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Windows XP Power Hound by Preston Gralla and published by Pogue Press and O’Reilly is really a fascinating read for anyone who uses Windows XP (Home or Professional). Many of us remember the promise of computers decades ago when the paperless office was conceptualized. There isn’t a person who uses a computer who doesn’t know that computers have leveled more forests than any disaster movie could imagine. Look in any bookstore and there are hundreds of titles on computers and computing. Regrettably many of those books are a waste of the resource in that they are poorly written or just a rehash of what is already in the manual. Not so Windows XP Power Hound.
The premise of the book is to reveal some of Windows’ powerful features which are hidden below the surface. The book is a terrific resource for both people very familiar with Windows and newbies afraid to explore and experiment.
In my mind, what sets this book out from the rest is that in addition to uncovering many of Windows’ own secrets, Gralla melds in tips using third party solutions. For example, while teaching how to convert and personalize the toolbar in Internet Explorer (chapter 7-24), he mentions the free program Irfanview (www.irfanview.com) as a means to convert graphic files to the required .bmp format. In security, there is a reference to the Gibson Research Site port checker- Shields Up: www.grc.com and a link to Microsoft’s free Baseline Security Analyzer.
This is one of those books that you can just crack open anywhere and begin reading hints and tricks. For those who are “random cha lenged,” there is a terrific index and table of contents which neatly categorizes the 400+ ways to improve your Windows experience.
The book is divided into 15 chapters covering everything from startup to the registry. There are also chapters on System Speedups, Crash Recovery, and Security as well as chapters on Networking, the Internet and Built-In Utilities. The discussion on e-mail and spam in chapter 8 is worth the price of the book. My favorite chapter deals with Office hints. I learned how to transfer my PowerPoint custom settings to various computers- useful and easy!
With all O’Reilly books you can register the book on their website which will alert you to any updates. Check out the O’reilly website to read a sample chapter. (www.oreilly.com) For $24.95 this book is worth adding to your bookshelf.