an exception, providing a very good hard-copy manual with StarOffice.

The Missing Manual series should put the no-manual software vendors to shame. Titles are consistently of a high standard in respect of technical communication, graphic design, completeness of content, and making information easy to find.

Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual is - as the title says - about the "home edition", which differs from the "professional" version but is nevertheless a powerful operating system that is the most dramatic change in Microsoft Windows since the release of Win95.

Most newcomers to computing who find themselves with brand-new machines that have WinXP already loaded will find the operating system bewildering. Asking a novice to rely solely on the online help files to learn how to use the operating system (let alone the bundled software) is quite unreasonable. The online help-files are usually terse, lack examples, and it is not always easy to find what one wants to know.

The WinXP Missing Manual fills that gap; it assumes the reader knows how to turn the machine on and off, and has a general idea of the various parts that make up the system (monitor, mouse, keyboard, and so on). From there on the manual explains everything that a general user needs to know in order to put WinXP's home edition to work. Furthermore, the manual is organised to be an ongoing, how do I do that?, reference for all levels of user.

For the experienced Windows user who has upgraded to XP the manual explains all the new features brought over from Win2000, and even how to get rid of unwanted cosmetic features (such as the shimmering, backlit blue borders) and get back to the familiar desktop look.

The book is in parts: The Windows XP Desktop; Windows XP Components (includes the bundled software, the control panel, and using the imaging, audio, and video features); Windows Online (Internet and Web Connection), Plugging in to Windows XP (printing, hardware, backups), and Building a Network. Appendices cover installation, and a menu-by-menu listing.

The information is comprehensive, detailed, well annotated (tips, boxed notes for novices, hints for power users), and well supported by screen shots. The detailed table of contents, a 19-page index, and menus appendix make information easy to find.

This is what a manual should be. An essential resource for users of XP's home edition.

David Pogue: Windows XP: The Missing Manual ISBN 0-596-00260-2 Published by Pogue Press/O'Reilly, 571 pp., RRP $65.00 incl. GST

XP in a Nutshell

O'Reilly's Nutshell series is well known for its concise format; these texts are designed to be desktop quick references for experienced users. The back cover says the book, "systematically documents what serious users need to know about both Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional". That is a fair description. The book is encyclopaedic in its scope, very well organised, and exceptionally well indexed. The book is in three parts, an introduction to WinXP, an alphabetical reference, and advanced topics.

The alphabetical reference takes up most of the book; it is organised in sections (the user interface, applications and tools, tasks and settings index, and the command prompt) within each of which topics are arranged in alphabetical order. The format is designed to make the information concise, but complete, and to enable users to find what they want quickly. Some topics are accompanied by additional explanatory notes.

XP's command prompt (yes, WinXP does have command line capability) is thoroughly covered in a 33-page section dedicated to the topic. It is the best in-print discussion on XP's command line options that I have seen, especially about batch files.

The last part, Advanced Topics, covers networking, the Registry, and the Windows Script Host. The section on networking is thorough and includes a tutorial-style description of setting up a LAN. Coverage of Registry topics is detailed and comprehensive, as is the discussion of the Windows Script Host.

An appendix discusses installation issues under all circumstances (new system, upgrade, dual-boot, and reinstall). Another appendix discusses migration from earlier versions of Windows. Other appendices contain tabulated information on keyboard shortcuts and common filename extensions.

This is not a user manual in the normal sense of the term. If you are an experienced Windows user and need access to the best available in-print source of WinXP documentation, this is an essential resource.

David Karp et al.: Windows XP in a Nutshell ISBN 0-596-00249-1 Published by O'Reilly, 616 pp., RRP $79.95 incl. GST

Windows XP Headaches

Osborne has published several titles on WinXP, the latest of which is Windows XP Headaches: it carries the sub-heading, How to fix common (and not so common) problems in a hurry. Most of the problems addressed are common to both the Home and Professional editions, but some are peculiar to one or the other; the book identifies which version is affected by a given problem, which enables users to know where they stand.

The format of the text is XP headache (the problem), operating systems affected (Home, Professional, or both), cause, and the painkiller (that is, the solution). The problems are gathered together under various topics: interface; file and folder; accessory and software; hardware; disks (fixed and floppy); peripherals; printers, scanners, and cameras; Internet connections; Outlook Express; networking; media player; movie maker; tools and utilities; and performance. A final chapter, XP Migraines, deals with installation problems, systems crashes, and boot failures.

A group of appendices contain helpful information: the top twenty problems, four signs that you need help from technical support, five things users do that cause problems, and a list of XP URLs.

A well presented book; the language is clear, the text is supported with helpful screen shots, and information is easy to find. A useful addition to the resources of people involved in WinXP support or help-desk activities. A valuable, well-priced, reference for all levels of user, especially those who want quick, plain language solutions.

Curt Simmons: Windows XP Headaches ISBN 0-07-222461-4 Published by Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 415 pp., RRP $46.95 incl. GST.