Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: Up and Running:

I've bought a lot of O'Reilly books over the years, and this is the first dud. A *lot* of it reads like a promo piece for Win 7's feature, and there is very little hard info on setting up Win 7 so that I can actually use it.

Save your money and buy /Windows 7 Annoyances/ -- much, much more useful.

Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: Up and Running:

What a treasure this book is! It is jam-packed with tips and step-by-step instructions any user will find useful. "Windows 7 Up and Running" will help you learn the basics of the new operating system in the shortest time possible. Even the more advanced users will find a plethora of helpful tips and basic information on: Bitlocker encryption, how to install and use Windows XP mode, how to use VM's and run Ubuntu Linux within Windows 7, etc. I also found valuable information on monitor calibration and Problem Steps Recorder: both tools included in Windows 7.

Don't look for in-depth coverage of subjects here, but if you need a quick and compact introduction to Windows 7, this book is for you.

Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: Up and Running:

This book was written for experienced Windows users who are transitioning to Windows 7 from Windows Vista or Windows XP. Accordingly, the book assumes you basically know what you are doing, and all the minute details have been left out. The emphasis is on the new features, and the new interface in Windows 7. Whole chapters have been devoted to File Sharing, Security, and Internet Explorer 8, among others.

Chapter 5, Essential Applications, will be especially valuable to new users of Windows 7; it describes where and how to download the applets we have taken for granted in Windows, such as Microsoft Mail (not included with Windows 7). Chapter 5 also describes the applications which do come with Windows 7, namely Calculator, WordPad, Paint, and Media Player 12.

Learn about the Calculator application, which has been redesigned with many more functions, including programming and statistics, all of which are described in the book. Learn about the new WordPad and Paint applications, which have also been redesigned. These now have the ribbon interface, which was introduced in Office 2007. Media Player 12 remains essentially the same, with the addition of a music streaming function.

For the experienced Windows user who wants to get up to speed quickly with Windows 7, this is an excellent book. You can find out quickly how the interface has changed, and how to utilize new features such as Home Group, and the new security Action Center. You can also learn more esoteric things like running a dual-boot system, and how to install Windows 7 from a USB drive.

The book consists of 8 chapters in 185 pages. Highly recommended.

Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: Up and Running:

Up until now, there have been two main kinds of users of Windows: those willing to invest hours and hours and hours mastering all the nooks and crannies of the operating system and those preferring to just jump into Microsoft Office or onto the web and get their work done without thinking about the operating system. Suddenly things have changed: Microsoft has released Windows 7, the most powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use version of Windows ever, and Wei-Meng Lee has produced a well organized, clearly written, and richly illustrated book of less than 200 pages that helps users harness the power of Windows 7 in minutes rather than hours.In a hurry? Poke your nose into Chapter 2 (Getting Around Windows 7), and then flip to the back of the book and breeze through 30 pages of illustrated tips and tricks that will make scales fall from your eyes. Total investment: about thirty minutes, max, and you'll start earning dividends on that investment immediately. (One tiny example: Troubleshooting Sleep Mode Problems on your laptop. Priceless!)Want to find out what you can accomplish in Windows 7 without having to buy any additional software? Check out Chapter 5 (Essential Applications). You'll be amazed at what you can do with Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery, Writer, Movie Maker, and scads of utilities ranging from Sound Recorder to Math Input Panel to Sticky Notes to the new Statistics calculator and more. Check out Chapter 6 (Internet Explorer 8) and you'll be further amazed, especially if you thought that you already knew how to browse the web safely and securely.Power hungry? I've saved the best for last. Wei-Meng Lee shows you how to set up file sharing with other Windows 7 machines and also with machines running earlier versions of Windows and even with Macintoshes. He also explains file system security and shows how you can protect your files from both local and online threats. And here's the very, very best: he shows you how to install and exploit "virtual" machines running Windows XP, Unix, or other operating systems.Don't forget: this is a book of less than 200 pages, and it is richly illustrated. You can probably complete it in about an hour and a half. In addition to changing the way you see Windows, it just might change the way you see yourself as a computer user.

Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: Up and Running:

This book was very informative. It was clear and to the point with the proper amount of illustrations.

Comments about O'Reilly Media Windows 7: Up and Running:

Nowadays almost everyone from grandma to the kid who lives next door is online and has a computer. The digital age has meant that many of us know the basics of how to use a computer, get online and do basic tasks -- but for many users they learn a particular way of doing things, and when software (or the OS) changes they find themselves scratching their heads wondering where things went and how they got changed. In this handy primer guide the author has done a fairly good job of helping get casual end-users up to speed on Windows 7.

The book walks you through many of the features that have changed and introduces you to some of the new functionality of the OS (for example, Libraries in Windows 7). It also walks users through common "gothcas" and things to be aware of (for example, why all sites don't support the use of Web Slices in IE8). Sidebars and a generous library of pictures help to call the reader's attention to specific items.

I was a little dissapointed in the Installation Chapter of the book, and thus took away one star. Though the author covers netbooks and dual-booting, the issue of upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 is never covered. So let me cover it right here: ALWAYS DO A FRESH, CLEAN INSTALL -- NEVER DO AN IN PLACE UPGRADE! Given the brevity of of the chapter on installation, and the main focus of the book, I feel this chapter could even be taken out without taking away from the book.

This book would make an excellent gift for mom and dad, or that friend who just bought a new computer with Windows 7 on it. It's a good primer for getting started with Windows 7 and making the jump to help keep your digital life a bit more organized and productive!