[JaxPM] [NON-PERL] FW: O'Reilly Releases "Windows Me Annoyances"

[JONES, WILLIAM C]

On the jacksonville-pm-list; Jax.PM'er "JONES, WILLIAM C" <wcjones at exchange.fccj.org> wrote -

 While I am not a Windows user, some of you may be -

(I use only Linux/Solaris/AIX and MacOS at work and home - in case anyone
was wondering  :)

Enjoy!
-Sneex-  :]

PS - Yes, I know this was fwd'ed using Exchange - but that proves nothing.
All of the above systems support imap calls to an Exchange server -- besides
all you hard-core Perl'ers should be able to write an imap client in Perl by
now, right?   :)


-----Original Message-----
From: Denise Olliffe
To: bill at fccj.org
Sent: 4/10/01 3:23 PM
Subject: O'Reilly Releases "Windows Me Annoyances"

For immediate release
Review copies available, contact:
Denise Olliffe (707) 829-0515 ext 339 or deniseo at oreilly.com


BESTSELLING AUTHOR TACKLES WINDOWS ME ANNOYANCES


Sebastopol, CA--Based on David Karp's extremely popular annoyances.org
web sites, O'Reilly's latest release, "Windows Me Annoyances" (US
$29.95) is a collection of clear, practical solutions for Me problems
and techniques for customizing Windows Me.

"Annoyances is about having an attitude that allows you to take charge
of Windows, customize it, solve problems, and improve your experience
with your computer," says Karp. "I've always been interested in user
interfaces, making computers easier for people, the design of
computers, the design of machines in general. And on the web site I
started to see firsthand the problems people were having. I read a lot
of the comments, the things Microsoft never sees, the things Microsoft
doesn't pay any attention to--the users."

Packed with creative and seldom-documented ways to quickly identify and
fix a particular annoyance or customize Windows for individual needs,
"Windows Me Annoyances" is the definitive, independent resource for
dealing with crashes, unintelligible error messages, unwanted icons,
and more. Readers can quickly identify annoyances and choose among
suggested solutions, adapting Windows to their needs rather than the
other way around.

In an ideal world, an operating system is a collection of software that
handles a computer's "dirty work" invisibly, quickly, and most of all,
painlessly. For many of us, however, Microsoft Windows exists outside
this ideal world. We are annoyed by "personalized menus" that keep
changing, icons we don't use cluttering up our "workspace," periodic
crashes, unintelligible error messages, and inadequate documentation to
help us figure it all out.

"Your computer should not be a 'black box', something for which you
must adjust the way you work and think," says Karp. "It's a hands-on,
flexible tool with many capabilities and limitations. Humans design
computers and the software that runs on them; so computers, by their
very nature, are imperfect and often troublesome machines."

In "Windows Me Annoyances," Karp provides the insider information
needed to overcome the many Windows annoyances and limitations. Whether
you're looking to finally solve a nagging problem, dramatically improve
system performance, or customize the interface to better suit your work
habits, the "Windows Me Annoyances" solution-oriented format makes
finding information and implementing solutions easy and pain free.
Thanks to the thorough and relevant documentation on the registry,
Windows Scripting Host, and Windows built-in networking capabilities,
customizing and improving Windows Me is easier than ever. "Instead of
being intimidated by the software, you have to take an active roll in
fixing the problem. And an active roll in fixing the problem is what
Annoyances is all about," explains Karp.

Karp originally created his annoyances.org site in early 1995 while
using the beta version of Windows 95. His best selling book "Windows
Annoyances (1997) compiled the information his web site users found
invaluable on Windows 95. His second book "Windows 98 Annoyances"
(1998) was also a bestseller. "Windows Me Annoyances" is a completely
new volume, containing more solutions, undocumented secrets and
troubleshooting information, but retaining the clear straightforward
style that have made his web site--and his first two books--so
popular.


What the critics have said about previous editions:

"When Windows 95 was released, one source that many of us used was not
a book, but a home page called Windows 95 Annoyances Home Page. The
designer, David Karp, merely found out what problems users were having
and put answers on this home page. O'Reilly and Associates saw the
wisdom of this approach and has just published Windows Annoyances...by
none other than David Karp." --"The Washington Post," August 1997

"One common complaint about Windows 98 is that it comes with no
manuals...for folks who want more than the basics, and don't mind
messing around under the hood, Windows 98 Annoyances by David A. Karp
is an excellent choice. It helps you cope with the many quirks of
Win98...Annoyances also offers tons of convenience--and
performance-enhancing tips."--Stephen H. Wildstrom, "Newsweek," Nov 23,
1998

"Intermediate to advanced users who find dumbed-down Windows 98 help
books less than useful, are in for a pleasant surprise. Windows 98
Annoyances goes beyond rehashed tips for beginners to take a serious
look at the new operating system and some of its more exasperating
"features." Despite the title, the author David A. Karp spends little
time dwelling on the negative, preferring a if it's wrong, let's fix
it" approach. Karp's style is friendly and witty without getting in the
way of the information. I thought I knew a lot of Windows 98 tricks and
workarounds; Windows 98 Annoyances made me feel like a neophyte. If
you're fine with Windows the way it is--and you have the patience of a
saint--you don't need this book. But if you've ever gritted your teeth
while Windows 98 started searching your floppy drive for no apparent
reason, this could be the best $25 you've ever spent." --Jon Jacobi,
"PC World," Nov 1998

"For anyone starting out with Win95, or those who have considered
tossing their PC out the window as a consequence of trying to use it,
this is the book to buy--a truly invaluable tool." --J.R. Griffin,
Contributing Editor, "The Missouri Review"

"Windows 98 Annoyances pays for itself in time saved, frustration
avoided, and satisfaction gained." --Marc Dacey, Toronto Computes!,
January 1999


An article by the author, "Fixing the Search Tool in Windows Me and
Windows 2000,"can be found online at:
http://windows.oreilly.com/news/winmeannoy_0301.html

Chapter 2, "Basic Explorer Coping Skills," is available free online
at:  http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/winmeannoy/chapter/ch02.html

For more information about the book, including Table of Contents,
index, author bio, and samples, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/winmeannoy/

For a cover graphic in jpeg format, go to:
ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/graphics/book_covers/hi-res/059600060x.jpg


Windows Me Annoyances
By David A. Karp
March 2001 
ISBN 0-596-00060-X, 450 pages, $29.95 (US)
order at oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
http://www.oreilly.com

# # #

O'Reilly is a registered trademark of O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. All
other trademarks are property of their respective own.

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