Dos for Dummies Quick Reference [Plastic Comb]

Greg Harvey (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764503685 | ISBN-13: 978-0764503689 | Publication Date: October 15, 1998 | Edition: 3

Put away your secret decoder rings and pick up a copy of the latest edition of DOS For Dummies Quick Reference, 3rd Edition, the only book you'll ever need to take the mystery out of those strange, enigmatic commands in DOS-speak. Even if you've upgraded to the snazzy new Windows operating system, you may have times when those old DOS commands (which have been around since the first IBM computers appeared) may come in handy. What's a person to do?

Grab yourself a copy of DOS For Dummies Quick Reference, 3rd Edition, and keep it near your computer for quick, step-by-step instructions for doing almost anything in DOS. Author Greg Harvey has packed all the do's and don'ts of DOS together in one handy guide, written in language you can understand. Flip open the comb-bound, lay-flat book and let your fingers do the walking through the land of DOS, alphabetized from A to Z, to find fast answers to your questions. Whether you're running the original DOS or just playing DOS games under the latest versions of Windows, you'll find that this slim little reference book can be a big, big help. Plus, DOS For Dummies Quick Reference, 3rd Edition, features a Techie Talk" glossary in the back of the book to keep you from stumbling over words and phrases like clusters, FATs, sectors, and TSRs.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Fast answers to frequently asked questions

DOS essentials at your fingertips! If you like your answers quick and your information up to date, look no further. With this concise, superbly organized reference, you get easy-to-follow explanations on just about every DOS command — from modifying file attributes to changing volume labels — as well as details on using DOS with Windows 98 and avoiding troublesome viruses.

The Dummies Way^™ Concise, "get it done" information Helpful alphabetical organization Convenient lay-flat binding Icons and other navigational aids A dash of humor and fun

Get smart! www.dummies.com

About the Author

About the Author Greg Harvey, the author of over 50 computer books, has had a long career of teaching business people in the use of IBM PC, Windows, and Macintosh software application programs. From 1983 to 1988, he conducted hands-on computer software training for corporate business users with a variety of training companies (including his own, PC Teach). From 1988 to 1992, he taught university classes in Lotus 1-2-3 and Introduction to Database Management Technology (using dBASE) in the Department of Information Systems at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. In mid-1993, Greg started a new multimedia publishing venture, mind over media, Inc. As a multimedia developer and computer book author, he hopes to enliven his future online computer books by making them into true interactive learning experiences that will vastly enrich and improve the training of users of all skill levels. Visit his Web site at www.mindovermedia.com and send him your feedback on this book at [e-mail].

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Product Details

• Plastic Comb: 186 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 3 edition (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764503685
• ISBN-13: 978-0764503689
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Greg Harvey has authored tons of computer books, the most recent being Excel Timesaving Techniques For Dummies and Roxio Easy Media Creator For Dummies, and the most popular being Excel 2003 For Dummies and Excel 2003 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies. He started out training business users on how to use IBM personal computers and their attendant computer software in the rough and tumble days of DOS, WordStar, and Lotus 1-2-3 in the mid-80s of the last century. After working for a number of independent training firms, he went on to teach semester-long courses in spreadsheet and database management software at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
His love of teaching has translated into an equal love of writing. For Dummies books are, of course, his all-time favorites to write because they enable him to write to his favorite audience, the beginner. They also enable him to use humor (a key element to success in the training room) and, most delightful of all, to express an opinion or two about the subject matter at hand.
Greg received his doctorate degree in Humanities in Philosophy and Religion with a concentration in Asian Studies and Comparative Religion last May. Everyone is glad that Greg was finally able to get out of school before he retired.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book For Dummies, April 3, 2000

By 

John6979 (Hoffmen Estates, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dos for Dummies Quick Reference (Plastic Comb)

This book will really help you learn DOS commands. The DOS commands are very easy to look up in this book. This book gives simple and right to the point explanations of each command. I highly recommend this book for anyone who uses DOS.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good but not complete, May 30, 2003

By 

Chris & Gin (Kentucky, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dos for Dummies Quick Reference (Plastic Comb)

The author seems to assume you already know something about DOS. He doesn't completely cover the basics you need to start with before you start entering commands in the MS-DOS prompt; for example, the command to change the directory is in the regular reference section rather than at the start of the book where you need it. And he just decided to not cover a few commands, like "debug". So it's not quite for "dummies", really, and it's not complete either. Lastly, we're referred to yet another book called "DOS for Dummies" rather than him explaining fully? What's up with that?

Don't get me wrong - it's still quite useful for people who already know a few basics and want to know more. But it's not well explained enough at the start for someone who's never dealt with DOS and someone who wants to really know DOS is going to have to find and buy another book on the subject.