BKPCPOWR.RVW 940418 CBM Books 101 Witmer Road Horsham, PA 19044 (215) 957-4265 fax: (215) 957-1050 books@propress.com "PC Power", Quimby, 1993, 1-878956-30-2, U$19.00 quimby@am_vsspc.bxbmts.bxb.mts.dec.com quimby@world.std.com 72760.2476@compuserve.com The subtitle, which states that this is a guide to DOS and Windows systems for computer-literate users, might give an indication of the lack of focus for the book. At first, that may sound odd. After all, hasn't the audience been defined as computer literate? Ah, but what *kind* of "computeracy" are we talking about: Mac users, who know everything about fonts and nothing about data structures? IBM mainframe users, who are used to the "Return" key meaning only a line break (nothing happens until you press the "Transmit" key)? VAX users, who are used to a tightly coupled local area network which allows programs on one machine to process files from a second through the processor on a third, all controlled from a terminal on a fourth? Quimby says that this is the book he looked for when he started to work with PCs, but he doesn't say where he came from. After chapter one wanders through miscellaneous concepts of desktop computing, five chapters look at applications software. Chapter two is probably supposed to be general advice on evaluation, but is vague and does not cover a number of important areas. The remainder; chapter three on spreadsheets and data bases, four on graphics, five on text, and six on development tools; are enthusiastic listings of features that Quimby likes. Chapter seven is supposed to be about system software. LAN OSes probably do fit, and one can make a case for utility software, but communications programs? Chapter eight lists both basic and exotic hardware, while nine lists "More on System, Software and Hardware" and ten gives some necessarily limited tips and tricks. The glossary may be helpful, but the appendix listing the file extension names for common uses and programs may be very useful, indeed. The tone of the book is generally technical, but is short on detail. For example, the section on serial ports lists common port addresses and IRQ assignments, but doesn't give details, examples, help, common problems or possible outcomes when one tries to set up four COM ports with the recommended two IRQ lines. We are given several treatises on DOS memory management but little information that would actually help one to make decisions in that management. The material is, however, an extension beyond the usual introductory PC books in that it does provide some technical detail and analysis. The material often is of a type which "ages" rapidly: in the two years since publication the need for memory management in Windows systems has been reduced by improved memory management software. The book does, though, anticipate the rise of applications "suites" and the re-emergence of a type fo integrated software. A read through this book is a quick introduction to the jargon surrounding PCs and MS-DOS, and would give a solid understanding of terms and how they are used. It would not be as helpful in actual use, let alone "power" use. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKPCPOWR.RVW 940418 ====================== DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" (Oct. '94) Springer-Verlag