As more people upgrade their computers or purchase new systems, Vista is starting to take shape as a operating system that may just require some reading up on in oder to take advantage of all it has to offer. I just got finished going through the book titled Windows Vista Inside Out from Microsoft Press and found it both useful and informative. Prior to receiving this book the only Vista book I had was one I had received from Microsoft which was a Vista Product Guide.

Most Windows manuals that I have seen are fairly basic in nature. For the true Windows renegade who likes to fly by the seat of his pants, this book may not be for you. But for those of us who like to know the ‘why’ of things, this book is a must have reference book. What I enjoyed the most about the book was the nuts and bolts on what has changed from XP to Vista. The book takes the user through what Microsoft was trying to accomplish and illustrates what the final product has to offer.

If you are expecting a lot of pretty pictures and diagrams, they are not inside. But what is inside are screen shots showing how things function and where to find some of the stuff that Microsoft seemed to have hidden down in the bowels of the OS. They are still there and still available, just concealed somewhat. While reading this book I learned some new tricks and got a refresher on some things that I had forgotten. Let’s face it. Some things we do not do a whole lot on a system like Group Policy.

But overall this book covers all of the basics that someone who is new to Vista might need. If you having been using Windows since it first came out, you may find some parts of the book very basic in nature. So how do you recommend who should get this book? I believe it will best serve those who are casual Windows users and who do not need to know how it works, but want to know where to click to make something happen.

Overall the book is very well written and the authors, there are three, took their valuable expertise and combined their experiences in a well thought out and concise Vista manual. You remember manuals? Those were the books that used to come with Windows that actually showed you how to use it. But those times have passed, since Windows has been with us for over 20 years and the expectation is that we all know how it works.

If you are struggling with Vista than I would highly recommend this book. It is well worth the $30 price tag that Amazon is offering it at.

Comments welcome.

PS If you have some other book or manual you have found useful in learning to use Vista, please share your thoughts.

Tags: microsoft, windows, vista, book, manual