Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft® Windows® XP in 21 Days

March 1, 2002
These four guides approach Microsoft's newest operating system (which may or may not be generating requests at your library) from different perspectives. TechTV focuses only on Windows XP Home Edition yet assumes some familiarity with previous Windows versions and is more appropriate for upgraders or those buying an additional PC than for first-time Windows users. A valuable addition to XP collections, it will supplement more basic guides. On the other hand, Teach Yourself, Norton's, and Unleashed clearly target intermediate to advanced users and include information on both XP Home and Professional editions. A self-study resource for patrons who quickly need to get up to speed with XP, Teach Yourself is a solid series addition, with helpful summaries, Q&As, quizzes, and exercises. Norton's is a characteristically thorough reference packed with tips for power users and resources for further information. Unleashed mostly covers Windows XP Professional and features useful appendixes on related topics such as TCP/IP, but it is less clear and less detailed than Norton's. All three will suit larger public libraries with a business and technical population. [For more reviews of XP titles, see Computer Media, LJ 11/1/01. Ed.]

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.