Big Book of Windows Hacks Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)§
Despite Microsoft's claims that their vaunted "focus groups" and client experience consultants have allowed them to offer us painless computing, you and the rest of the world know it isn't true. Waiting for Windows XP or Vista to boot up and shut down certainly are irritations in themselves worth a hack or two.
As you can imagine, this is a large book. That is not just the number of pages (650) but also the format -- of the fold-flat variety. This big book of hacks is easy to work with physically.
The editorial review on this page describes the contents well except that I would alter "contains more than 100 hacks" to "contains almost 200 hacks." Quite a difference.
The writing is clear and informed. I'm sure you have read many of Gralla's magazine contributions over the years. Be sure that the book is not all text. There are plenty of illustrations and even photos (for the hardware hacks) to guide you. The hacks themselves are directed at all versions of Windows, with the focus on XP and Vista.
Consider this book a compendium of all those tips you always rip out of your computer magazine subscriptions to save -- then lose track of. Here they are, all in one place, not easily lost given the size of this book!
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Network Your Computers & Devices Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft)) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)(Full disclosure: This book was provided for review at no cost to me)
Note: This book is geared towards a reader who is familiar with software installation and configuration. It also assumes you have a network card installed. This is mentioned in the introduction along with other requirements.
Expecting the book would be too basic for a SysAdmin, I still learned some new things. It was surprising that a book with five authors stayed both cohesive and focused.
Good Points:
* Instructions are detailed and accompanied by screen shots. Some steps are duplicated, but this helps each section stand on its own and references to relevant chapters are given.
* Both routers covered (in detail) are realistic choices based on popularity/price.
* WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is discouraged and readers are encouraged to use WPA2-PSK to secure their wireless network.
* The authors went beyond just networking your systems and also covered built-in security tools such as Microsoft Update, Windows Defender and Windows Firewall.
* Operating systems other than the book's focus (Windows 7) are covered including Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS X 10.6, and even Ubuntu GNU/Linux 10.10.
One thing I might change would be the 35 pages spent in chapter 9 prepping Windows Media Player 12 for content streaming. However, it could be argued that this was necessary in order to give a more realistic starting point.
All in all, I would recommend this book to those looking to incorporate Windows 7 into their home network.

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Teach yourself how to use the networking features in Windows 7 to connect your home computers, even if they use different operating systems. With Step by Step, you set the pace -- building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them!

Network your Windows 7-based PCs and set up security
Add a Mac or Linux-based computer
Share printers, devices, and files with everyone in your home
Stream media over your network or to a remote PC
Tweak your network and sharing settings
Troubleshoot problems and perform easy maintenance

Your Step by Step digital content includes:

Fully searchable online edition of this book -- with unlimited access on the Web

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