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"Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual, Second": Getting the Most Out of Windows With the Least Frustration

January 10, 2005

Sebastopol, CA--"Windows XP is the most dramatic Windows overhaul since the introduction of Windows 95," notes bestselling author, "New York Times" computer columnist, and Missing Manuals creator David Pogue. Windows XP Home Edition offers dozens of new features for consumers, including an elegant user interface, drag-and-drop CD burning, and powerful ways to view and manage digital photos and music. And with the release of Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows XP now provides better protection against viruses, worms, and malicious hackers.

"Despite the many improvements in Windows over the years, one feature hasn't improved a bit: Microsoft's documentation," says Pogue. "In fact, with Windows XP, you get no printed user guide at all." He aims to please with his newly revised and fully updated Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual, Second Edition (O'Reilly, US $24.95), which includes step-by-step instructions for using just about every Windows feature.

Pogue's goal? "To get you the most out of Windows with the least frustration." In his Missing Manual--the one that should have been in the box--Pogue offers friendly, witty, jargon-free writing with enough background for the novice and enough depth for the power user. First-time Windows users get up to speed with sidebar articles that contain all the introductory information they need to fully understand the topic at hand; veteran PC fans appreciate technical tips, tricks, and shortcuts that make their lives easier and their PC time more efficient.

Covering SP2, this new edition of Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual covers:

  • Getting started: Early chapters cover such basics as using menus, finding lost files, and taming the new, three-column Start menu; they also include guidelines and instructions for installing SP2 on one PC or across a network of computers.
  • Figuring out what's what: The book covers every software crumb of Windows XP--every control pad, accessory, and troubleshooting tool.
  • Mastering networks: Windows XP makes it easy to connect several PCs so that they can use the same files, printers, and an internet connection simultaneously.
  • Flying the Net: Pogue demystifies Outlook Express 6 for email, Internet Explorer 6 for web browsing, and the new Windows Messenger for voice, chat, and video conferencing. The book also covers SP2, adjusting a firewall, and keeping a PC free from spyware and viruses.
  • Deeper XP: new tutorials in this edition cover Bluetooth file sharing, wireless networking, editing the Registry, Windows Media Player 10, and much more.
  • Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual, Second Edition bursts with up-to-date, crystal-clear instructions, expert advice, need-to-know information, and clever workarounds so that Windows is simple, safe, problem-free, and a pleasure to use.

    Praise for the previous edition:

    "This is a thorough, comprehensive and well written guide as you would expect when the author is technology columnist for the 'New York Times'...If you want assistance with Windows XP Home Edition beyond what is available in the help menu, this book is for you. Highly recommended."
    --Jack Merrill, Memphis PC Users Group, May 2003

    "A visit to www.missingmanuals.com can offer instant relief to headaches generated by mounting XP glitches. David Pogue, a columnist for the 'New York Times' and the genius behind the Missing Manual series of books, has adapted his easy-to-follow, humorous style of writing to help us survive our often-exasperating bouts with computer mania. His latest contribution is Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual ($24.95). This is an extremely easy-to-follow guide to everything you need to know about Microsoft XP without insulting our intelligence, as we sometimes find in the 'Idiots' or 'Dummies' series of books, giving us step-by-step solutions to our problems."
    --Mike Berman, Scripps Howard News Service, July 2002

    "A masterful treatment of Windows XP, written in a direct and lively style."
    --Ed Laskowski, The Vista PC Journal, August 2002

    Further reviews of Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual can be found here.

    Additional Resources:

    Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual, Second Edition
    David Pogue
    ISBN: 0-596-00897-X, 624 pages, $24.95 US, $36.95 CA
    order@oreilly.com
    1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000

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