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BKNT4AAG.RVW   990131

"Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 at a Glance", Jerry
Joyce/Marianne Moon, 1997, 1-57231-574-1, U$16.99/C$22.99/UK#15.49
%A   Jerry Joyce
%A   Marianne Moon
%C   1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA   98052-6399
%D   1997
%G   1-57231-574-1
%I   Microsoft Press
%O   U$16.99/C$22.99/UK#15.49 800-MSPRESS (6777377) fax: 206-936-7329
%P   314 p.
%T   "Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 at a Glance"

Chapter one is more of an introduction, giving an overview of the book
structure.  Chapter two provides a graphical overview of the basic
elements of the Windows interface, the terminology of the interface,
as well as minimal operations.  The material is not always as
straightforward as the authors seem to assume.  During startup, for
example, the operating system and hardware profile options are
mentioned, but passed over very briefly.  Explanation of the timed
startup of the default choice is given on a different page.  File
operations and management are in chapter three.  I must say that,
while the material is useful and there were some operations that were
even new to me, two things started to stand out.  One was the perky,
cheerleading style of the text, which might not sit well with either
those who are in a hurry to find the straight goods, or those who have
become frustrated with the system, and are in no mood to take
sermonettes on their way through the maze.  The second is the complete
lack of information on keyboard functions or shortcuts.  Generic
program operations would seem to be the topic for chapter four, but
instead there is a strong concentration on two applets that come with
NT.  The networking in chapter five is limited to accessing pre-
existing network resources, probably a wise choice in a user level
manual.  Printing is handled in the same way, although chapter six
does go into the print queue to a certain extent.

Chapter seven provides a fair amount of detail on the command prompt
window and the use of MS-DOS under NT, although not all the
explanations are completely clear.  I also noticed a couple of
examples that would fail because of the need to deal in special ways
with long filenames, particularly those with spaces in them.  Some of
the provided multimedia applets are reviewed in chapter eight.  Most
of chapter nine is spent on the email system, and it is a bit of a
pity that the material starts with the need to set up the system but
doesn't say how.

Chapter ten starts to look at customization with the appearance of the
interface.  A number of very useful functional adjustments are
presented in chapter eleven.  Mobility options are discussed in
chapter twelve.  As always, the Briefcase system is mentioned.  While
not fully explaining the operation, this book does go farther (at
least if you read the tips) than most others.  Some additional
modifications are described in chapter thirteen.  Chapter fourteen
talks, very briefly, about Web browsing, news, and different forms of
"chat."  Although chapter fifteen is entitled "Taking Care of
Problems," most of it refers to getting information and software from
the Microsoft Web site.

For those coming to an existing Windows NT workstation for the first
time, this work provides a quick and accessible guide to a fairly
complete range of functions and operations.  The volume of material
would allow it also to be useful as a reference for intermediate users
needing to get into infrequently used functions in, say, file
management or customization.  The lack of alternatives may frustrate
those wanting to find shortcuts to frequently used functions, but the
scope of the book should make it helpful to the majority of NT users.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999   BKNT4AAG.RVW   990131

-- 
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