29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Avoid this spinoff, buy the classic Missing Manual, March 4, 2007
This review is from: Windows Vista for Starters: The Missing Manual (Paperback)
Did you know that "Mork and Mindy" was a spinoff from the hit TV show "Happy Days". While Mork only appeared in one episode, that was enough to make it a hit. Sometimes spinoffs are great. "Mork and Mindy" was hilarious. Then you have other spinoffs that are pale imitations of the original. Does anyone remember Joanie Loves Chachi? Probably not. Windows Vista for Starters is a spin-off from the highly respected "Missing Manual" series. Unfortunately, it's more of a "Joanie Loves Chachi" of the computer book world. Skip this spinoff book and head straight for the original : "Windows Vista, The Missing Manual.
First off, there was an extremely funny error that hopefully will be corrected later on. On page 11 in the book, under "Mouse and Keyboard Essentials" you find the opening statement of "This book gives you three kinds of instructions that require you to use the Mac's Mouse." Unfortunately, this was an early warning sign about the quality of the book (though "Windows Vista the Missing Manua"l has another funny Mac reference).
The most annoying problem with the book is the spacing of screen shots and their explanations. Most of the time, I found the screen shot a page before an explanation which made it extremely difficult to read the explanation and see what is being talked about because I had to flip pages back and forth. While it was a welcome breeze to have that page flipping, it was a waste of time and a example of poor editing.
In addition, while the Missing Manual clearly states which version of Vista has which features, this book gave no such indication as to whether the feature being explained would work in a particular version of Vista. While the book appears to assume you have Vista Premium, it mentions features that only the business versions include such as faxing. A novice user would be quite frustrated reading this book and wondering why they can't find a feature. I can't fathom why O'Reilly would include the version designations in the Missing Manual, but pull them from this version.
Another confusing aspect of the book were the "sidebar" type tips. While these tips were sometimes interesting, the placement often had no clear connection to the text being discussed. For example, while discussing the "Start Menu and Recent items" in Chapter 2 there is a "side bar" about the User Folder file structure. The side bars uses specifications and references explanations found in chapters 15-17. I think a novice user would quickly put the book down after being introduced to a concept that won't be further explained for another 300 pages.
If one ignores the layout and flow of the book, the actual text of the book is helpful. The explanations that don't reference screen shots are easy to understand and straightforward. Someone new to using Vista would have a firm grasp of the concepts and new features after reading the book (and figuring out on their own which version of Vista has those features). However, having read the Missing Manual version of the book, For Starters usually copies the explanation from the Missing Manual version.
O'Reilly really missed the mark in creating Windows Vista For Starters. My Business 101 class skills tell me they were trying to create a smaller and less expensive Windows Vista book to compete with the "Dummy" series. Unfortunately, they "dummied" the book to much and Windows Vista for Starters needs to repeat a grade or two before it deserves space on your bookshelf. Spend the extra $15 and get the Missing Manual version of the book.
Pros: Gives the reader a base level understanding of Vista
Cons: Extremely confusing for novice readers. Poor layout adds to the confusion. Could this be a subtle attempt to increase Mac sales by frustrating new Vista users?
2 out of five dog cows
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice But Unnecessary, June 15, 2007
This review is from: Windows Vista for Starters: The Missing Manual (Paperback)
'Windows Vista for Starters: The Missing Manual' by David Pogue is the first Missing Manual book that I have to lean towards giving a thumbs down. Where the Missing Manual line of books continues to be some of the best things out on the market today in terms of content, layout, writing and style, this edition fails to achieve the lofty results of other books in the series. The simple reason why this book is not well received by me is due to the fact that they have the words "for Starters" in the title. Why the decision was made to split up the topic of Windows Vista into 2 books is beyond me. While the content within is still good (Basics, Start Menu, Mail, Layout, etc.), I feel that this is a serious case of "double dipping" where the publisher decided to split content into 2 books to increase profits. There simply is NO reason to do this, put all the content into 1 book and leave it at that. Not only is it cleaner, it makes it look like less of an attempt to sponge off extra $$$ from ignorant readers.
Unless you are the most basic of Vista users and don't want a longer reference book, save your money and just pick up the regular Vista Missing Manual text instead. This book isn't bad, just unnecessary.
***
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wonderful Starter!, June 14, 2007
This review is from: Windows Vista for Starters: The Missing Manual (Paperback)
This book delivers just what the title promises; Windows Vista for Starters. It's even readable and non-techie.
I found the following explainations lucid and useful:
- The differences between the 5 versions of Vista.
- The new features of Vista and Aero.
- Ripping and Burning CDs.
- Handling Photographs.
- Security and users.(some real useful stuff here)
Microsoft should provide this book to every new user of vista.
The book is well made and nicely covered as well.
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