How This Book Came to Be
Back in early 1995, I was using a beta (pre-release version) of Windows 95 on my machine. Only a few hours after installing it, I became aware of the extent to which the previous version of Windows (Windows for Workgroups 3.11) had stunted my machine. A well-designed operating system can unleash the power of the hardware on which it runs, just as a poorly designed operating system can make you want to throw all of your expensive hardware in the thresher. Windows is a little bit from column A and a little bit from column B.
Now, not being the complacent type, I immediately started hacking away at Windows, compiling a list of questions and complaints about the operating system, some of which had solutions and some of which did not. This was the start of the Windows 95 Annoyances web site, which turned out to be one of the very first web sites devoted to Windows 95. Later, in the summer of 1995, other pre-release users began writing me with their own questions and complaints, and even with occasional solutions to the problems I hadn't yet solved.
As readers' requests for information and additional solutions became more diverse, so did the web site. The site quickly evolved from a simple list of annoyances to an extensive collection of tips and tricks, and eventually to a more comprehensive support center for Windows 95.
Then, in 1996, I wrote the book Windows Annoyances for O'Reilly, followed by Windows 98 Annoyances in 1998, and Windows Me Annoyances in 2000. ...
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