The Unofficial Guide to Windows Vista [Paperback]

Derek Torres (Author), Stuart Mudie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0470045760 | ISBN-13: 978-0470045763 | Edition: 1

The inside scoop...for when you want more than the official line!

Microsoft Vista may be the hot new operating system, but to use it with confidence, you'll need to know its quirks and shortcuts. Find out what the manual doesn't always tell you in this insider's guide to using Vista in the real world. How can you customize the desktop? What's the best way to prevent crashes? From setting up a home network to working with data, first get the official way, then the best way from two experts.

Unbiased coverage of how to get the most out of Vista, from the new user interface and "live" icons to the revamped Control Panel

Savvy, real-world advice from mastering multimedia with Vista and editing "secret settings" to synching data with your laptop and handheld

Time-saving techniques and practical guidance on working around Vista quirks, avoiding pitfalls, and increasing your productivity

Tips and hacks on Gadgets, how to launch Instant Search, and ways to use a USB flash drive as extended memory

Sidebars and tables on Internet Explorer 7, tough new parental controls, and backing up data with enhanced Vista tools

Watch for these graphic icons in every chapter to guide you to specific practicalinformation. Bright Ideas are smart innovations that will save you time or hassle. Hacks are insider tips and shortcuts that increase productivity. When you see Watch Out! heed the cautions or warnings to help you avoid commonpitfalls. And finally, check out Inside Scoops for practical insights from the author. It's like having your own expert at your side!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The inside scoop...for when you want more than the official line!

Microsoft Vista may be the hot new operating system, but to use it with confidence, you'll need to know its quirks and shortcuts. Find out what the manual doesn't always tell you in this insider's guide to using Vista in the real world. How can you customize the desktop? What's the best way to prevent crashes? From setting up a home network to working with data, first get the official way, then the best way from two experts.

Unbiased coverage of how to get the most out of Vista, from the new user interface and "live" icons to the revamped Control Panel

Savvy, real-world advice from mastering multimedia with Vista and editing "secret settings" to synching data with your laptop and handheld

Time-saving techniques and practical guidance on working around Vista quirks, avoiding pitfalls, and increasing your productivity

Tips and hacks on Gadgets, how to launch Instant Search, and ways to use a USB flash drive as extended memory

Sidebars and tables on Internet Explorer 7, tough new parental controls, and backing up data with enhanced Vista tools

Watch for these graphic icons in every chapter to guide you to specific practicalinformation. Bright Ideas are smart innovations that will save you time or hassle. Hacks are insider tips and shortcuts that increase productivity. When you see Watch Out! heed the cautions or warnings to help you avoid commonpitfalls. And finally, check out Inside Scoops for practical insights from the author. It's like having your own expert at your side!

About the Author

Derek Torres is a technical communicator and author. He is the coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Windows XP and is the author of ASP.NET 2.0: Your visual blueprint for developing Web applications. He is also a contributor to Microsoft’s Work Essentials Web site and Windows Vista Expert Zone. When he’s not writing, he enjoys traveling, gastronomy, and doing nothing. He is currently based in Washington DC and tracks his activities at www.derektorres.net.

Stuart Mudie is a Scot living in Paris, France. A professional communicator since 1995, he has worked with numerous companies in the IT and Telecommunications sectors in such fields as mobile applications and services, Web content management systems, and business intelligence. He has been blogging regularly about all of this (and also about food, wine, languages and music, just a few of his other loves) since 2001 at www.blethers.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 627 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470045760
• ISBN-13: 978-0470045763
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,106,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More meat then the usual guides, March 10, 2007

By 

David Lawlor "http://www.davelawlor.com" (Oak Forest, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Unofficial Guide to Windows Vista (Paperback)

Windows Vista is a very comprehensive OS and has quite a bit of new features along with a slew of upgraded ones. The authors cover both new and old with great insight and you can really tell they know the subject matter.

When reading this guide I was struck by a remarkable difference from other books about operating systems and the more complicated computer software. The authors not only give you the technical information, but also include background information on how changes and the current state of the feature set came about. This really shows that the authors have been a part of the community surrounding this software.

The only thing I really didn't like about the book was the order of presentation for information. I thought it might have been structured better, but that is more of a personal preference then anything that should stop someone from buying the book.

I would recommend this book for anyone that needs to get quality information well explained about Windows Vista. And trust me there is a lot under the surface that you might just find a feature or two that you didn't know was there!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great information with honest opinions and assessments..., March 25, 2007

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Unofficial Guide to Windows Vista (Paperback)

I was pretty convinced that I wasn't going to be using Windows Vista for a good long time. That changed two days ago when I purchased a new laptop. What better way to start figuring things out than with The Unofficial Guide to Windows Vista by Derek Torres and Stuart Mudie. This is a very nice mix of Windows Vista information with opinion on what Microsoft did well and what they blew...

Contents:

Part 1 - Installation, Configuration, and Customization: The Road to Windows Vista; Preparing for Installation; Installing Windows Vista; Managing the Windows Desktop

Part 2 - Manage the Vista Environment: Managing Users; Managing Files and Folders; Managing Security; Mastering Multimedia with Windows Vista

Part 3 - Networking with Windows Vista: Networking and the Internet; Working with Windows Internet Explorer 7; Working with Network Services; Integrating with Active Directory

Part 4 - Manage the Hardware Environment: Working with Windows Internals; Working with Hard Drives; Managing Portable Computers; Troubleshooting Windows Vista

Part 5 - Appendixes: Supported Video Cards; Upgrade Checklist; Differences between Windows Vista and Windows XP; Keyboard Shortcuts; Online Resources; Index

Fortunately, Vista isn't *so* much different that you can't just open it up and start using it. So far, my Windows XP skills have enabled me to get around pretty well. But some things aren't in the same place, and that's where this book came in handy. For instance, the Windows switcher is now a button in the Quick Start menu, and it cascades the available windows with a 3D effect. That's the kind of information in the Differences appendix that makes it pretty simple to find the before/after pairings. Torres and Mundie have a good blend of graphics to text in their writing, and they've avoided the temptation to try and make the graphics reflect the enhanced visual effects of Vista. Where possible, the backgrounds are plain white so you can concentrate on the core function rather than trying to pick it out amongst the visual clutter.

On top of the solid information here, I appreciated the honest assessment by the writers on many of the features. It's refreshing to read a tech book where the writer doesn't treat everything as if it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. For instance, they generally like the idea of BitLocker for encryption. But they feel that Microsoft borrows many of these ideas from others, and suggests that for hard-core encryption, they recommend spending the money for PGP. There was also the section on diagnosing connectivity issues, and how Microsoft will offer to send a report to themselves if they can't figure it out. But that *does* assume network connectivity now, doesn't it? :)

This is a very nice practical guide for Vista that truly earns the "unofficial" title. You're getting the non-vendor-varnished truth, and it's appreciated.