REVIEW: "Mastering Windows XP Home Edition", Guy Hart-Davis

BKMWXPHE.RVW 20040823

"Mastering Windows XP Home Edition", Guy Hart-Davis, 2001,
0-7821-2980-3, U$39.99/C$63.95/UK#29.99
%A Guy Hart-Davis
%C 1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501
%D 2001
%G 0-7821-2980-3
%I Sybex Computer Books
%O U$39.99/C$63.95/UK#29.99 800-227-2346 Fax: 510-523-2373
%O http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0782129803/robsladesinterne
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0782129803/robsladesinte-21
%O http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0782129803/robsladesin03-20
%P 987 p. + CD-ROM
%T "Mastering Windows XP Home Edition"

Part one outlines the basic operations of Windows XP, with successive
chapters presenting a list of features, installation, getting started,
customizing the desktop, running programs, using files (primarily the
operations of Windows Explorer), programs included with the operating
system, and the help system. Administrative functions are described
in part two, including user and account management, file sharing (and,
not terribly logically, file types), various disk utilities, the
Registry (the material presented is somewhat disturbing in view of the
lack of significant detail elsewhere), printers and fonts, additional
hardware, laptops, and miscellaneous advanced topics. The level of
coverage of material for the "power user" is very slight, really only
amounting to a mention of the possibilities. Novice or intermediate
users who try to access these functions may become frustrated. Some
of the later chapters may be quite disappointing: they appear to
promise functions which turn out to require significant additional
hardware or software.

Part three deals with communications, outlining connecting to the net,
the Internet Explorer Web browser, the Address Book program, the
Outlook Express mailer and newsreader, Windows Messenger, the fax and
telephony programs, remote control of computers, NetMeeting, and a
confusing chapter on publishing material on the Web. Multimedia and
games, in part four, looks at the Windows Media Player program,
graphics and video, burning CDs, and games. Part five reviews the
usual simplistic local area networking, although it does do a better
job than most such works when it comes to the sharing of an Internet
connection.

This book is dauntingly massive, but does provide clear instructions
that may enable the intelligent novice or intermediate user to explore
a wide range of options within the Windows XP operating system. (A
good deal of material on standard programs could have been eliminated,
thus reducing the size and intimidation. Alternatively, advanced
topics could have been removed, making the tome suitable for complete
beginners.) The volume touches on high level topics, but does not
provide the necessary details found in works like Karp's "Windows XP
Annoyances" (cf. BKWNXPAN.RVW). Still, there is a wealth of
information for a wide range of users. If they are careful.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 2004 BKMWXPHE.RVW 20040823

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