BKCIGW98.RVW   980628

"Complete Idiot's Guide to Windows 98", Paul McFedries, 1998,
0-7897-1493-0, U$14.99/C$21.95/UK#13.99
%A   Paul McFedries paul@mcfedries.com
%C   201 W. 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN   46290
%D   1998
%G   0-7897-1493-0
%I   Macmillan Computer Publishing (MCP)
%O   U$14.99/C$21.95/UK#13.99 317-581-3743 info@mcp.com
%P   388 p.
%T   "Complete Idiot's Guide to Windows 98"

Generally speaking, I do not like the titles in this series.  (The
titles only, that is.  The books themselves usually are pretty good.) 
This one, though, seems to resonate.

Part one is a general overview of the system.  Chapter one looks at
the new features of Windows 98.  Most of this reads like a Microsoft
marketing brochure, but there is a brief section of helpful tips for
those moving directly from Windows 3.1 to 98.  Minimum information on
Windows, such as the screen layout, mouse activity, and shutdown, are
covered well in chapter two.

Part two covers the basic functions.  Chapter three deals with the
various ways of accessing, invoking, and stopping programs.  The
material is suitable for the novice and perhaps intermediate user,
with the missing material being either involved (there is no
description of navigation with the Browse command), related to other
topics (there is no mention of Windows Explorer), or advanced (in
relation to quitting programs, there is no mention of the Task
Manager).  Generic Windows features are reviewed in chapter four. 
There is a great deal of helpful information on menus and boxes in
chapter five, but a few topics, like escaping from menus and using
spin boxes, are incomplete.  Chapter six's helpful tips on document
creation are definitely not part of the normal Windows curriculum, but
definitely are very useful for newcomers.  Because I've seen it happen
I note that chapter seven is remiss: using the printer wizard, even a
novice can very easily kill your printing capability.  Help is not
something that Microsoft does well, so I am disappointed that chapter
eight does not detail the strategies that may be needed to find the
information you need.

Part three looks fairly briefly and superficially at customization. 
Chapter nine's review of Web integration is freighted with the fact
that most of the integration features are not that important.  The
most vital is Active Desktop, and here the book takes Microsoft's
unfortunate "just click on the defaults: we know what's best"
attitude.  The decorative modifications are covered well in chapter
ten, but the more functional aspects, such as shortcut creation and
Start menu population often have missing steps.  Hardware and software
addition and removal are rather optimistically discussed in chapter
eleven.

Part four gets into file and disk management.  The review of "My
Computer" and Windows Explorer operation in chapter twelve is
straightforward as to features, but lacks material in regard to use. 
Some of the functions are covered in chapters thirteen and fourteen,
but much is left out as well.

Since integration with the net is being used as such a selling point
for Windows 98, it is not surprising to find part five dedicated to
it.  Chapter fifteen details the screens of the Internet Connection
Wizard but fails to point out, for example, the danger of telling it
your password.  Outlook Express and NetMeeting are described in
chapter sixteen, but realities of email, news, and conferencing are
not.  The examination of browsing is limited to the operation of
Internet Explorer and the Microsoft line on the Web in chapter
seventeen.  Frontpage functions are listed in eighteen.

Part six looks at various utilities, including WordPad, Notepad,
Paint, multimedia programs and a grab bag of other tools.  Part seven
does the same with maintenance utilities.  Part eight gives you
probably not enough information to create a local, and dialup,
network.

A number of McFedries' earlier titles enhanced the bare operational
material with suggestions for actual use.  While some vestiges of this
style remain, for the most part, this book is simply another
documentation replacement.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1998   BKCIGW98.RVW   980628