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PCs: The Missing Manual: Master Your PC and Unleash All It Can Do

January 23, 2006

Sebastopol, CA--Today's PCs allow you to do so many diverse things-- send and receive email, browse the Web, share photos with friends and family, watch DVDs, load your favorite tunes on your iPod, edit home movies, and much more. Having a personal computer is practically a necessity. But, like so many technological wonders, knowing all the things your PC can do is one thing, knowing how to actually do them is another. It's easy once you know how, but who's going to show you? PCs are assembled from various components, and they no longer come with a printed manual in the box that can provide guidance.

PCs: The Missing Manual (Rathbone, O'Reilly, $24.95 US) closes that chasm between you and all the things your computer can do. Step-by-step, in clear, jargon-free language, it helps you master all the tasks you need to get the most out of your PC:

  • Finding an Internet provider and setting up your PC so you can browse the Web, send email, and share the Internet connection with other PCs in your home.
  • Choosing and configuring a wireless network so the signal reaches everywhere in your home.
  • Buying and installing more memory
  • Replacing or upgrading the hard drive, CD/DVD drive, mouse, keyboard, power supply, and more
  • Choosing the right memory card for your digital camera, transferring, printing and sharing your photos
  • Moving your old PC's files to your new PC
  • Recording your old albums onto your PC, then transferring them to CDs
  • Transferring your home movies to your computer, editing them with Windows Movie Maker, and copying the result to a DVD
  • Setting up an automatic back-up system for your PC files and settings
  • Locating, removing, and avoiding spyware and viruses
  • Sharing one monitor between two PCs or connecting two monitors to one PC
  • Creating quick, easy-to-set-up two-PC networks for at home or traveling
  • A self-confessed geek since 1985, Andy Rathbone is the author of the best-selling Windows for Dummies and has written more than forty computer books. In sharing his enthusiasm for PCs, he laments that for so many people, "instead of an exciting liberator, the machine's become a clumsy commodity," because computers have become so complex. It's his mission to change that, and with more than 15 million copies of his books in print, he's clearly made a difference. In PCs: The Missing Manual, he leads you through everything from hardware and software basics to finding information online, saving and forwarding Web pages, storing information, communicating with the world, maintenance and security, and troubleshooting common problems.

    Whether you're a PC newbie or you're upgrading to a newer, more powerful PC, PCs: The Missing Manual is equally useful. First-timers will profit from "Up to Speed" sidebars that provide additional introductory information on the topic being discussed, while veterans will find technical tips, tricks, and shortcuts in "Power Users' Clinic" sidebars. With PCs: The Missing Manual at your side, you'll be able to use every part of your PC, so you can fine tune tasks you're familiar with, figure out the ones you'd only heard of, and learn about others you didn't even know you needed.

    Additional Resources:

    PCs: The Missing Manual
    Andy Rathbone
    ISBN: 0-596-10093-0, 597 pages, $24.95 US
    order@oreilly.com
    1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000

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