Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
 Excellent Title for End-Users June 4, 2007
Jase T. Wolfe
105 out of 108 found this review helpful
If you're an administrator and are looking for a title to give you an edge on configuring, managing, deploying, etc. Vista, this title isn't for you; the Windows Vista(TM) Resource Kit is what you're looking for. This book is for average users new to Vista who want to familiarize themselves with the new OS and the bundled applications.
For the most part, the first 9 chapters cover the basics of Vista insofar as the user experience is concerned, concentrating on configuration, getting your plug and play hardware to work, understanding and using the embedded software, and using the provided support tools to help yourself and your friends. The coverage in this area is very complete, well written and easy to follow, with very little missing insofar as things "you should know". Although separated by a few chapters, chapters 15 thru 19 continue this coverage with information about the digital media (pictures, video, and music) tools included (Windows Media Player, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Media Center, and DVD Maker).
Chapters 10 thru 14 deal primarily with security and in-home networking. These sections include understanding what viruses, worms, and spyware are, reviewing the security tools and utilities in Vista that can protect you from these kinds of threats, and keeping your system updated. This is followed by an overview of local account management and parental controls, and finally setting up a peer to peer network and sharing resources. Again, all these sections are very well written and make it easy for those that might be uncomfortable with these areas to read and implement successfully.
The remaining chapters step up the technical level to include information on system maintenance, system tune-ups, troubleshooting tools, service management, as well as the registry. Many of these topics, if not properly explained, can cause the reader to have issues with their system when not properly implemented, but the authors have done a good job of explaining the what's and how's, as well as providing good recommendations on when to not do something.
If you're looking for a good end-user book to teach you the basics of Vista and then advance your skills on the OS, this is an excellent and inclusive read that won't leave you looking for additional materials later on.
Essential reading for all things Windows Vista February 12, 2007
Kenneth Gardner
87 out of 90 found this review helpful
Like XP Inside and Out before it, this book covers -- superbly -- every major aspect of Windows Vista. Major topics include setup and startup, personalization, security and networking, digital media, and system maintenance and management. Subtopics include Vista's new Aero look, the new start menu, the (awesome) new search features, the new and improved Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer 7, Media Player 11, the new security features (including a persuasive defense of Vista's new UAC feature), and the new system maintenance and performance tools. It is essential reading for all things Vista.
The book is chock full of practical information and advice on how best to install, configure, operate, and maintain Vista. If there is one way to do something, they tell you the correct way. If there is more than one correct way, they tell you that, too. They often make recommendations about what method you should choose. I was particularly interested in the sections covering how to get the most out of the new performance tools such as the revamped Task Manager and new Resource Overview tool. If you regard yourself as a power user, you are going to love these new tools.
In sum, this book is your instruction manual for how to get the most out of Vista. This is regardless of what Vista edition you use or whether you are a beginning, intermediate, or advanced user. As an extra bonus, the book also comes with a CD containing a searchable edition of the book and a few other goodies. You can install it on your hard drive and use it as a online guide. If I was going to buy only one Vista book, this is it. Just as the XP Inside and Out book was before it.
Bravo! March 3, 2007
Mattress Mack
They've done it again. Those who have read Windows XP Inside-Out should proceed straight to Checkout because this Vista edition is the encore of that performance. Suffice it to say this book will fill your heart with the same joy and happiness you got from the last edition and so there is no need for you to read beyond this paragraph.
Multiple authors should be able to produce a better product than a lone ranger, and while that is not always realized, these authors have managed that achievement. The authors spent over three years on the book and solicited input from the source - the programmers and technical professionals who developed Vista. The result is a tome that is thorough and comprehensive.
Windows Vista Inside-Out covers all user features of all editions of Vista and indicates differences with XP - new or dropped features. The Inside-Out titles are not written for Grandma, and so it is presumed the reader is proficient at basic computing. After the basics, you can ride this tome from novice to power-user status or higher. There is plenty here to use or support Vista in a standalone or workgroup environment. Consider Windows Vista Resource Kit to fill the gaps, including deployment in server environments.
Click the book cover to see the table of contents.
"Windows Vista Inside Out" publication release 1 February 7, 2007
Best Buy Geek Squad (Milwaukee WI, USA)
20 out of 25 found this review helpful
This exactly what ever IT tech needs for Vista along with "Windows Vista Administrator's Pocket Consultant". Even though they where gong to delay the release of this publication to revise it for the actual released version of Vista, it is jammed full of professional IT info. When the next release and updated version of "Windows Vista Inside Out" is published I will be buying immediately. It is a must have for experienced computer enthusiast's and professional IT technicians.
Dennis K
Best Buy Geek Squad IT technician
 Why so stingy with the ink? March 6, 2007
W. Bradley (PCB, FL)
17 out of 29 found this review helpful
Rest assured the content of this book is every bit as good as "XP Inside Out." Visually, however, the book is very disappointing. The entire book looks as though it was printed in "draft" mode to save ink. The blue highlights, figures, and even the text is very light. Compare the VISTA and XP books side-by-side and it looks like each page of the VISTA book used one-half the ink used in the XP book.
Content - 5 stars.
Readability - 1 star.
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