Description:
Nearly every new Windows PC for personal and family use comes with Windows XP Home Edition, and more than a few users of older Windows versions have opted for an upgrade. Microsoft Windows XP for Home Users looks inside the candy shell of Windows XP Home Edition, providing its readers with the information they need to use their computers productively and enjoyably. Jim Louderback doesn't, unfortunately, explain how to use the Microsoft Office suite or any other popular applications, but he does a good job of showing his readers how Windows XP itself works. In other words, you get full coverage of most of the software that ships with the operating system, including Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Media Player, and Messenger.Louderback's coverage gets straight to the point, and generally assumes that features will work as advertised. In explaining some element of the operating system, he typically provides a quick background briefing (one on the relative strengths of different kinds of broadband Internet access is typical), then gets into procedures that explain how to carry out typical tasks. These procedures could be better illustrated, as novices usually appreciate visual confirmation that they're doing things right. A chapter on troubleshooting explains Safe Mode and the System Restore utility in a comfortable way. --David Wall Topics covered: The book covers Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition for people who aren't too familiar (or very comfortable) with it. Everything a home user would typically want to do with the operating system itself (that is, not with subsequently installed applications) is covered, including sending mail, surfing the Web, managing files, and using peripherals such as printers and digital cameras.
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