Windows XP Professional - The Ultimate Users Guide [Paperback]

Joli Ballew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 12, 2001

Covers all aspects of Windows XP Professional, from Windows basics to using multimedia utilities, to setting up a network or connecting to one. Softcover. CD-ROM included.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joli Ballew (Garland, TX) is a professional writer, technology trainer, and network consultant in the Dallas area. Some of her previous jobs include technical writing, education content consulting, PC technician, network administrator, high school algebra teacher, and MCSE instructor. She earned her MCSE, MCT and A+ certifications in less than 14 months.

Product Details

• Paperback: 824 pages
• Publisher: Coriolis Group Books; 1st edition (December 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588802280
• ISBN-13: 978-1588802286
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,019,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a full time writer, digital enthusiast, Windows and iPxx fanatic, and Droid user, among other things. I'm a Microsoft MVP, and hold several Microsoft certifications including MCSE, MCTS, MCDST, and others. I've written almost 50 books on topics ranging from Windows to Photoshop, to Phones to iPads, and even on to making your Windows PCs run better and faster. Beyond writing, I teach classes at several local community colleges and am the IT Academy Coordinator at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch, Texas.

When I'm not writing or teaching, I work part-time at North Texas Graphics, a screen printing, embroidery, and graphics company, and participate in various blogs, beta programs, newsgroups, and online communities. I also make a daily trek the LifeTime Fitness, where I spend an hour a day on the elliptical, bike, treadmill, or free weights.

Please visit my Web site at http://www.joliballew.com and feel free to contact me anytime at [e-mail].

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to understanding XP., January 9, 2002

By 

Michael J Woznicki "Michael J Woznicki" (Holland, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Windows XP Professional - The Ultimate Users Guide (Paperback)

With the release of Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows XP, there needs to be reference manuals to help the new user and technicians out. Coriolis, famous for Exam Prep, has released a book that will just about everyone in being able to learn the OS is short time.

While not written as a certification manual, this 800 plus page book will help with the exam objectives. Covering topics like personalizing the desktop, sounds schemes, creating users and accounts, rights, permissions and policies.

From there you also learn about printing, faxing, installing and removing software and hardware, email, MSN Explorer, IE version 6, outlook express and the internet. Coverage of networking is very well done with the home network, small office setup, and remote access and LAN coverage.

Finally disk and file management, security, backup strategies, restoring files and mobile users setup and configuration round out the areas covered. There are exercise included and they seem to be setup in a step by step format. Overall for those new to XP or those wanting a better understating this book may be just what you need.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Great Book!, March 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Windows XP Professional - The Ultimate Users Guide (Paperback)

This book is the best I've seen on Windows XP. The chapters on small business networks really helped me out. I would highly recommend this book for anyone using Windows XP Professional at home or at work, and also that business owners buy it for their employees. I know my employees use the book a lot!
This book is a one-stop shop!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Warmed over Microsoft help file, January 4, 2008

By 

Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Windows XP Professional: The Ultimate User's Guide (Paperback)

I found myself rolling back several new computers that came equipped with Windows Vista to Windows XP and realized that my library of XP books was thin. Great testament to Windows XP that I needed relatively few books to support it for all these years. Considering that XP will start to be phased out in 2008, I thought I'd better bolster my library of XP books.

This one was a bad choice (and I am glad I bought it used at a low price).

First, even though it is a "Second Edition", I have not seen a mention of Service Pack 1, much less Service Pack 2. SP2 brought many additions to XP which need to be covered - and I have seen no evidence they are covered here. (One can only imagine what was wrong with the first edition of this book if a 2d edition was required before the service packs were released.)

There is, in fact, no mention of "Service Pack" in the index. There are, in fact, many, many things missing from the index. It is, in truth, a very poor index. Look for "voice recognition" in the index. You won't find it. It is simply a poor index.

In fact, depending on your level of expertise, you might consider this book to be poor. I do. It basically appears to be parts of the Microsoft Windows XP Pro Help file dumbed down for inexperienced users. Considering that the back cover proclaim the book's intended audiences to be "XP Users and administrators" and "Administrators of Windows XP networks", the content is pretty thin stuff. The front cover promises "new information on troubleshooting and tweaking Windows XP" and "in-depth implementing and troubleshooting guide". I found litle information of that nature here. There is a lot of silliness, such as a section on "Adding a Print Cartridge" to a printer - which instructions are promptly disclaimed by pointing out that the process varies greatly from one printer to another.

Granted, this book is somewhat old, but I think I'll still clear of any other titles authored by Joli Ballew. Glad I bought it used, for it is (in my opinion) certainly not worth anything close to the retail price.

Jerry