Windows XP in a Nutshell

by David A. Karp, Troy Mott, Tim O'Reilly

Book Overview

Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition documents everything there is to know about the world's most widely used operating system. Updated to include information on Service Pack 2 (SP2), this compact guide is the ultimate resource for IT professionals and Windows XP power users everywhere. Written in O'Reilly's time-tested in a Nutshell format, Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition cuts through the hype and delivers practical details...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596009003
• ISBN13: 9780596009007
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 663 Pages
• Weight: 1.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

I really liked this book

A find that few computer books are actually written for people who actually use computers. Nutshell is an exception. I've been reading some of the other reviews here, and one guy suggests buying four other books (probably his own). Why buy four books when you can get it all in one package for about twenty bucks?For example, the registry and networking chapters are terrific guides, simple yet to-the-point. It's written for Windows users, not IT professionals (although I found out about the book from a friend who uses one in her IT job). As for scripting, I don't need the entire history of scripting technology; just the essentials that are applicable to Windows XP in a format I can use on a day-to-day basis.I'm also a grammar freak, and I appreciate the intelligent writing. This is the book I'd get if I could only get one book on XP.

I can see why people love O'Reilly books

I asked a few friends of mine if they could recommend a Windows XP book, and they all told me to get the O'Reilly book. Given O'Reilly's apparently good reputation, I decided to lay my money down for my own copy.Now, when I first got my hands on this one, I didn't know quite to make of this dense book. But after a few days, I picked it up and started really getting into it. Then I looked through a few other Windows books I had on my shelf and just had to laugh.This book is just in a completely different class. So many other books seem to be all screenshots and excerpts from the Windows online help, while this one seems to be written, cover-to-cover, from the perspective of someone who ACTUALLY uses the product. It's littered with tips and "gotchas" that have already saved me a lot of time and aggravation, and it's very well-written and easy to understand.And I'll say something I can't say about any other Windows book I've seen: I actually learned something reading this book. Pick one up for yourself and I'm sure you'll discover the same thing.

The only XP book that I'd buy again

After buying a bunch of Windows XP books, this is only one I keep next to my computer. The others are all holding up the short legs of tables.Every time I get stuck, I just pull it out, and I have my answer in less than a minute. No more wading through cryptic help files or irrelevant websites. If I lost all my XP books, this is the only one I'd buy again.

Excellent Reference

Sharp, concise, easy to read... A great book for the experienced user.Nothing out there will touch it for complete coverage of XP.

Perfect Handbook for the Technically Inclined

This book suits my purposes perfectly. If you are comfortable with computers, if you like details, if you get frustrated with the fluff in most Windows OS books, then this book is for you, too.The book is well organized, nicely formatted, and printed to the usual O'Reilly standards. The text I've read is clear and brief.It is a very complete, but dense, reference. The biggest section is a 250-page listing of XP applications and tools and how to use each one--applets, control panels, disk tools, network tools, games, task manager, address book, etc. If itcan be used from the command line, details are included for that as well. There is special 50-page index just for this section where you can look up concepts and tasks to find the right tool. It also includes: Full documentation on all the usual console commands. A good introduction to the registry and what you can do with it. Everything you really need to know about Windows Script Host. Full listing of keyboard shortcuts. Notes on Power Toys you can download from Microsoft. Keyboard Equivalents for special characters. A list of file extensions in common use. Keyboard shortcuts (accelerators) by key and by function. Descriptions of all the services that are available with XP.Does that sound great, or what?