Customer Reviews

The Mother of All Windows 95 Books (C)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Way to much usless info to dredge through before getting to the meat of the matter. I've actually thrown the book away. A waste of $40 as far as I'm concerned!

I found this to be the best book so far on Windows 95. Although there is a lot of excess wordage in the book, it is easy to understand and addressed many of my question on Windows 95. Specifically, it did not take the hand-off approach to the Registry. The registry section contains bits and pieces that will help out some people beginning to learn how to use the Windows 95 API. Most 3" thick book end up containing the same content as a "Windows 95 for Dummies" book, only being less fun to read. These books, (eg. Windows 96 Uncut, the two-tone cover with a horizontal rip separating the colours) have very little that is not contained in a Dummies book. They say things like "This is the registry, now scram...it is too advance for you." If you want to learn more about Win95 than just how to click the Start button, then I recommend this book. (Although, the CD is kinda lacking) This is good book to get your feet wet, before reading books on the registry, MFC, and Windows API.

This is, hands down, the best book I have seen on Windows 95. The characters ("icons") argue about technical and philosophical issues, and a lot of information is imparted near painlessly. The reader gets insight into the reasons Microsoft did things the way they did. This is the best book for would-be Registry hackers as well.

Now I have to admit that I only spent an hour or so looking over the book at Borderbook. And a few years ago, I read some of the extensive excerpts in one of the computing magazines.
But both times, I have come away thinking that I had to wade through too much "conversation" to get to the hard facts. I am told this book is probably the very best on the subject, but sometimes it is just too hard to find the subject. Maybe I just did not feel like reading a novel.
However, I will take another look before deciding to place an order