Rating: 
Summary: snide remarks, plus tips and tricks covered elsewhere
Review: Based on the other glowing reviews, I expected something a lot more substantial. Also, particularly in the early chapters, every paragraph (sometimes it seems every sentence) has a snide and gratuitous shot at Win98 and at Microsoft in general. If you hate Microsoft, you'll be saying "amen" after each and every one. If you don't, it just wears really thin, really fast. (My advice is, if you hate Microsoft that badly anyway, go get Linux or Free BSD, and don't waste money on this or any other Win98 books.) Mostly it just seemed sophomoric. The book is not totally worthless. While the tips and tricks it contains have all been covered elsewhere (PC Magazine, for one), it can be handy to have them collected in one lump. Many of the tips, though, are very disappointing. Don't like the number of warning boxes you have to dismiss when deleting a directory full of files? The only way to really avoid it is to use the DOS delete command. I don't regard it as a useful tip on how to make Win98 work better, to be told "if you don't like Win98 use DOS". You get the picture.
Rating: 
Summary: Windows 98 Annoyances: thorough, relevant, in-depth.
Review: Continuing the tradition of the bestseller, Windows Annoyances, this entirely new book covers Windows 98 with detail and depth, giving you the solutions you can't find anywhere else.Windows 98 Annoyances is not a rehash of common knowledge, nor is it a list of gripes. It's a tool you can use to empower yourself; I don't believe in treating the reader like a dummy. For more information on the book, visit the Windows 98 Annoyances web site.
Rating: 
Summary: My "gift" was a winner.
Review: I bought this book for a friend--who is a real computer "guru." I figure it has to be a winner. I gave it to him and as he flipped through the pages, I kept hearing, "Aha!" "So that's why..." "Okay, if I do...." He didn't talk at all that afternoon. Just read the book. I'd say it was a winner.
Rating:
Summary: My "gift" was a winner.
Review: I bought this book for a friend--who is a real computer "guru." I figure it has to be a winner. I gave it to him and as he flipped through the pages, I kept hearing, "Aha!" "So that's why..." "Okay, if I do...." He didn't talk at all that afternoon. Just read the book. I'd say it was a winner.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I really loved this book, it really tells you how to get around each and every limitation that's present in Windows. Some of these limitations are just plain bad design, while others are attempts to hide "confusing" concepts from the precious, fragile user. Also, like most O'Reilly books it is very entertaining and easy to read. It's not dry or overly technical, despite being very detailed and advanced. In response to "A reader" from Ann Arbor, Michigan: I definitely agree that the anti-microsoft potshots wore very thin after a few pages, but I *definitely* don't think that makes it deserve a piddly two-stars. As far as your other complaints, first of all, Windows is a very popular operating system, so you'd have to expect that some of his solutions might have been mentioned elsewhere, and they were probably discovered independently. Second of all, if you actually read anything other than the table of contents, you might have noticed that his suggestion to use DOS was only an alternative. He said that if you want to avoid the delete confirmation box, you can by right clicking Recycle Bin, properties, then unchecking the option for the confirmation box. But, he also said, that if you like the confirmation dialog, but don't want to go through 700 of them when deleting a directory, you can use the deltree command. Besides, why do you look at DOS as separate from windows? DOS is just the windows command line, and that's what Karp was trying to say. Sometimes it's more appropriate to use the command line.
Rating:
Summary: A brainy and essential companion
Review: In the several years since I switched from Mac OS to Windows 98 I've spent quite a lot of time on the phone with Dell tech support. Sometimes it's the hardware, occasionally it's the software, but often it's the operating system, Windows 98, that is giving me a problem. The Dell employee recommended this book to me, asserting that in his view and the view of his cohorts "Windows 98 Annoyances" is the best reference available for the wide variety of little problems, bigger puzzles, and flat-out mysteries that Windows 98 is so devilishly capable of posing to its zillions of users. I like to read a book from start to finish, which you obviously do not need to do with this one. On the other hand Karp has explained and provided straightforward solutions to at least twenty obstacles, glitches, or difficulties I've encountered with Windows 98. There is a wealth of conceptual information here, too. In addition to responding awfully well to niggling problems, Karp also supplies the demystifying know-how that enables you to modify aspects of your set-up. It's terrific, there's a CD ROM with it, the index is a real index that is a tool and not a token - and I wish that I could personally thank that Dell tech support guy for giving me such great advice by recommending that I buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: A tool for even the most experienced Windows operator
Review: Just when you think your system is running at peak efficiency, 'Windows 98 Annoyances' comes along and boosts your performance even more. I haven't put the book down since I received it. It's a great tool for newbies and experts alike. Just the networking information alone makes 'Windows 98 Annoyances' worth the price!
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Summary: An excellent Win 98 reference
Review: This book contains a lot of useful information arranged in a practical fashion, so that you can look up whatever problem you are having and find out how to fix it. It certainly does not contain everything, but it does contain a lot of valuable information. Despite the title, it should be clear that it is for all Win 98 users, not just for Microsoft-haters. This is one of three books that I keep handy for solving Windows problems. The O'Reilly web site has samples (and corrections!) for this book, so check it out if you are interested. I am very glad that I bought this book!
Rating:
Summary: An Invaluable Book For All Win98 Users
Review: This book is a must have for all Windows98 users. It clearly defines the problems and offers easy fixes. It gives advice on tweaking Windows to get maximum performance. It offers time saving tips and is very easy to understand no matter what your computer experience level is. I plan to puchase the Win2000 book as soon as they publish it.
Rating:
Summary: An Invaluable Book For All Win98 Users
Review: This book is a must have for all Windows98 users. It clearly defines the problems and offers easy fixes. It gives advice on tweaking Windows to get maximum performance. It offers time saving tips and is very easy to understand no matter what your computer experience level is. I plan to puchase the Win2000 book as soon as they publish it.
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