Windows 98 for Dummies

Windows 98 For Dummies won't try to turn you into a Windows wizard, but you'll pick up a few chunks of useful computing information while reading it. Instead of becoming a Windows 98 expert, you'll know just enough to get by quickly, cleanly, and with a minimum of pain so that you can move on the more pleasant things in life.

This easy-to-understand guide is for those who are yearning to

• Conquer Windows 98 basics
• Personalize your PC
• Send and receive e-mail
• Get more out of the Web
• Have fun with audio and video
• Deal with common problems and aggravations

Something in Windows 98 will eventually leave you scratching your head. No other program brings so many buttons, bars, and babble to the screen. When something in Windows 98 has you stumped, use this book as a reference. You won't find any fancy computer jargon in these pages. Instead, you'll find subjects like these, discussed in plain old English:

• Preparing your computer to run Windows 98
• Finding the file you saved yesterday
• Moving those little windows around on the screen with the mouse
• Running your favorite old programs under Windows 98
• Performing chores in Windows 98 that you used to do in older versions of Windows
• Figuring out which of the many Windows versions you're using

There's nothing to memorize and nothing to learn. Just turn to the right page, read the brief explanation, and get back to work. Unlike other books, this one enables you to bypass any technical hoopla and still get your work done.

The Dummies series long ago proved itself an excellent means of explaining the elementary aspects of operating systems to new users. Windows 98 for Dummies continues the tradition with its admirable coverage of Microsoft's latest consumer operating system.

Windows 98 for Dummies begins by explaining the differences between PCs and Macintoshes and detailing the differences between clicking and double-clicking. In the process of introducing the operating system, Rathbone explains lots of incidental factoids, including what a graphical user interface is and how the Print Screen button has been given new functionality in Windows 98. He then moves on to the mechanics of window management, explaining how to maximize, minimize, and incrementally adjust the size of application windows. Other chapters deal with cutting and pasting, the accessory programs, and the details of getting DOS programs to run properly. Rathbone's prose is clear and intelligent, and a superb index helps you zero in on the facts you need in a hurry.

Throughout, this book carries the lighthearted adornment that has always characterized Dummies books. The attempts at frivolity range from clunkers (Rich Tennant's weary cartoons) to knee slappers (some of the author's quips in the text). It's always a pleasure to see a computer book that doesn't take itself or its technology too seriously.

Generally speaking, Windows 98 for Dummies stays away from networking issues. More Windows 98 for Dummies, the book's sequel, covers networking in some detail. Though LANs are sufficiently complicated to merit a second volume, it's too bad this book doesn't include any information on dial-up networking--especially since the author discusses Web surfing at some length. And Outlook Express, Windows 98's e-mail program, gets scarcely a mention in these pages. With Windows 98 more focused on connectivity than any previous Microsoft operating system, it seems improper to consign connectivity to a second volume.

You'll learn a lot from Windows 98 for Dummies if you're new to Windows 98 or to computers in general. However, the book leaves you hungry for more before long. --David Wall