NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, September 2009
Microsoft Windows Vista Unleashed, 2nd Edition
Reviewed by Jim Krill,
a member of the North Orange County Computer Club, CA Orange Bytes, June 2009

http://www.noccc.org
editor(at)noccc.org (click to email author)

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

Microsoft Windows Vista is the operating system everyone loves to hate. It’s constantly being criticized. This reviewer bought a new Dell Inspiron 1525 in November 2008 and had planned on removing Windows Vista and installing a copy of Windows XP Professional based on the news stories critical of Windows Vista. I decided to give it a month and see what happens. Well, nothing happened. It worked well and continues to work well. I have no plans to remove it and will probably delay purchase of the new version of Windows when it’s released later this year. That being said, I needed a good reference manual for Windows Vista. I’m thinking that Windows Vista Unleashed is that book.

Search Amazon and you will discover that there are probably hundreds of books about Windows Vista. Which one is best for you? That one question is impossible to answer. One solution is to get a good reference manual that covers all areas of Windows Vista. These large reference manuals can be initimidating to the average user. (For this review I will call the average user a lay user.) Windows Vista Unleashed is one such large, 750 page, reference book. For years I’ve used and recommended the Missing Manual series of books. They’re good but often they were missing the information I needed or they didn’t go far enough. Windows Vista Unleashed may be too much for you but is it better to have too much information or not enough information? With five different versions of Windows Vista, there is a lot to cover and Windows Vista Unleashed is a book that tries to cover it all.

How many versions of Windows Vista are there? There are five versions. And Windows Vista Unleashed makes the attempt to cover all versions of Windows Vista. Not an easy task. And how does any one person know if this book is for him or her? You may be a network specialist. You may do customizations of the OS. Or, you’re just a software techie who has to know how to keep individual Windows Vista machines running. Windows Vista Unleashed wants to be that reference for all types of users except one. The one exception is the lay user. After using this book I think even the lay user will benefit.

Because there are five versions of Windows Vista, it’s nice to know which version is being discussed in the book. Windows Vista Unleashed uses a graphic logo to indicate which version of Windows Vista applies to a subject. Since this reviewer uses the Home Basic (Cheap) it’s nice to know that I don’t have to waste my time reading up on a utility that isn’t in my version of Windows Vista and it also helps to know what IS in any version of Windows Vista. It can get confusing even for the professionals. If no graphic logo appears, then ALL versions of Windows Vista apply. This small help aid was much appreciated by this reviewer. It’s the simple ideas that make a big difference.

Does this book meet its lofty goal? Good question. I have been using one form or another of Windows since Windows version one and I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer that question. Then again, can a business owner know the answer, or the road warrior, or any of the above users know if this book will work for all the other users? The answer is probably yes. This is one book that most users should have. It appears to be a good primary book for Windows Vista. It may not give the deep level answers but it does provide a good overall view of Window Vista.

First, it gives excellent overview of Windows Vista. The first 300 pages is the manual you didn’t get with your Windows Vista machine. Because it goes into the basics, it’s a book that even the lay user should have. Yes, you may not need to know how to write Windows Scripts but you will need to know how to recover from problems and you should know how to set up and maintain a small network no matter your lever of knowledge.

All users need to understand the language used by the specialists in order to communicate with them and they with you. Most problems you encounter will probably involve being able to tell the specialist what is wrong in a way that will help them fix the problem. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to talk to someone with a Windows problem who had no idea what I’m asking. Because Windows Vista Unleashed covers all levels of the OS, it will enable the everyday user to understand the language of the specialist. If you don’t know what the specialist is asking you should be able to get the definition from this book.

This reviewer uses a laptop for everything and there is some useful information for laptop users that you don’t find in most books. I thought I knew everything I needed to know about power management but I was wrong. I, for one, didn’t know you could configure the power buttons. Very useful. I actually played with the power options as I was reading the book. In the Control Panel, there is one entire section for the Mobile PC Control Panel. If you have tried to use the tools in Windows Vista, like I have, then here is a book for you.

One feature of the book that I really did like was how it treated a subject as if you needed to know how to use it. It gives step-by-step instructions. I usually would get more confused than I was BEFORE I started reading a subject in other books but not Windows Vista Unleashed. Going to the chapter on networking, Windows Vista Unleashed gives step-by-step instructions on using the network tools in Windows Vista. I would have liked to test this method with the chapter on networking but I did see its usefulness when reading the chapter on the Mobile PC Control Panel.

I do recommend this book for any user of Windows Vista. You may be a Home Premium user and have no use for knowing about other versions of Vista. All versions of Windows Vista have more in common that their names imply. Forget you’re a Home Premium user and just remember you are a Windows Vista user. Even though this reviewer uses the Home Basic (I did say I was cheap.) Windows Vista Unleashed is still an excellent reference and HELP manual.

One idea I have tried to put forward was that a business or IT center should select one book that ALL users should have and use that book as a support tool. Windows Vista Unleashed qualifies as one possible selection. I do recommend IT centers purchase the book and try it out on their lay users.

Microsoft Window Vista Unleashed, Second edit ion, by Paul McFedries . Published by SAMS, 800 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240.

List Price: $49.99. To order from the publisher : http://www.informit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=067233013X.

Click here to return to top



==================================================================