Alan Simpson's Windows XP Bible: Desktop Edition

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Alan Simpson

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Pages: 720 (Paperback)

ISBN: 076455722X

Pub: John Wiley & Sons

Pub date: 2004-03-05

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 143119

Editorial Review:

Comprehensive in its treatment of Microsoft's latest and greatest operating system for the masses, Alan Simpson's Windows XP Bible has an answer to most "How do I..." questions that are likely to arise in the minds of Windows XP users, particularly those who aren't too familiar with recent versions of Windows. If you're going to buy a Windows XP reference book for your office, this would be a good choice. The author--the respected Alan Simpson, who's put out similarly comprehensive books before--must have incredible patience, because he manages to document almost every Windows procedure down to the last option and the final "OK" click. Most people won't need this level of handholding--almost everyone has gained knowledge of the basic Windows conventions by now--and perhaps this book could have been more compact (as it is, it's pretty hefty) or contained more obscure details without it. But don't accuse Simpson on neglecting details.
No one will read this book front to back. Most visits will begin with the table of contents (which is very detailed) or the index (which is even more so). A page-flip or two later, readers will have explanatory prose (which is clear and detailed, and almost always strictly business-like without being off-putting) and a procedure or two with numbered steps. The procedures have a particularly good design when it comes to options--it's clear what happens if you make different choices in dialog boxes. Again, coverage is absolutely comprehensive, with detailed explanations and procedures extending even to Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) and the new Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). --DavidWall

Topics covered: Microsoft Windows XP (Professional Edition and Home Edition) for beginning and intermediate-level users of the operating system, with a few bones thrown in for more advanced users. Internet connectivity (standalone and shared), file management, administrative duties such as backing up files and uninstalling programs, local-area networks (LANs), and all other user-level aspects of Windows XP are covered. Chapters on portable computer issues and security are particularly nice.

Reader Reviews:

Great for all (1/1 people found this helpful)

I bought and read this book a year ago when I first bought a computer, it proved helpful then and now nearly a year later I am re reading it, ok not word for word, and it is proving very helpful. Some of the info that I didn't understand then I do now! It is a useful reference book, and well worth getting!

its for people NEW to using XP (24/24 people found this helpful)

as it states in the first chapter, this is not an upgrade book for someone who has been using windows for years. its a book for newbies and for people who have neverr touched a computer, he says on the first page of the introduction - if you can understand the following, this book is not for you : "right-drag the selected items to the destination folder, drop , and then choose Copy Here or Move here, depending on which you want to do, from the shortcut menu". This is a book for people who can read the above sentence and honestly say, " I have no idea what he's talking about". having used this book It can answer any question you need on the user side of XP. a good user guide and reference for learners

Easy steps in plain, simple language. (52/53 people found this helpful)

Like others in the 'Bible' series,this book is beautifully written, using simple language. It contains many clear illustrations which will greatly assist both the newcomer and the more advanced user. All of the many components of Windows XP are seperated into sections, making them easier to understand. I thought that I already had a good knowledge of XP, but this book taught me many new tricks.

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