The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group On Degunking and PC Annoyances - for the bookshelf Major Keary |
Two books that deal with a similar topic, but each of which is different. They make a good combination; one is about cleaning out - and keeping under control - gunk, and the other is about solutions to more general annoyances.
Degunking Windows
Paraglyph Press is a new publishing house that seems to have acquired some of the Coriolis (who are no more) titles, such as Roger Parker's Looking Good in Print. Just released is Degunking Windows, a guide to degunking (I can't think of a better word) Windows XP. The routines described are for XP, but users of earlier versions should have no trouble in translating, so to speak, back to 95/98/ME. Many of the routines, such as cleaning up e-mail gunk, are the same for all systems.
The authors have done a remarkable job of technical communication; there is no assumption of particular knowledge, other than how to use Windows and how files and directories are organised. The language is clear, non-technical, and doesn't patronise the reader. Where technical matters are raised (such as how a hard disk is organised, or how e-mail is downloaded through a proxy) there are plain language explanations supported by illustrations. Boxed commentaries and notes (entitled the GunkBuster's Notebook) offer additional hints about specific topics. These are a useful way of reinforcing information.
A concise tutorial style, supported by screen shots, walks the user through the various degunking operations. A logical twelve-step program is laid out for a full degunk of one's computer. Routines for ongoing maintenance under a number of situations (largely depending on how much time one has to spare) are recommended, and there is information about useful tools available on the web. An appendix contains troubleshooting solutions.
A useful resource for anyone who has to support PCs in a corporate environment, who runs training sessions for novices and intermediate-level users, or who mans a help desk.
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Ballew and Duntemann: Degunking Windows ISBN 1-932111-84-0 Published by Paraglyph Press, 310 pp., RRP $49.95 incl. GST |
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PC Annoyances
O'Reilly's Annoyances series is a benchmark for texts that address problems -
kindly called "annoyances" rather than bugs - that reside in various versions of
Windows. This book, PC Annoyances, is not as technically detailed as the regular
Annoyances titles, but is more suited to general readers. It is a good read and
invites browsing; one can open it at random and quickly pick up the thread of a
topic. The information is contained in compact form that does not exceed a two
page spread. There are plenty of screen shots that support the text, and
step-by-step instructions make it easy to execute a 'fix'. It is WinXP-centric,
but much of the information can be translated to earlier versions. I was taken
by the Dump Windows Explorer item, which suggests - and describes - two
alternatives with URLs.
The format is, The Annoyance followed by The Fix. The "annoyance" is stated
briefly; for example, "I search [using Google] for a common term and get a
zillion results, half of them in Urdu, Klingon, or some other character set I
can't read. How can I avoid all the gibberish?". The "fix" explains how to deal
with the problem as a one-off solution, and how to get a permanent fix.
The annoyances are grouped under general headings: e-mail (general and
application-specific); Windows; Internet (browsing, Google, and instant
messaging); Microsoft Office; Explorer; Music, Video, CDs; and Hardware.
The style is breezy, the information practical, and the coverage comprehensive.
Throughout the book a number of utilities are mentioned; they are available for
download from a support Web site.
Well worth having on hand for any level of user. A useful resource for those who
run courses for novices, man help desks, or who field questions about Windows.
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Steve Bass: PC Annoyances ISBN 0-596-00593-8 Published by O'Reilly, 176 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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