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In January I purchased a new laptop to replace my original one, which was 9 years old and had Windows Millenium Edition as the operating system. I had only used my old computer for all that time, so the Windows Vista premium Home Edition on the new machine came as quite a shock! So, I turned to eBay for help. Help came in the form of this book, Windows Vista for Dummies, by Andy Rathbone. What I did not key into at bidding time was that this volume, copywritten in 2006, is the "special preview edition" which was sold in advance of Vista's release. According to the back cover, Andy Rathbone "has written every edition of the bestselling 'Windows for Dummies' since the first one in 1992." So it naturally follows that he would be the author to peer into the future to provide the clues about Vista. This slim volume features 164 text pages, plus an index, with the information broken down into three parts. The first part introduces you to the features that will be new for Vista, the second part delves more deeply into the nitty-gritty of working with Vista, and the third part encompasses topics which did not fit easily into the first two parts. Included here are some tips on caring for your computer in general, and also some advice on how to do things in Vista that you used to do in Office 2007. Rathbone writes clearly and has a humorous style which is in keeping with the other "Dummies" books I have read. My personal experience with my old computer was that I just figured things out as I went along, with the result that I really didn't know how to use the machine. It followed that I also did not know the correct language to convey what I was trying to do, or why I could not accomplish my task. I suspect I am heading down the same path with the new computer, but with the colloquial style of Mr. Rathbone, I am able to find assistance because the book is not written exclusively for people who always use the right term. With the help of this book I was able to find the toolbar, save a document, and appreciate what the computer screen was trying to show me. When I took the book from it's package I was dismayed by how thin it was, because I felt that my questions could not possibly be addressed in fewer than 1200 pages! But this book quickly settled me down, answered some basic questions, and put me well on my way of.....making it up as I go! My new computer has gone from something I want to put in the trash, to something I use every day, with relative confidence. I imagine they have a new "Vista for Dummies" book somewhere, and maybe even books for the different versions of Vista on offer. If a person had kept current with operating systems as they changed through the years, this book might be all they need to get a jump-start on working with Vista. But it may be a little too general for the reader who is well acquainted with the depths of a computer, and whose questions are more esoteric than "where did the tool bar go?"Read full review
This particular book is written on the Beta2 version of Vista and may have a few things different in the final version. I found that it really only covered the basics that most of us already know and didn't really answer the more difficult questions or cover specifically the changes from XP to Vista. I would have liked to see a full section or chapter on each change and how it was different. It took me a month to get used to the new navigation of files and folders and I spent mega time trying to figure out why I couldn't share some files on my network and even though I did get it to work, I'm not sure I could do it again and I found this book no help with that. I did however buy the Vista Bible eBook and it is wonderful! Send me an email if you are interested in that!
I bought it because my daughter and son-in-law gave me a laptop computer for Christmas that included Windows Vista. I meant to get a more current one. It is very much like all the other Dummy books I have bought. They are great to have for reference.
Prelude to taking first Vista course in college. Excellent book! Extremely easy to understand and extremely informative. Excellent for beginners.
Pros: Does describe about Vista but in the Beta 2 and not final offering. Would have liked to have more detail that this book provides. It should be helpful in beginning Vista information. Cons: Not sure how this compared with final release and would have liked more detail about the new operating system.
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