Just the Computer Essentials: A Plain-English, No-Nonsense Guide to Buying and Maintaining a PC Running the Windows Vista™ Operating System for Your Home or Home Office (Paperback)

by James, A White (Author)
Key Phrases: stop unauthorized changes, automatic file backup, easy transfer cable, Windows Vista, Windows Easy Transfer, Internet Explorer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
...step-by-step approach and explains things in [an] easy to understand language. I would recommend it to any new Vista user. -- WServerNews - Product of the Week - Vol. 12, #25 - Jun 22, 2007 - Issue #631

Product Description
You've seen the books for "dummies" and you're beyond that - you know how to turn a computer on, check your email, and surf the Internet. There are books for geniuses that focus on getting over-detailed on technology you don't care anything about. Why can't there be a book for you - a book to help you buy a new computer or help you protect your computer and data without all the useless information???

You've come to the right place! Just the Computer Essentials is a book written for the everyday user. Jim White wrote

Just the Computer Essentials to help you with your day-to-day work without taking up your whole day.

Just the Computer Essentials will help you understand exactly what you need to know when buying a new PC.

Jim White's Just the Computer Essentials will:

• Help you understand exactly what you need to know when buying a new PC
• Lead you in protecting your computer from dangers such as viruses, spyware, spam and phishing
• Show you how to set up a backup strategy to safeguard all your important files
• Coach you how to recover your computer from system problems - starting with the least intrusive all the way to disaster recovery
• Teach you how to migrate your files and settings from one computer to a new PC running the Windows Vista(tm) operating system

If you're ready to purchase a new computer or need help protecting your data on a computer running the Windows Vista operating system, then this book's for you!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: IROL Press, LLC (May 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979297168
• ISBN-13: 978-0979297168
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #85,252 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #5 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Hardware > PC Buyers' Guides
  #15 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > APIs & Operating Environments > Operating Systems Theory
  #85 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Hardware > PCs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book makes Windows Vista easy!, August 27, 2007

By	J. Wokoun - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been using Windows XP for years now and just got a new computer with Windows Vista Home Premium on it. There's definitely a big difference between those two versions of Windows! I've become very good at using XP, but wanted to make sure that I got Windows setup right and wasn't missing anything. I looked at a couple Vista books and I'm happy that this was the book I chose. It's very straight-forward and to the point and leaves out a lot of the over-technical garbage that most home users wouldn't even care about. The author does, however, hit on everything I needed to get my computer running right. He discusses the specifics of the security software to run (like comparing different vendors) and he talks about some of the options for configuring backups (including some of the newer online backup services... this was excellent!).

I will also say that I already needed one of the chapters when my computer wouldn't boot up. I had a similar problem a couple years ago on my XP computer and HP had me reload the whole computer. I'm glad I thought to check this book first because I came to find out that there are some MUCH easier options in Windows Vista and was able to get back up and running in about ten minutes! So, that in itself made this a great purchase in my opinion - I probably saved a couple days worth of time in that alone!

Great book and definitely worth it!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Helpful Book!, July 26, 2007

By	Dawn Sawyer - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My home computer started having problems and I wasn't sure what to do? A friend told me about "Just the Computer Essentials".

The book was extremely helpful and helped me navigate my way through my computer issues at home. It now has a place right next to my computer so I can grab it for quick reference if I need to.

I have also told several friends and family members about the book, who have all said that it has really helped them out in crunch time.

A great book, with lots of help inside, absolutely worth the purchase!

Dawn Sawyer

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for beginners and beyond, October 17, 2007

By	Mandi (Mannheim, Germany) - See all my reviews

I bought this book because I had just upgraded my computer to one with Windows Vista and wanted to learn the ins and outs quickly. It's been such a great tool in learning all of the new things I can now do!

Also, I teach introductory class online for first time college freshman, most of whom are older, non-traditional students, that covers study skills and basic computer skills (such as surfing the internet and attaching files to emails). Because they're just starting their college careers, many of them are looking at buying new computers and I've recommended that they all purchase this book to help them pick out and use their new computers.