Windows XP Killer Tips [Paperback]

Kleber Stephenson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 2003

Time is money. And a lot of Windows XP users find themselves trying to save time by skimming through larger computer books in order to pull out the useful nuggets of info that are often placed within what we call sidebars (i.e. those Note/Tip/Warning boxes). The Killer Tips series was developed by Scott Kelby because he recognized how useful technology users find those cool "I didn't know THAT" sidebars that are peppered all over the other computer books out there. Windows XP Killer Tips is all about speed; showing XP users how to get more work done faster, while actually increasing quality. The whole concept is to help make you faster and more productive than ever using Windows XP.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Time is money. And a lot of Windows XP users find themselves trying to save time by skimming through larger computer books in order to pull out the useful nuggets of info that are often placed within what we call sidebars (i.e. those Note/Tip/Warning boxes). The Killer Tips series was developed by Scott Kelby because he recognized how useful technology users find those cool "I didn't know THAT" sidebars that are peppered all over the other computer books out there. Windows XP Killer Tips is all about speed; showing XP users how to get more work done faster, while actually increasing quality. The whole concept is to help make you faster and more productive than ever using Windows XP.

About the Author

Kleber Stephenson is President of U.S. Diginet¿interactive communications, a provider of Internet Solutions, integrated strategy consulting, and secure stable hosting environments for business enterprises, and President of Medical Assisted Services. With more than a decade of experience analyzing and implementing business computing infrastructures based on Microsoft technologies, and the Windows OS architecture, Kleber designs and develops real world network and administrative solutions. In addition, he's a contributing technology reviewer for Photoshop User and Mac Design magazines.

Product Details

• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: New Riders Press; 1st edition (April 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 073571357X
• ISBN-13: 978-0735713574
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,398,479 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, but still has some value, April 24, 2003

By 

Maurice Reeves "Libertarian" (Perkasie, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Windows XP Killer Tips (Paperback)

I appreciate the enthusiasm with which Kleber Stephenson has written this book, and his tips are concise, and generally are of good quality, BUT...this book was definitely written with an absolute beginner in mind. This is the type of book I would hand to my father-in-law (and I probably will), so he can learn the basics of getting WinXP to do what he wants. I was hoping for something with heft, and insider tips, but 95% of what Kleber had to offer I already knew.

In addition, I have some serious complaints:
1. Kleber has included a series of "annoying tricks" as he calls them. These are things he says you can do to other people's computers to drive them batty. This is just not right. You just DON'T mess with another person's personal settings.

2. Kleber tells his users to not send error reports back to Microsoft. He says that Microsoft doesn't need to know about errors, but THEY SHOULD. This is one of the best things Microsoft has done so far. By receiving errors, they can fix problems in their products, which will make Windows work better, and faster, and will make it crash less. Please, if you buy, and follow this book, at least disregard this advice.

3. Kleber also suggests that people turn off the Auto-Update function of XP. While I agree that we shouldn't let XP just automatically update our PC without our intervention, there is a third option, that lets XP tell you there are Updates to download, which you then install manually. This is a nice middle ground. If it weren't for the Auto-Update, most people's computers, like my father-in-law's (sorry Dad!) would never get the essential security patches it needs, at least until I trundle to his house and provide tech support. Again, don't follow Kleber's advice on this one.

So essentially, my review is this:
If you're a beginner, and you'd like to learn some good ways to customize your PC to your own tastes, then this is a good book to own. If you're already familiar with XP, steer clear of this book, as you'll not learn much new.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very fun and interesting, July 6, 2003

By 

ueberhund "ueberhund" (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Windows XP Killer Tips (Paperback)

I have to admit that I was expecting a rather long and boring exposition on how to get the most out of your operating system (akin to some of the Linux books I've read). Quite to my surprise, this book was both easy and fun to read. While serious XP users will be familiar with many of the tips out lined in the book, there is a section on advanced tips (most of which are registry hacks), which are quite interesting.

The book consists of several hundred tips relating directly to the use and look of your Windows XP OS. Almost every tip takes up a fourth of the page, and consists of a description of the tip as well as an appropriate screen shot. The book actually reads like a cookbook, which is great for this type of book. Simply flip to the section you are interested in, and browse the title of each tip until you find the one you want.

The tips range from registry hacks (pretty much changing the behavior of Windows), to information on working with Media Player, tips on searching, XP annoyances, and general information on getting the most from your computer. Some of the easier tips include how to arrange or customize your toolbar, adding quick launch icons, and changing an file's icon. Some intermediate tips include adding a short cut icon to shut down or switch users, and how to use some of Windows XP's hidden programs. More advanced tips range from tricks you can do to annoy your co-workers (hide all desktop icons, switch the right and left mouse buttons, etc.) to how to make the label of "My Computer" be dynamic based on who is logged in.

This book is written for beginning to intermediate Windows XP users. The tips and tricks contained in this book will be very valuable to this audience. The book was easy to read and easy to find information.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YES, YES, YES, May 2, 2003

By 

Kelly Bolton (Chicago, IL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Windows XP Killer Tips (Paperback)

This book will never leave my desk. This is the Windows book that I've always been looking for. I'm floored by the amount of info given. Buy Windows XP Killer Tips then throw every other Windows book you own away. The email tips "Bcc Is Better" and "Give Me Directions" (how to get a map to contacts addresses from inside Outlook Express) alone made buying the book worth it for me, and the speed tips chapter I'm trying my best to commit to memory. This is a very smart book, and you can tell the author is someone who really uses Windows and knows how to get the most from it.