Windows Vista Pocket Reference: A Compact Guide to Windows Vista

By Preston Gralla

Windows Vista Pocket Reference is the ideal guide to setting up and navigating the basics of this new operating system, from the new user interface to networking, multimedia, security, and mobility. This pocket reference offers four sections that will familiarize readers with Vista quickly: Getting Started gives a crash course in using Windows Vista, including the user interface, handling files, folders, drives and search, and working with hardware. Networking, the Internet and Wireless offers a tour of Internet Explorer 7, a wireless networking guide, and how to set up and maintain home networks. Multimedia shows how to use the Media Center, Windows Media Player, and how to handle graphics and photos, podcasts and MP3 players. Security, Mobility, and Troubleshooting visits the security features, shows how to tune up Vista, troubleshoot problems, and use Vista with mobile devices.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596528086
• ISBN13: 9780596528089
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.3" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Yet another handy pocket guide from O'Reilly

This is a concise guide to most of the features in Vista and I've found it very helpful so far. Its brief nature keeps the book at a great size for leaving in one's travel bag, which is where I've got my copy. The book makes great use of its small size. There's a nice grid comparing the different versions of Vista, and scads of little articles on features ranging from the control panel to User Account Control. The articles aren't very deep, but give you the necessary info to quickly get the gist of a topic. Where pertinent, there are also useful links to more detailed information on a given topic. I particularly like that the book doesn't go too far around the bend with its coverage of the multi-media features of Vista. I'm also happy to see separate chapters on registry tweaks and use of the command prompt -- plus many of the articles give you the command prompt usage for features. Those two particular chapters aren't for everyone, but I'm sure many geeks like myself appreciate their inclusion. Overall it's a great book for quickly finding bits you may not know about Vista, or refreshing yourself about bits you may have forgotten.

Quick and dirty pocket reference

169(!) pages of Windows Vista "secrets" in a small pocket-size format! Following the traditions of "true geek" reference materials this book from O'Reilly is all you need to guide you through Vista quick and dirty. Chapter1: A crash course in the basics; Chapter2: Shortcuts; Chapter3: Windows Components, Features and Settings; Chapter4: Registry Tweaks; Chapter 5: The command prompt. No screenshots, no fluff... instead, you get a task-oriented reference guide for Windows Vista. I didn't see anything on Active Directory integration... Don't buy this book as a study guide.