Customer Reviews

PCs: The Missing Manual

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Without a doubt, if you want to learn about all the ins and outs of using a PC in the modern day, the only place you need to go is 'PCs: The Missing Manual' by Andy Rathbone. This is beyond a good book, it is a GREAT book. Expertly written by a seasoned professional in the world of computer books, if you want to ramp up quickly and have fun doing so, this book is an absolute STEAL at the price listed on the back cover.

Major topics covered

Hardware internals of PCs - how they are laid out, what different ports, cards, etc mean (eg. video, sound, USB)

Discussion on common devices used with your PC - digital cameras, printers, scanners, MP3 players

Drives discussion - floppy drives, hard drives, CD/DVD drives, it's all here

Online topics covered - email, surfing the net, how to get online

Networking your PC

+ too many tidbits, history, and knowledge to quickly list here!!

If you or someone else has been interested in learning more about PCs, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of this book. Every time I write a "Missing Manual" review I praise the work of the authors, and that's because this is one of the best lines of books on the market today. Of the dozen or so Missing Manual books I have reviewed, this is one of my favor ties and I can't find any faults with this wonderfully written text.

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION

Once upon a time, computers came with big, thick, intimidating manuals filled with every bit of arcane knowledge the designers thought that the user would need. Nobody ever read them, partly because of their size, but mainly because it was tedious, time-consuming work to sift throught the manual to try to find the answer you actually needed.

Eventually, manufacturers stopped making these massive manuals - instead, they printed up short "quick-start guides" to get people started. Unfortunately, these guides served much the same purpose as detour signs do in road construction. They take you just far enough to get you lost and then leave you there with no clue what to do next. Readers end up like drivers: lost, confused, and frustrated.

PCs: The Missing Manual is designed to change that. This book, like each of the other Missing Manuals books, gives users a base of knowledge to build on. Unlike those early computer manuals, the book does it in a way that people can understand and follow, and it doesn't just drop you off in the middle of nowhere. Also unlike the early manuals, it goes beyond the PC itself and covers many popular peripherals and accessories - including scanners, digital cameras, and MP3 players.

When writing a book like this, covering such a broad topic as PCs in general, it's easy to go into information overload. That's something that Rathbone manages to avoid, mainly by offering a lot of content online through O'Reilly's Missing CD web site.

The most valuable resources in the book are the troubleshooting guides. Printer troubles, camera problems, even network difficulties are covered and in enough detail that the average user can solve the most common problems quickly and easily. There's also a section covering security and maintenance, including combating spyware and phishing schemes.

PCs: The Missing Manual is basic enough that average computer users can read it and make good use of it. If you are looking for something that will teach you details about modifying and upgrading your system, this isn't the book for you - you'll want to get a different O'Reilly book - Repairing and Upgrading Your PC (review forthcoming).

Andy is an excellent professional and his literature work is awesome and very simple to follow. And if you ever requested a tech support on his Web site, you'll know that is the best support that any body can deliver. He's the best among the best without any doubt !!!!....Rafael Sanchez from Caracas-Venezuela :-)

Andy Rathbone's PES: The Missing Manual is another recommended winner, again helping bridge the gap between program and learner with a book which moves quickly from the basics to more advanced computer concepts - all linked to user needs. With its surveys of how software and hardware interact to how to tweak either for maximum performance, and how to troubleshoot common problems including spyware and Internet viruses, PES: The Missing Manual not only tells all, but in user-friendly language.

This is THE book for the novice pc user or even the more experienced user, the Missing Manual truly should have been in the box when your new PC was brought to your door!It covers every subject from setting up your PC to connecting your favorite printer,digital camera,webcam,also, how to connect to the internet,surf the web, set-up e-mail, and so much more.
For the more advanced PC user, in the back of the book,The electronic reference library for programmers and IT professionals.
There is still more to be offered in this book, several useful and informative websites as you read from chapter to chapter, and finally,"as if there could be more to offer" visit [...] for a tidy list of the shareware programs described in this book, ready for you to download.
I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to be as proficent and up-to-date as they can be with their PC.

I was interested to see how a topic as broad as 'PC's would be addressed and I was pleasantly surprised. The first part of the book is all about the hardward. But after that he gets into a surprising mix of application topics around software and hardware. How to record MIDI. How to print video. How to subscribe to RSS feeds.

It's an interesting mix of topics. So as a buyer you have to have a look at what's inside to make sure you are getting your money's worth.

I would have liked it better a lot of what is in this book hadn't changed so much since he wrote it. This book goes back to my current computer when XP was the king of the hill along with all its assorted parts. But he includes some helps and I do check out his website periodically. I just wish that there was a newer version.

PC's The Missing Manual is amazing! I've been using computers since 1991 and just limping along. I found so many things I could use when I borrowed this book from the library that I bought my own copy! Oh, the things I have done NOW! Thank you to David Pogue, the NY Times columnist who's answered millions of these questions for others and was thoughful enough to put it all into a book I could buy at Amazon!

Books like this are great for learning new things about computers some which are seen in your daily computer use but often just ignored such as various keys. Also you relearn things you've forgotten over the years. All-in-all a good book.

PCs: The Missing Manual is written by Andy Rathbone, one of the greatest computer book writer. For me he is. You know what Andy Rathbone, you are right. You should come with that book a long time ago. I was bad at troubleshooting computers. Since I bought that book, I know how to speed up my computer, remove viruses and many other threats. There is another tricks that remained unknown to me: Disk Defragmenter. After I knew how to run the Disk Defragmenter, my computer become as fast as Sonic. I did not finish reading that book yet, but if I finish reading that book, I will be a good computer technician or even a good computer engineer.