Windows Vista In A Nutshell
Book Review

By Dale Farris, Reviews Coordinator Golden Triangle PC Club January 2007 The always reliable O'Reilly folks have again hit the mark with this latest addition to their long successful "In A Nutshell" series with this important title, Windows Vista In A Nutshell. Windows Vista is the latest new OS from Microsoft now hitting the retail shelves and installed on newly purchased machines. As is always the case any time Microsoft releases a new OS, this represents a major step forward in computer technologies. While Vista will likely not be as big a release as was Windows 95 and even Windows XP, nevertheless any new OS from Microsoft is big business and big news. O'Reilly has for many years provided the computer market with savvy, solid books on all things computer, especially titles on using Microsoft's operating systems. O'Reilly's "In a Nutshell" books are topical quick-reference guides that document every nook and cranny of a topic or technology area. They provide quick, authoritative solutions to daily challenges. According to Tim O'Reilly, "These books aren't tutorials. They take a topic and drill down, expand, and, we hope, delight the reader by providing useful information the reader didn't even expect to find. This 'leap of usefulness' is crucial to an In a Nutshell book." Designed to be daily companions, these books belong next to your keyboard, at the ready when you need a quick answer. Now, customers have the opportunity to learn about Windows Vista in this superb Windows Vista In A Nutshell, by Preston Gralla. Book Contents Overview This unique reference thoroughly documents every important setting and feature in Microsoft's new operating system, with alphabetical listings for hundreds of commands, windows, menus, list boxes, buttons, scrollbars and other elements of Windows Vista. With this book's simple organization, you'll easily find any setting, tool, or feature for the task you want to accomplish. Along with a system overview that highlights major changes, and a tour of the basics such as manipulating files and getting around the interface, Windows Vista in a Nutshell offers alphabetized references for these topics: The User Interface Covers the Sidebar, Aero Glass, the new Control Panel layout, and applets, as well as how to customize animated windows, the desktop, Start menu, pop-up windows on the Taskbar, and more. The File System, Drives, Data, and Search Discusses working with the new Windows Explorer, Virtual Folders, searches, indexing, saved searches, metadata, and sharing. The Internet and Networking Examines TCP/IP, RSS, tabbed browsing, and anti-phishing features of Internet Explorer, plus cookie handling, parental control features, and more. Networking and Wireless Offers an illustrated, step-by-step guide to setting up a home network; covers the Network Center, Sync Center, Hot Spot access, wireless management, collaboration, and sharing. Working with Hardware Describes how to set up, maintain, and troubleshoot hardware--including keyboards, mice, monitors, USB devices, scanners, cameras, and sound devices--and how to add, install, and troubleshoot drivers. Security Includes the Security Center, Windows Defender, User Account Protection, System Protection, Network Access Protection, WiFi encryption, Windows Firewall, file encryption, and more. Mobility Explains Mobility Center settings, plugging a secondary monitor into your computer, and the new "network projection" feature for making presentations. Multimedia Covers Windows Photo Gallery, Media Player, Media Center, podcasting features, connecting to and synching with MP3 players, recording TV and videos, making videos with Windows Movie Maker, and burning CDs and DVDs. The Command Prompt Provides commands for working with files, utilities for troubleshooting the network, and instructions on how to create your own batch files. Appendixes include information on installation, keyboard shortcuts, common filename extensions, and more. Windows Vista in a Nutshell is your one-stop source for everything you need from Microsoft's latest operating system. Table of Contents Part I - The Big Picture Chapter 1 - The Lay of the Land Chapter 2 - Using Windows Vista Part II - Nutshell Reference Chapter 3 - The User Interface Chapter 4 - Working with the Filesystem, Drives, Data, and Search Chapter 5 - Internet Explorer Chapter 6 - Windows Mail Chapter 7 - Networking, Wireless, and Mobility Chapter 8 - Security Chapter 9 - Working With Hardware Chapter 10 - Managing Programs, Users, and Your Computer Chapter 11 - Performance and Troubleshooting Chapter 12 - Graphics and Multimedia Chapter 13 - The Registry Chapter 14 - The Command Prompt Part III - Appendixes Appendix A - Installing Windows Vista Appendix B - Keyboard Shortcuts Appendix C - Keyboard Equivalents for Symbols and International Characters Appendix D - Common Filename Extensions Appendix E - Services Target Readers This important book provides a condensed but thorough reference to Windows Vista, with an organization that helps you get right to the task at hand. The book thoroughly documents all the new settings and features and makes it easy for you to find them by using a simple organization that lets you find a setting, tool, or feature based on the task you want to accomplish. The focus of the book is users and their networks and applications, not on large enterprise or corporate systems or network administrators. However, the book recognizes that many people run small networks in their homes or in their offices, so the book spends a considerable amount of time on network tools, settings, configuration, and troubleshooting. In addition to covering the use of Windows Vista on a single PC, the book also covers how to set up a network, how to troubleshoot it, and how to take advantage of Windows Vista's numerous networking features, including file and printer sharing, offline folders, collaboration via Windows Meeting Space, using Remote Desktop Connections, and many other common and not-so-obvious network tasks. The book also offers a basic understanding of the deeper levels of network configuration available in large, enterprise-level networks, but specific installation details and detailed configuration information for system and network administrators are largely beyond the scope of this book. Book Contents 750 pages; acknowledgments; introduction; figures; tips; warnings; tables; appendixes; index; cover colophon Author Preston Gralla About the Author Preston Gralla is the author of Windows Vista in a Nutshell, the Windows Vista Pocket Reference, and is the editor of www.WindowsDevCenter.com. He is also the author of Internet Annoyances, PC Pest Control, Windows XP Power Hound, and Windows XP Hacks, Second Edition, and co-author of Windows XP Cookbook. He has written more than 30 other books. He has written for major national newspapers and magazines, including PC Magazine, Computerworld, the Los Angeles Times, the Dallas Morning News (where he was the technology columnist), USA Today, and several others. A well-known technology expert, Preston has also appeared on many TV and radio programs and networks, including CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. In addition, he's won a number of awards for his writing, including Best Feature in a Computer Magazine from the Computer Press Association. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ISBN December 2006, First Edition 0-596-52707-1 978-0-596-52707-5 List Price $34.99 $45.99 CAN Publisher Contact Marsee Henon marsee@oreilly.com O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. 1005 Gravenstein Highway North Sebastopol, California 95472 707-827-7000 800-998-9938 FAX 707-829-0104 www.oreilly.com