Windows XP Visual Encyclopedia

Windows XP Visual Encyclopedia: Your Visual A to Z Reference provides a winning all-color visual format pairing step-by-step examples with photos, screen shots and more. Half the book provides a reference of XP tools, the second focuses on techniques for using them - and illustrations are packed, not peppered, into the mix. From using the Wizards to backing up files automatically to handling file management, WINDOWS VISUAL ENCYCLOPEDIA most assuredly should have been in the box with the operating system. It's not - so be sure it's on your shelf as a basic, quick, at-a-glance reference. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

So are you tired of Uncle Joe and Aunt Mae calling every day asking how to do something in Windows XP? Give them this book... Windows XP Visual Encyclopedia by Kate J. Chase and Jim Boyce. The Visual series is focused on people who don't have the geek background and learn better by visuals. Styled like an encyclopedia, it's broken up into two parts. The first part deals with tools. So if you want to know about accessibility, you can look under "A" to see how to get there. Having problems finding the Desktop Cleanup Wizard? It's under "D". If the book stopped at Part 1, I don't think I'd find it very useful. Once they point out the tool, there's not much else given once you learn how to launch the tool. But Part 2 rectifies that. That part deals with techniques. You would use that portion if you knew you wanted to do something like formatting a disk. You'd find that under "F" and "Format". Uncle Joe wants to tweak his task bar? Send him to the "T" area under Taskbar: Customize the Taskbar. For many of the family members you have to "support", this may be all you need to reclaim your spare time. If you're a techno-geek, you probably won't gain a lot of information from this book. But if you're a techno-geek who does family computer support (whether you want to or not), you might think about making this a Christmas gift for that "special someone"... :)