Customer Reviews

Windows XP Pro: The Missing Manual

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is by far the most understandable XP Pro book I've found. It takes the position that there's nothing wrong with witty, polished prose in technical writing. In fact, the excellence of the writing makes learning far less of a chore than you find in geekier books.

As for the gripes by previous reviewers: Good grief! It says right on the cover that the book "isn't for system administrators or OS theory geeks; it's for the novice or budding power user." It's clearly intended for people new to XP Pro, or even intermediate users who'd like a crystal-clear explanation of, say, understanding how file encryption is different in XP Pro and XP Home, or how to dial into your PC from the road using a laptop, or how to set up a home network, step by step.

(And to whoever wrote that you can find the same information in the online help--get real!! Microsoft's online help for XP Pro is opaque, humorless, loaded with jargon, and free of illustrations. And above all, it NEVER mentions bugs and problems and workarounds, as this book does.)

Bottom line: If you're a network administrator, it's true that you'll be much happier with a much thicker, more technical (and dry-as-dust) book.

But if you're a home user, or maybe you've been issued an XP Pro box at work and you want to get the most out of it, this book presents a complete, entertaining, and easily understood a picture of the beast they call Windows XP Professional. HIGHLY recommended.

The title is right! This is the book that should have been included in the basic box with XP Pro. It is set at just the right level for the average user trying to come up to speed on a new operating system. While the basic user interface is more or less the same as the previous windows operating systems, the underlying code structure is based on NT rather than the older DOS/Windows.

This book isn't for system administrators or advanced readers. It's aimed at the average user who wants to master the machine well enough to get down to work or to look up something without having to call for support. It is basically crystal-clear, jargon-free (well, computers are still the subject, how about nearly jargon-free).

This edition is up to date to include Service Pack 2, which changed a number of screens and philosophies in the security area.

Simply put- BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!
If you own Windows XP Pro*, this manual is a must have, invaluable resource tool.
Easy to read and filled with helpful tips on maximizing the efficiency of your system; Pogue and Zacker got it right!
You'll save yourself so much time on completing your tasks that it'll pay for itself as soon as you get it.
My only question is why didn't we get one of these when we purchaced Windows XP??
*I use it on XP Pro and Home editions

The best quality of this book is that it combined the best of everything: it harnessed the best aspects of a step-by-step method with that of a detailed exposure. A welcomed combination! It is a hard-to-resist text if your goal is to conquer "Windows XP Professional" without any skin-pain.
This is one of the few books that presented a well-balanced information: not too much, but never too little. Everything about it is comprehensive. Its authority is unquestionable. Indeed, this is the type of manual that users would have loved Microsoft to include in their 'XP' package.
Only if Mr Gates would listen to us!

I have always been a fan of the 'missing manual' and 'nutshell' books. This one is no different, but there is a catch. If you use the XP operating system or are planning on migrating to it or getting a new machine then this book might be for you; the pivotal word being might.

Typically, the 'missing manual' books provide some insight to the respective product by providing useful information that the original manual writer deemed unnecessary or might not have known. The XP Missing Manual does provide a lot of useful information, but I feel that it was a bit too rudimentary. I will agree that O'Reilly has to cater to a wide audience in a given number of pages, but this book was just too simplistic for my liking. Don't get me wrong I will still highly recommend this book, but I don't find myself referring to it as much as I have with previous OS missing manuals.

If you decide to purchase this book I must recommend purchasing the Windows XP Annoyances book along with it. The Annoyances book is more on the level that I felt the XP Missing Manual book should've been. Those two books teamed up make a great reference set for beginners and power users alike.

I have bought too many 'helper' books, manuals etc. over the years - and mostly found them cumbersome and hard-to digest. NOT so with the David Pogue & Zacker "Missing Manual". I can relate to several questions that needed explanations - and every time I check them out in this publication - I get the answers that serve my curiosity - and by that, tremendously improve my XP experiences and work. This Manual is for us, who are 'non-geeks' and like to improve our skills. Thank you, guys!

David Pogue keeps getting better and better. When I first got my computer I was at a loss, then I was given Windows ME: The Missing Manual - A book which kept me from throwing the computer out of the window. A year and a half ago I went to the Microsoft launch of Windows xp and was given Windows xp pro - I immediately installed it and loved it and have been using it ever sense, however there were still some things I didn't know how to do, now I know how to do everything...thanks to David Pogue. He and Microsoft should come to an agreement and put his book into the box of every new computer - Thanks again David for making it easy.

The very latest from David Pogue's eponymous publishing house [and O'Reilly]. The book goes into myriad useful tips on best using Microsoft's XP Professional. A very stable operating system, unlike some earlier efforts by Microsoft. Replete with attractive consumer level utilities. The book does go into system type aids, like showing the full power of the start menu, taskbar and control panel. All to the good. But somewhat prosaic.

I suspect what is more germane to most users are things like getting onto the Internet and all that that implies. The authors go into explaining how to get the most out of Internet Explorer. And setting up your email and doing instant messaging. For many of us, browsing and email will take up much of our usage, with chat perhaps a close third. The reality is that the computer's power is often as a connection to the greater world. Which is why though these chapters are only a fraction of the book, you may want to head here first and read slowly. Understanding them may be the most productive part of the book for you.

I'm a Mac guy who, through the vicissitudes of life, must occasionally use Windows. There's no better guide than David Pogue whose advice is always accurate, clear, and witty. Best of all, Pogue understands what new users go through. He is simply the best tech writer out there. Buy this book.

Fortunately I had the "Windows XP Annoyances" manual to thoroughly explain how to use Windows XP's Chkdsk utility. "Chkdsk", or any spelling of it, does not appear in "The Missing Manual" or index as far as I know, but it does in "Windows XP Annoyances". Something as basic and important as "Chkdsk" should not be missing. I wonder how many other entries are non-existent? Having read both manuals, I prefer "Windows XP Annoyances". Pogue's content reads like a rehashed Microsoft Windows XP "Help" tutorial. There's more substance in the other manual.