Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: The Definitive Guide:

While is is a fact that I am no person to be either praising or blaming a book on a subject in which I am largely ignorant, if the reader of this review will put that aside he may be able to take from it what worth there is in the opinion of a novice on the usefulness of this book to this level of reader.

A month or so ago I came to this site and to this space and began to write a review of this book after having read only two or three chapters. I was full of enthusiasm, but I quickly realized I was speaking out of turn. It happens all to frequently in my experience that enthusiasm in the beginning ends with disgust at the end. I am happy to say that is not the case here with this book.

Today I have finished reading this book in it's entirety. I have never done that with any book of this sort. That should be clear enough praise in itself.

I have never read a more clearly, more concisely put, more thorough-going work on understanding a computer operating system. It is matter-of-fact and free from pandering and condescension.

Although I read this book straight-through, every section stands alone. And although this ability of each section is a result of repitition, because the author has taken the time to make certain the repetitions are relevant, they do not cause glazing-eye syndrome. To me this reflects a long-held belief that one of the greatest features of the personal computer is the promise it holds out to creaters of works: with patience and tolerance and time, a work can be brought ever closer to perfection. The author of this work has obviously used cut-and-paste; but he has, also clearly, read his cuttings and pastings such that in no case do they appear carelessly done; they are always relevant to the issue.

Best computer OS guide I have ever had.

Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: The Definitive Guide:

This book is excellent! I bought this book to improve my knowledge of Windows 7. Great and quick way to learn the os. The book is organized in a such a way that you will build a strong foundation quickly.

In just a few minutes of reading the book, the light suddenly came on and everything became much clearer! I am happily optimizing my computers and I went through half the book in one night and the other half the next day! I've never learned so quickly from a book. I especially appreciated that the author good insights.
If you need to learn Windows 7 this is THE book for you.

Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: The Definitive Guide:

I give this book 5 stars because it literrally is perfect. Stanek is the go-to guy in technology and he knows his stuff! Whenever I want to learn something new or brush up my skills I check to see if he wrote a book about it. Since he writes so many, he usually has and it always is a terrific experenience. This book has saved me so much time! I highly highly recommend it!

Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: The Definitive Guide:

I came to this book from the perspective of Mac/Unix user and not a daily Windows PC user. I picked up the book mostly to see what has changed from previous releases of Windows. With that said, I must say that this book is really well thought out and very complete for the most part. It details all the features and options in Windows 7 in a very straightforward and concise manner. Sometimes the information is a bit too complete although never too watered down. I certainly won't fault the author for that as it makes this a great reference to go back and look at should you have any uncertainties about what something does. He makes it very easy for any audience to pick up the book and start picking through it. It's a very big book so I would not really suggest trying to read straight through it. He makes it clear that the book really is not directed to new computer users. I think the simplicity of the explanations largely make the book accessible for some casual computer users and power users alike as the book is quite broad in what it covers.

Power users or those trying to become power users may find some information lacking. There are some pretty lengthy chapters on security and tweaking performance but very little talk about working in the registry. As a book claiming to be a "definitive guide" I find this to be a bit of a weakness. There is just a bit of a quick explanation in the security chapters detailing how malware works on Windows.

I would highly recommend this book to Windows users and IT pros. It's a very good book to have close by and learn Windows 7.

Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: The Definitive Guide:

I disagree with a previous reviewer who gave this book only 1 star. No book will ever cover every aspect of the OS, just because of the complexity of the modern operating system. It is recommended that one would consult several sources including the web when in doubt.

Having said that...

It is an excellent resource for both beginners and experienced users. I appreciated the screenshots and the step-by-step instructions for various configuration scenarios of this exciting new OS. Unlike some of the Windows 7 books, this one is not afraid to mention problems you may encounter while working with the OS. Even more helpful is the coverage of the troubleshooting steps and workarounds! Kudos to O'Reilly and "Great Job!" to Mr. Stanek for writing such a helpful book.

Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: The Definitive Guide:

I bought this book because I've had good luck with other Safari books.
I 'thought' I was buying a good reference.
The first time I needed this book it failed miserably.
Do you need to 'Create a restore point'?
I bet the Dummy books will show you.
Google will show you in 2 seconds.
This book tells you everything about them ,
except how to create one.
THANKS FOR NOTHING.