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Print Book $24.95
Print Book £17.50
By Preston Gralla
First Edition
September 2004
Pages: 384
Series: The Missing Manuals
ISBN 10: 0-596-00619-5 |
ISBN 13: 9780596006198
(Average of 1 Customer Reviews)
Windows XP power-users troll the web, documentation, and friends for useful tips and tricks--a keyboard shortcut here, an undocumented double-click there to eliminate annoyances, save time, and take control of their Windows XP. There's an easier way.
This insightful and amusing book is packed with hundreds of power tips, cool tricks, and workarounds in one organized, easy-to-use resource--for everything from the desktop to Office programs to the registry.
Full Description
Windows XP can be a great tool, but it is all too easy to trip over Windows XP's annoying traits more often than you leverage its productivity. Windows XP power-users troll online resources, documentation, and the expertise (or lucky finds) of friends for valuable tips and tricks--a keyboard shortcut here, an undocumented double-click there--to eliminate annoyances, save time, and take control of their Windows XP. But what if there was an easier way?
This new book presents literally hundreds of problems and solutions, amazing power tips, cool tricks, and clever workarounds in one clearly organized, easy to use, and portable resource. Truly insightful and amusing, Windows XP Power Hound gives Windows XP users practical hints for everything from the desktop to Office programs to the registry, and includes documented (but little-known) tips as well as previously undocumented tricks. Windows XP Power Hound moves far beyond mere productivity and explores what's possible with Windows XP--including cool things you probably never thought of doing.
An understanding of Windows XP basics will get the job done. But discovering the most useful I didn't know that! tips and shortcuts will make using Windows XP a far richer and less frustrating experience. The practical, concise format of Windows XP Power Hound makes it easy to dip into for a quick tip from time to time; the warm, jargon-free tone makes it easy to read cover to cover.
Anyone who wants to smooth out Windows XP's speed bumps and get some serious speed to accelerate through the bottlenecks will find that even a handful of these useful, to-the-point tips will make Windows XP Power Hound worth its weight in chocolate.
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You can teach an old powerhound new tricks!, November 29 2004
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Windows XP Power Hound
A review by Alan Mildwurm
Byte the Beast
Windows XP Power Hound by Preston Gralla and published by Pogue Press and O’Reilly is really a fascinating read for anyone who uses Windows XP (Home or Professional). Many of us remember the promise of computers decades ago when the paperless office was conceptualized. There isn’t a person who uses a computer who doesn’t know that computers have leveled more forests than any disaster movie could imagine. Look in any bookstore and there are hundreds of titles on computers and computing. Regrettably many of those books are a waste of the resource in that they are poorly written or just a rehash of what is already in the manual. Not so Windows XP Power Hound.
The premise of the book is to reveal some of Windows’ powerful features which are hidden below the surface. The book is a terrific resource for both people very familiar with Windows and newbies afraid to explore and experiment.
In my mind, what sets this book out from the rest is that in addition to uncovering many of Windows’ own secrets, Gralla melds in tips using third party solutions. For example, while teaching how to convert and personalize the toolbar in Internet Explorer (chapter 7-24), he mentions the free program Irfanview (www.irfanview.com) as a means to convert graphic files to the required .bmp format. In security, there is a reference to the Gibson Research Site port checker- Shields Up: www.grc.com and a link to Microsoft’s free Baseline Security Analyzer.
This is one of those books that you can just crack open anywhere and begin reading hints and tricks. For those who are “random cha lenged,” there is a terrific index and table of contents which neatly categorizes the 400+ ways to improve your Windows experience.
The book is divided into 15 chapters covering everything from startup to the registry. There are also chapters on System Speedups, Crash Recovery, and Security as well as chapters on Networking, the Internet and Built-In Utilities. The discussion on e-mail and spam in chapter 8 is worth the price of the book. My favorite chapter deals with Office hints. I learned how to transfer my PowerPoint custom settings to various computers- useful and easy!
With all O’Reilly books you can register the book on their website which will alert you to any updates. Check out the O’reilly website to read a sample chapter. (www.oreilly.com) For $24.95 this book is worth adding to your bookshelf.
Media reviews "Learn how to turn a favorite web page into Windows wallpaper, complete with clickable links. Speed up "startup," rename groups of documents in one swoop, create a fax line (without an extra phone line), slam spam, secure the system and use invisible ink in Microsoft Word. Power is fun."
--Bob and Joy Schwabach, "On Computers," March 2005
"Pithy and prescient, author Preston Gralla serves up tips, tricks, tweaks and tutorials that will slowly transform just about anybody into a world-class Windows wonk."
--Chicago Tribune, March 2005
"This book is well worth the price just for the section in the first chapter on how to speed up starup and shutdown and resolve problems with both of them."
--Harold McFarland, "Midwest Book Review," March 2005
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