Windows XP Quicksteps 1st Edition

This book is especially written for those with some knowledge of computers, but not enough to be able to use Windows to its full potential. This is an excellent handbook which will answer most questions for the layman. I found it more useful than the XP for Dummies. Also, the color illustrations are great for those that like hands-on tutorials.

I manage a medium-sized network and support a large number of fairly savvy users. That is, most users know how to do their specific tasks very well and are willing to learn new things. But they are not willing to sit down with a book full of dense text. This is where the "Quick Steps" books come in handy. I keep a number of these books on hand and when a user requests assistance, I give them one of the books with the appropriate page bookmarked. Steps are outlined in full color with lots of pictures and pointers and tips. Additional information is set off in side boxes so users can learn more if they choose. What I have found is that once a user completes a task successfully, they get fairly excited about the experience and browse the book to learn more. The books really stimulate users to experiment with things they would not normally bother to learn. And that is where this book excels. It is a "browser." Users don't feel like they need to start at the beginning and read through to the end. I get lots of grumbles when I ask for the book back so I can pass it on to others.This book is also great for new users. I tell them to spend a few hours working through the steps, which are easy to follow and can be done at a fairly fast pace. Most users think the full color layout is fun to work through. The down-side is that like any book, space is limited, especially with the fully-illustrated format, so you're obviously not going to find everything in these books, but I do feel they contain a good balance of material and are appropriate for corporate libraries.Marty and I are fellow writers and that is how I learned about these books. I must say that it has helped my users enormously and relieved my support task. Hey, it's the 21st century. Anyone working in an office should know how to work with operating systems and common applications. Most people can do that if they have easily accessible references and refresher material like these books. Thanks to Marty for developing the "Quick Steps" concept and to McGraw-Hill for publishing this series.

Windows XP Quicksteps is really good for the beginning Windows user. It uses simple terms, good color illustrations, and easy to follow shortcuts to help you get started. And it is complete enough to get you to a thorough understanding of Windows XP, even for an intermediate user.

This is a very elementary book for XP. There are some programs of value but overall, not inclusive enough to be of more help than other books have been to me