Customer Reviews

The Unofficial Guide to Windows Vista

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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!

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.