Customer Reviews

The Mother of All Windows 98 Books

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought and read "The Mother of All Windows" when I bought my first PC with Windows 3.1. I bought and read "The Mother of All Windows 95" the day it came out. I was bugging our local book store weekly for a copy of "The Mother of All Windows 98", because there are no other Windows books like them and I knew MOM 98 would not disappoint. And it didn't! The MOM books are the only computer books I've read cover to cover. They are packed with information available no where else because they are all based on the real shipping version of the Windows product and are written based on real-time testing and experience. MOM98 is not only packed with information Microsoft does not even publish or publishes inaccurately, but it communicates that information in a manner that is simple, straight forward, honest, and wrapped with humor. The portion of MOM98 I find most valuable is the in depth look at everything you ever wanted to know about the Windows 98 registry. The "Fast Track" section is also an important and quick way for the experienced Windows 95 user to get a handle on the differences between Win95 and Win98 and decide if the new features are worth the upgrade. I must point out though that past readers of MOM95 will notice a significant amount of duplication of data between MOM95 and MOM98. But despite the duplication, there is still a ton of new data unique to Win98 to be gleaned from the pages of MOM98. MOM had to duplicate the data to make the book a complete reference for those new to the Windows world. One thing I missed with MOM98 was the CDROM. MOM98 has no CDROM, but does now have its own dedicated web site with an electronic newletter which MOM98 readers can subscribe too. I've already received two copies of the newsletter and found them to be significant supplements to the data in the book. They will provide new and late-breaking information on Window's 98 to help you keep up with the inevitable changes. All in all, MOM98 is a must have in my opinion. I've recommended it as the primary Windows resource to any and all of my co-workers. They all agree it is great!

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was that it didn't go into enough depth about IRQ's, DMA's and I/O addresses and the like. All of these things are mostly controled by W98(not including external hardware settings) and they only made reference to their "Mother of all PC Books" for info on those topics or just skimmed them eveer so lightly. Perhaps I wanted to much, but hey, I bought this book knowing almost zero and now I feel like I have a pretty good start/handle on everything but that area. Other than that, I loved it.

Not afraid to lay blame where and when due (read as: Microsoft). I liked the fact that they actually used a final press of the software for the book and didn't rely on the lies, ur.., um, false promises ur.., um, things that Microsoft told everyone and everyone just taking that for face value. Something that all other author's of ANY Microsoft product "help" book should do. The other author's just may end up helping people instead of just frustrating them more.

Great job fella's!

The text is written in a pleasant format punctuated with relevant comments. The topic is Windows 98 from an end-user view point: it is a cross between "Popular Computing" and Cisco & Ebert. Even the frequent characterizations of Bill Gates ("Billie") and the two short, heavy-set guys (Leonhard & Simon) are tasteful and instructive.

If you want to learn about using Microsoft Windows 98 with some good inside tricks, this text is a good beginning.

If you want to know the API function calls to write programs for Windows 98, you won't find what you need here. In fact, the book reads so nicely that you will probably need to fight to keep focused on your work, instead of propping your feet up on your desk and enjoying this light read.

The Mother of All Windows '98 Books is a great reference. It answered most of my questions, including where to find and install Microsoft Fax (it's hidden deep in the CD). Woody and Barry also provide great tips on customizing Win '98, such as the full benefits of the Quick Launch Bar and extra actions to add to your context menu.

This book is well-written, and the humour keeps it from getting dry. My only criticism is that the humourous headings (carried over into the Table of Contents) sometimes make it difficult to locate a topic.

This is a book to be read from cover-to-cover. The authors' unique writing style (you love it or hate it) made reading this book a pleasure for me.

There is no doubt in my mind that Barry and Woody collectively know more about the ins and outs of Win98 than anyone outside (and probably more than many inside) of Redmond.

If you want to know Win 98 BUY THIS BOOK! and then READ IT from cover to cover. Twice.

I love the presentation of the material. The authors are obviously very knowledgeable about Windows 98 and PC's in general, but they present their ideas in a readable fashion. Moreover, they present opposite points of view when applicable to give a balanced approach and let the reader decide.

This book has helped me become an expert in Windows 98 faster than any other means I can imagine. I wish they had similar books on other subjects - like Excel!

Woody Leonhard and Barry Simon have made a habit of writing excellent, "insider's look" books about a variety of software. This, their third book about the Microsoft Windows operating systems continues and expands on this tradition. Beginners will benefit from the comprehensive, understandable text and diagrams. Intermediate users will find a wealth of information they didn't know existed, and Experts will find the guts of Windows 98 exposed for their perusal. As a librarian, I am pleased to have this book as part of my collection. As a Windows 98 user, I am grateful to have this resource available to answer my questions.

Being a huge fan of The Mother of All Windows 95 Books, I was rapidly anticipating the release of the "98" version. Packed full of helpful, intuitive information, Woody and Barry bring their considerable powers of computing to bear and make exploring your system fun and easy. In fact, there are little icons of Woody, Barry, "Billy (gates)" and, of course, MOM to each give a different point of view about Windows 98. Keep in mind that 98 is not an entirely different animal than 95 so much of the information and tips are basically the same. The one thing I do miss is the other characters in the last book. In addition to "Billy" and MOM, we had a Rush Limbaugh-type, MAO, Sarah, Igor, and the ever present bug. They each were distinctively different with their own personality and POV. Not that Woody and Barry aren't unique, but I really miss the banter of the previous cast. They were always entertaining and funny to read, even if the info wasn't especially relevant to me. Still, this is the book for all people who want to do more than just click "start" and play solitaire. Plus, it's based on Windows' final code while ALL other books are based on final beta. Get it!

You buy an 800-page book on Windows 98. Then you cannot find the specific topic you are looking for. Arrrrgggghhh!!! This book needs a solid index or an accompanying cd that allows you to search for specific topics. This book is not nearly as useful as it could be.

Much of the information in this book is useful. But for the sake of being funny (which it is) the book is wordy. I mean really--- when you have repeated error messages or the blue screen of death in front of your eyes do you really want to sift thru page after page of sarcasms and puns to find an answer to your predicament? Not that Mother contains those kinds of answers - it's more a learning tool. Contains lots of useful hints about configuring win98 as well. I was amused by the chapter, "Is Win 98 for you?". Yah right! Everyone buys a $.... book about configuring an OS prior to actually installing the OS on their system. If you are unsure, this book will not help you decide one way or another because the pros and cons offered will make your head spin. If you already have win98 and you like reading long commentaries with sarcasm and opinionated blabber- which is funny, I admit - you will love this book. If you want a book that will reference answers you need immediately without being too beginner, I recommend "Running Windows 98".