Windows XP All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies

Media:	Paperback
Author:	Woody Leonhard
Publisher:	For Dummies
Release date:	15 December, 2001
List price:	~~$29.99~~
Our price:	that is 100% off!

Windows XP All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies

Average rating: Stars

Either Get the Book From the Library or Buy It Used

If you are not familiar with Leonhard's books, you might want to check this book out of the library, or buy it cheaply used. In my opinion, this book is a sad example of a publisher and editors allowing an author's personality to destroy what would have been an excellent reference book.

There is lots of useful information in this book explained very clearly. Yet, to read it all, you must put up with Leonhard's constant adolescent remarks. Or are they "geek" remarks? Or possibly both? Or maybe one and the same? I don't know. I don't inhabit his world, and found it difficult to even visit it for more than a few chapters. Luckily, I got the book from the library. And now I see why there are so many used books by him going so cheaply.

It's strange to see, too, that Amazon is showing reviews for this book that were written before it was even published! Obviously, they are for previous editions. Oh well...it's all been one strange trip anyway...a trip that I, for one, cut short...very, very short. This book is strictly for the author's fans, or for those who inhabit his world.

Windows XP All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies - Woody Leonhard

Not really a reference -- more like a ramble

This book could have used a thorough editing. It is supposed to be a "desk reference," which to me means you can look up information quickly. However, it's hard to find what you're looking for here. The worthwhile information is buried in the everyday stuff that I already knew, so to find what I wanted, I had to wade through many pages of material I was already familiar with.

Take Chapter 2, "Finding Your Way from Start to Finish," for example. It explains very basic stuff such as changing user settings, and then, starting about 40 pages into the chapter where you would least expect it, are instructions for sharing a file on the Internet, a sophisticated task.

I found this book very frustrating. On top of not being able to find instructions I wanted by browsing in the book, I found the index unhelpful.

Finally, I don't understand why the author devoted 65 pages to America Online. Since when is America Online part of Windows XP? The book makes no mention of the Windows Registry.

This book should rightly be called "A Ramble through Windows XP." It is not a reference. It is not a friendly book that you can find information in.

Woody Leonhard - Windows XP All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies

Disappointing

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book for beginners, intermediate, or expert computer users.

I like other things Woody has written (Mother of All Windows 95 books is a classic) and other Dummies books (Word 2000 for Windows for Dummies is good).

But this book is poor.

First, it isn't really "9 books in 1." The AOL "book" is a joke, clearly written with the intention for you to avoid AOL at all costs (minimizes the importance of chat rooms, nothing about automatic Zipping of e-mail attachments, nothing about accessing e-mail from outside the AOL client (hello does Netscape browser ring a bell?). The MSN "book" is even more of a joke (nothing about Money, nothing about free storage for pictures and web sites). The hardware "book" doesn't mention any brands and gives corny advice (optical mice only good for people with pets).

Second, there is no practical advice on dealing with Windows on a day-to-day basis. It acts like all the problems have been solved with XP (wow the stability). Nothing on dealing with the co-branding, pop-ups (both OS and Internet), and spyware. So much of the advice is generic (get AV software installed, updated, and working), with no specifics. No whys (like why should I use IE over Netscape, why should I use Media Player over Real, why should I use built-in ZIP over WinZip). The basics just aren't considered.

Third, this book is designed for teenage wannabe-geeks. Specifically, the only real hints in this book are game cheats (registry mods and the like).

Fourth, the humor in this book is all too hard to find and falls flat.

I am disappointed. This author can do so much better (check out his Office newsletters). Look elsewhere on this one folks.

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