Alan Simpson's Windows XP Bible

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 1200 pages
• Published by: Wiley
• Edition: 2nd Edition February 18, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0764578154
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0764578151
• Book Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 2.3 inches
• Weighs: 3.2 pounds

Product 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 will not 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 unusual details without it. But don't accuse Simpson of 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 businesslike 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). --David Wall

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Review
"The word 'comphrehensive' certainly applies to this one. We liked the writing style" -- Software World, 1 July 2002

"The word 'comphrehensive' certainly applies to this one. We liked the writing style" (Software World, 1 July 2002) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
(This is a review of the 2nd edition) I've been an XP holdout for awhile now. My personal machines are all using W2K, and I'm perfectly happy with it. But I'll be buying a new desktop unit pretty soon, and at least part of the box will be running XP. I'll need a good reference book, and so I decided to review Windows XP Bible (2nd Edition) by Alan Simpson. While I know a lot of what's in there, there is some value for me. Section List: Getting Started; Customizing Windows XP; Managing Files and Folders; Printing and Faxing; Securing Your System; Power Using the Internet; Using and Creating Digital Media; Installing and Removing Programs; Installing, Using, and Troubleshooting Hardware; Performance and Maintenance Issues; Home and Small-Business Networking; Appendixes; Index Normally I'd list each of the chapters, but there's 64 of them. It'd take too long, and Amazon probably would reject the review for being over the word limit... :-) The author calls this an intermediate/advanced book, as he assumes some basic computing skills before you get into the book. I'm thinking that a fair amount of the material is still beginner level stuff if you've worked with Windows at all in your life. That's not to say you can't learn some new tricks along the way, but explanations of files and folders is pretty basic. Having said that, the book doesn't stay at that level. The chapters on networking, digital media, and firewalls will get some attention from me when I get my new machine. Likewise, I'll also be closely reading the parts on system restore, performance tuning, and driver/device management. There are features in XP in those areas that I'm not up to speed on... Simpson covers a lot of ground in this book. There's something in here for nearly everyone but the long-time XP user or the hard-core Microsoft techie. This is one of those books that will used for a lot of first-line research. The answer will probably often be found in these pages. If not, you can always resort to Google. :-) Good stuff, and worth owning.