BKWIN7DG.RVW 20110811 "Windows 7: The Definitive Guide", William R. Stanek, 2010, 978-0-596-80097-0, U$59.99/C$74.99 %A William R. Stanek www.WilliamStanek.com %C 103 Morris Street, Suite A, Sebastopol, CA 95472 %D 2010 %G 978-0-596-80097-0 0-596-80097-5 %I O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. %O U$59.99/C$74.99 800-998-9938 707-829-0515 nuts@ora.com %O http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596800975/robsladesinterne http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596800975/robsladesinte-21 %O http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596800975/robsladesin03-20 %O Audience n Tech 1 Writing 1 (see revfaq.htm for explanation) %P 961 p. %T "Windows 7: The Definitive Guide" Although the introduction doesn't quite come out and say it, from a lengthy description of who the book is for (and not for) this would seem to be for the intermediate user, with a bit of overlap to the novice and advanced user. Part one is about setting up and customizing Windows 7. Chapter one starts with the basics of installation, neglecting a number of the options. In terms of the "interface," chapter two spends very little time on windows and dialogues, and a lot (a *whole* lot) talking about the standard "Libraries" which Microsoft now assumes you will blindly use. There is mention that these used to be stored in "Documents and Settings" under Windows XP, but no explanation that the "%HomeDrive%" and "%HomePath%" references are to the new "User" directory, and your account under that directory, respectively. The "Fine-Tuning" in chapter three lists many options, but does not describe the implications of choices in and for areas such as Windows Experience Index and ReadyBoost. Chapter four's exegesis of installation, configuration, and maintenance provides little help if the standard functions don't work. Similarly, the examination of hardware installation, in chapter five, assumes that Microsoft's drivers and Universal Plug and Play will do the job, ignoring the fact that Windows 7 has many issues with drivers making installation tweaks necessary. Part two moves on to your data and digital media. The explanation of Windows Explorer, finally given in chapter six, would have been useful in chapter two, even if they are extremely verbose. Chapter seven, instead of actually reviewing the settings of Internet Explorer simply repeats the names. Windows Media Player, and its use in ripping audio and burning CDs, is reviewed in chapter eight. The title of chapter nine implies a discussion of generic management of photos and video, but is actually just a listing of Windows Live Photo Gallery. Once again, the same is true of chapter ten, covering Windows DVD Maker, Movie Maker, and Live Movie Maker. Then we come to securing your data, in chapter eleven. Once you've rendered down the larded verbiage, this reduces to setting permissions. Stanek is very clear about setting permissions. Page 456: "[header] Adding new special permissions [text] You can add new special permissions ..." Later on down the page: "[header] Removing new special permissions [text] You can add new special permissions ..." Chapter twelve is about installing printers, scanners, and fax machines. It's pretty much a copy of chapter five. It starts out by saying that getting printers to work with Windows 7 is easier than it has ever been. It took me three hours to install my printer, researching drivers from both Microsoft and the manufacturer, and doing Web searches to troubleshoot the process. Even so, my Win 7 machine randomly decides that the printer has disappeared or has broken down. Chapter thirteen is a bit of a grab bag: it lists a number of software tools that come with Windows 7, but also discusses certain hardware accessories. Part three turns to networking. Chapter fourteen, on setting up a small network, again assumes that everything will work fine. It does examine some advanced topics, but these are very specialized, and unlikely to help the kind of person who needs anything from the rest of the book. The author seems to be under the impression that firewalls, noted in chapter fifteen, are there to keep out viruses. (They aren't, and they won't.) Chapter sixteen extols the virtues fo Windows Live. We go back to networking in chapter seventeen, purportedly specializing in dial-up, broadband, and "on-the-go." This copies much of the material in fourteen and fifteen. Part four looks at managing and supporting Windows 7. Chapter eighteen reviews accounts and parental controls. Advanced disk drive topics are discussed in chapter nineteen. We are promised routine maintenance and troubleshooting, in chapter twenty, but get a random assortment of tools. Advanced support, in twenty-one, has more of the same. The explanations are little more than what you see on the tools themselves. We are, for example, told about setting up Windows backup, but not the fact that it is enormously wasteful, on an ongoing basis, in terms of space requirements. Part five is for advanced tips and techniques. Chapter twenty-two is about installation, mostly repeating material from chapter one. The boot configuration data edit program is addressed in chapter twenty- three, which is simultaneously way beyond the level of anything else in the book, and insufficient information to keep most users out of trouble. Chapter twenty-four outlines Group Policy, for imposing rights on users on a single network. Windows Media Center screenshots are in chapter twenty-five. As a low-level introduction to Windows 7, this would be bulky, verbose, and uneven, but possibly acceptable. Coming from the "Definitive Guide" series, it is an appalling disappointment. copyright, Robert M. Slade 2011 BKWIN7DG.RVW 20110811