Overview
Windows is the world’s most popular operating system, and Windows For Dummies is the bestselling computer book ever. When you look at Windows XP For Dummies, 2nd Edition, it’s easy to see why. Here’s all the stuff you want to know, served up in plain English and seasoned with a few chuckles. But make no mistake, this book means business.Author Andy Rathbone listened to what you wanted to know, and this edition is loaded with additional information about
- E-mail, faxing, and troubleshooting
- Maximizing security features
- Customizing and upgrading Windows XP
- Multimedia applications—CDs, digital music and photos, video, and more
- Answers to questions asked by thousands of Windows users
If you’re just getting started with Windows XP, you’ll find Windows XP For Dummies, 2nd Edition is a lot easier than trying to get the fourth-grader next door to explain it to you. (Andy Rathbone is a lot more patient.) There’s a whole section devoted to “Windows XP Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know,” so you can get the hang of the basics quickly and in the privacy of your own home. And if you’ve been around a couple of generations of Windows, you’ll be especially interested in how to squeeze maximum security from the beefed-up anti-spam and firewall features in Service Pack 2.
Windows XP For Dummies, 2nd Edition is sort of like a buffet—you can sample everything, or just stick with the stuff you know you like. You’ll find out how to
- Locate programs and files, organize your information, and fax, scan, or print documents
- Get online safely, send and receive e-mail, work with Internet Explorer’s security toolbar, and steer clear of pop-ups, viruses, and spam
- Make Windows XP work the way you want it to, share your computer while maintaining your privacy, set up a network, and perform routine maintenance
- Transfer and organize pictures from your digital camera, edit digital video, and create custom CDs of your favorite tunes
- Use Windows XP’s troubleshooting wizards and become your own computer doctor
With its task-oriented table of contents and tear-out cheat sheet, Windows XP For Dummies, 2nd Edition is easy to use. You can quickly find what you want to know, and you just may discover that this book is as important to your computer as the power cord.
Synopsis
Intended for the home user, this guide provides step-by-step instructions for working with programs and files, connecting to the internet, organizing music and photos, and customizing the Windows XP operating system. The second edition adds a chapter on faxing and scanning documents, and a section on Internet Explorer's new security toolbar. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewEven beginners know more than they used to. And they certainly want to do different things with their computers than they used to. So Andy Rathbone has thoroughly overhauled his bestselling Windows XP for Dummies. The new edition is ideal for the 21st-century Windows XP newcomer -- and for millions of non-experts who wouldn’t call themselves beginners anymore.
Nearly 50 percent of Windows XP for Dummies, Second Edition is new. For instance, Rathbone’s expanded email chapter includes setting up Outlook Express for AOL and for free webmail services like Yahoo! and Hotmail. Also covered here: finding lost mail; managing your contacts with Address Book; and (by popular demand) Windows instant messaging.
Rathbone’s rewritten his digital media coverage to reflect Microsoft’s WMP 10; he covers everything from playing MP3s to duplicating music CDs. (Nifty tip #1: how to update your song’s tags to make sure your MP3 player recognizes them. Nifty tip #2: how to turn off copy protection so you don’t accidentally prevent yourself from playing your own ripped music.)
Of course, all the basics are still here: using the Windows XP interface, working with Windows’ applets, managing files, getting onto the Internet, and so forth. But this edition also covers everything from Windows XP Service Pack 2’s firewall to anti-Spam tools. Nice touch: a full chapter of Windows’ most common error messages, and how to react to them (panic is not necessary). If you don't need this book, chances are you know someone who does. Bill Camarda
Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2003 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.
From the Publisher
“…the most well-known range of computer books…” (Computer Active, January 2005)“Readers will enjoy reading this bouncy, overwhelming accessible text….gives a peek at the next generation of Windows genius.” (Good Book Guide, December 2004)
“…sure to be a huge seller…” (Publishing News, July 2004)