- Publisher: O'Reilly
- ISBN: 9780596157623
- Price: £30.99 (UK) $39.99 (US) Recommended
Price
- Available From:
O'Reilly Media
Book Cover reproduced with kind permission of
O'Reilly Media, Inc
In its quest to develop the perfect operating
system, Microsoft has regularly caused more
frustration than joy; and while Windows 7 is better
than previous versions of Windows, its capacity to
annoy users still persists. However, we cannot claim
that every frustration is an annoyance; after all,
what one person considers an annoyance can, and very
often does, in the eyes of another, turn out to be a
much needed feature.
Windows 7, fortunately, isn't half as annoying as
Windows Vista but, because Windows 7 was developed
off of the Windows Vista kernel, there are still a
lot of annoyances from the merging of the two that
raise their ugly head.
For this reason it is important to have an
informative book to hand that can quickly solve any
impending problems. In this respect you need look no
further than Windows 7 Annoyances by David Karp to
provide timely tips, hacks and solutions to some of
Windows 7's major annoyances.
Comprising nine sections and two appendices
Windows 7 Annoyances covers the following topics:
- Getting Started with Windows 7.
- Shell Tweaks.
- The Registry.
- Video, Audio and Media. Performance.
- Troubleshooting. Networking and Internet.
- Users and Security.
- Command Prompt and Automation.
The appendices cover:
- BIOS Settings.
- TCP/IP Ports.
It has to be said that the target audience for
Windows 7 Annoyances is the advanced and power user
rather than that of the beginner, with a large
section of the book dedicated soley to the Windows
Registry.
While editing the registry is useful to the
advanced user, it can be disastrous for the beginner
who has more curiosity than technical know-how.
The registry can be a minefield to the
uninitiated, and although many computer magazines
regularly advise users to edit registry keys to
solve specific problems, making the wrong changes
can prove fatal.
Fortunately, Karp describes editing the registry
clearly and concisely and makes the point (pages
157-163) of providing step by step instructions on
how to back up the all-important registry prior to
making any such changes.
The Troubleshooting section (pages 341-425)
contains a mine of information and you will find
yourself regularly dipping into its content. Of
particular interest is What to do when a program
crashes. This is one annoyance that everyone,
beginner and power user, suffers and something that
Windows 7 is a master of.
If Windows isn't sure what is going on then up
pops the infamous program is not responding
message and you are left pulling your hair out
trying to think what you did wrong to cause the
problem in the first place.
Interestingly, the troubleshooting sections' many
useful notes, hints and tips can quickly help
troubleshoot your problem and get your PC back to
normal with the minimum of fuss.
It has to be said that Karp has a way of keeping
his reader entertained, even when some of the
information becomes excessively technical in nature.
Once you pick up the book and start reading you will
find it difficult to actually put down. At every
page turn there's a tip, hack or solution worth
noting for reference.
Verdict
Windows 7 Annoyances is a great book, even though
it is somewhat geeky in its approach. It is thorough
in its coverage of the most common Windows 7
annoyances and doesn't stint on explaining how easy
it is to turn a complex Windows operating system,
such as Windows 7, into one that is far less
intimidating and far easier to use. It is a book for
dipping in and out of rather than actually reading
from cover to cover. Karp is master of annoyance
troubleshooting and his book, Windows 7 Annoyances,
can only be described as a thoroughly enjoyable
reference work on Windows 7 Annoyances.
Rating
- Ease of use: 8.0
- Features: 9.0
- Value for Money: 9.0
- Overall: 9.0