Customer Reviews

Paul McFedries' Windows 95 Unleashed, Professional Reference

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When I first got comfortable with Windows 95 and wanted to dig a little deeper, I tried Peter Norton's book. It's almost as thick as this book and nearly half the price. But I found Norton's text to be muddled and confusing. He gets into alot of theory which I care little about.

This book, however, starts out with 95 installation and rolls right along with all sorts of great how-to info and all manner of little details that may not be essential to know but which I enjoy reading about. I don't often find myself getting worked up over a computer book, but I actually found myself getting excited over some snippet of information that I hadn't known before.

I remember reading something by Paul Hawken in which he stated that a teacher of his once told him to find the book that would save him from reading ten others. In the Windows 95 world, this is that book.

(If you have Windows 98 or are thinking of upgrading, McFedries now has out a 98 edition. I kind of wish that I had bought that one instead, for although I don't plan on upgrading anytime soon, the new book appears to be almost verbatim what is in this book. I think it would be just as useful for someone using 95, except that when and if you decided to upgrade to 98 you'd be knowledgeable about the differences.)

This book is worth every penny I paid! It has provided invaluable assistance on numerous occasions. You won't find a better Windows 95 book anywhere! I highly recommend it!!

it is a very good book about windows 95 big effort from the author it talked not only about windows 95 as o/s but it covers many aspects like networking,tcp/ip,internet. it is a good ref.

If you're like me, you started with a "Dummies" introduction to Windows 95 edition for a quick overview, but as you needed more you became overwhelmed by the choices. Where could you find a comprehensive, useful, yet readable reference? My first choice was Microsoft's own _Windows (r) 95 Resource Kit_, but I found that very unsatisfying; it was like a guided tour of the Black Forest, leaf by leaf. By contrast, McFedries' latest "Unleashed" reference is the one to buy. Always a good reference, it has become an excellent one whether you are supporting Windows 95 or simply trying to learn its myriad features better. McFedries doesn't simply paraphrase Help files; he writes from experience. What's new in the 1998 Edition? Many more tips and notes; coverage of Microsoft's OEM Release 2, improved networking coverage, expanded Internet material, and more appendixes. I'd been looking for a helpful multimedia reference, and Unleashed pleasantly surprised me with its offerings here too: Primers on HTML and lots of information on Windows (and Internet) multimedia sound, animation, graphics and video. McFedries has devoted an entire chapter to multimedia. The companion CD-ROM contains dozens of pieces of shareware, including games and more serious Win95 support or companion software. McFedries has added even more value by including two bonus books in HTML format: _Teach Yourself Outlook in 24 Hours_ and _Teach Yourself Office 97 in 24 Hours_ While even this reference won't solve all your learning and support needs, Unleashed is an excellent value and built to last.