Rating: 
Summary: The Healthy PC
Review: A great book, well written and easy to follow for new computer users, the author makes use of explanatory screenshots and doesn't assume any PC experience, the book is technically accurate and contains some great tips for Windows 98/ME and XP
Rating: 
Summary: Puts the Internet first
Review: A person using a Microsoft PC for the first time can face a formidable amount of documentation. Microsoft has produced heavy tomes, delineating all that is possible with its system. Her problem is worsened if the computer is for her home. Then there is no corporate IT staff to pester. But the prospects of reading several large volumes is daunting.So Holzman has given her an alternative. His book is directed squarely at the new user. It covers both looking after the software and hardware. In the latter, to give you an idea of the level of expertise he is pitching to, he explains that "the motherboard is the largest circuit board in the PC". An experienced user may snigger, but there are millions of people out there (perhaps you?) for which this is new and nonobvious. As for software, he has chosen an order of presentation which is a symptom of what Microsoft dreads. Holzman starts by describing how to connect to the Internet and then he discusses the browser, email and a firewall. Only after these does he go into outlining how to use the Microsoft operating system. Because what drives much uptake of computers these days is the web, as contrasted to a purely local interaction. Not that he is anti-Microsoft, but he is predicting that many readers have precisely these priorities for their computer usages.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent choice for us do it yourselfers
Review: As someone who insists on building his own systems, I can say that I've found this book an invaluable aid in configuring and trouble shooting my latest creations. Just the time it will save you in putting your system together is well worth the cost of buying it!
Rating:
Summary: A User Friendly Computer Book.
Review: Believe it or not, there is an increasing technological divide in this country. Many people assume that everyone nowadays owns a computer and has access to the Internet and knows how to write an email. But that assumption is wrong. There are many people in the United States who don't own a computer (myself included) and there are many others who though they have access to a computer, really have no idea how to use one. There are countless books on the market that will supposedly help people learn how to set a computer up and operate it, but most of these read more like technical manuals than a self-help book and prove just as confusing as the technology itself. THE HEALTHY PC isn't like that. It's the only computer book I've ever come across that anyone can actually read and understand. Unlike many of the DUMMY-type books on the market, THE HEALTHY PC can be read and used by a person who has no previous computer knowledge whatsoever. Simple terms are used over complex ones and when a technical term is used, it is first explained. Also, unlike other books where the illustrations usually don't look like the monitor, THE HEALTHY PC is filled with illustrations that look just like scenes from a monitor screen. The book provides such useful information as how to protect your computer against viruses, how to remove spyware, how to eliminate spam, how to back up and restore Windows configurations, and a whole lot more. It's all in THE HEALTHY PC. This book is a computer book that was written and produced with the average Joe in mind. I don't know much about PC's, but after reading THE HEALTHY PC I am more familar and better acquainted with the technology than I was before and know that when I face a PC-related problem in the future, I might be able to fix it on my own. THE HEALTHY PC is the only completely user-friendly computer book out there.
Rating:
Summary: Finally !
Review: Carey hit a Home Run with this book.
Batter up and learn everything you wanted know and keeping your computer running and more importantly what to do when it needs to be fixed.
Its simple to understand, no mumbo jumbo that makes you wonder what you are reading, just easy to follow tips and suggestions.
Way to go Carey!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book for all level of users
Review: Don't be fooled by the appearance of this book. Although it consists of less than 400 pages, unlike other computer books, it fully illustrated all essentil points of computer maintenacne and preventive measures. The author uses simple and down to earth writing, and as well, the book serves for users of Windows of different version, of course, covers the latest. A must not miss good book.
Rating:
Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover!
Review: Don't let the cover fool you. This is a must-have book for the person who needs to use a computer and the Internet as tools, but feels uneasy or confused about how to do so safely and has little or no computer background. It is not as much for those who want to become "do-it-yourself computer gurus" and work on their computers as it is for those who want their computer and Internet connection to work reliably for them. Virtually no technical jargon is used and generally when a computer term is used it is clearly defined or explained. The title also seems too restrictive. The book covers Internet issues as well as PC issues. "The Healthy PC" is an invaluable reference for both the computer and the Internet, but it is written in such a way as to be worth reading from start to finish as well. In addition to explanations, definitions, helpful tips and background information, step by step instructions are provided which are fully illustrated with pictures of what the screen will look like at each step of each procedure.
Among the topics covered are ways to maintain and upgrade the computer, optimize performance and reliability of the PC and Internet connection, Internet issues (including safety, security and privacy), and much more. The author suggests what to do when dealing with threats and annoyances such as viruses, hoaxes, worms, spam, and spyware in addition to e-mail software and firewalls. We all know that if you look hard enough everything will have its positives and negatives. If I had to nitpick to find a negative, all I could come up with is timeliness, which is out of the author's control when dealing with publciction deadlines. Reality, especially in the computer industry, changes fast enough that between the time a book is written and the time it is released, some information may become obsolete. One example is a note on page 80 that states: "There is no alternative method to check your (AOL) email other than using the software provided by AOL or by visiting www.aol.com. As of the writing of this book it is not and has not been, possible to configure any dedicated email program...to work with AOL." That was true until recently when at least two dedicated email programs were released that can handle AOL mail as well as conventional email. Also the author uses AOL 8 rather than AOL 9 when referring to AOL. Please understand that what was true yesterday may not be true today and what is true today may not be true tomorrow. All any author can do is describe a snapshot in time. The only thing that we know for sure is that everything will change. Possibly the publisher should consider annual updates on either a separate release or subscription basis for books such as this, which provide important information in a rapidly changing environment. Carey Holzman has done a great job in providing tips, procedures, definitions, explanations, background and peace of mind to a much larger audience than is described on the cover.
Rating:
Summary: ECELLENT BOOK!!!!
Review: I am a computer tech of 15 years and all the books you see all claim to give you great info. This book is one I have read that actually delivers. It gives you just what it says a great understanding of how to fix the little things that annoy us on our computer. The performance tips are just plain right on. This is a GREAT book for novice and experienced users. Very well written and illustrated. Two thumbs up!!!
Rating:
Summary: Carey Holzmans' "Healthy PC.
Review: I bought the Book just out of interest. I applied all the suggestions pertaining to my Win 98se O.S, starting at the beginning of the book and working through to the end. To my amazement the the difference it made to my system was nothing short of a revelation. As just one example, to run Scandisk would take something in the region of 8 hours or so to check 1,883,553 clusters, after Carey's "Tune up" my Scandisk now only takes 1 hour and 25 minutes, this example reflects the increased performance throughout my System. This has to be the best £12.99 I have ever spent on a Computer Book. I have yet to find another that explains in the most simple and easy to follow instructions that make the process totally fail-safe. Congratulations. Best Regards, Jim Giblo.
Rating:
Summary: Phoenix PCUG Member review
Review: I have been a member of the Phoenix PCUG for over ten years. Everyone with a PC needs to buy this book "The Healthy PC". I have worked with PC's for more than 15 Years but as I work my way through this book my PC performance is improving, my Internet connection speed has improved and I am only part way through the book. Best yet, it is written so a novice should be able to understand what to do and the most experienced user will find many helpful hints. The text is straight forward and is usable by a novice as well as more experienced users. The text instruction is great but also pay attention to the Figures, you may find additional helpful information. For example on page 45, among other things the figure shows an unchecked box for Append to Log. I unchecked it and viewed my log. It seems I have been adding to this log for a long time. The file was so big Notepad could not load it. I cleared this huge log which was undoubtedly slowing my PC connection time. I am only part way through the book, but already my money has been well spent.
| 
