The Rough Guide to PCs and Windows - Softcover

Clark, Duncan; Buckley, Peter; Rough Guides

9781858288970: The Rough Guide to PCs and Windows

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1858288975 ISBN 13: 9781858288970

Publisher: Rough Guides, 2004

Essential guide to buying, using and upgrading PCs, choosing and downloading software, and getting the most from Windows XP. Contains everything you need to know about getting the right hardware ? whether you''re buying a whole system on the high-street, upgrading or even building a machine from scratch. Hundreds of links to online resources: get online and track down useful software, patches, themes, wallpapers, betas, etc

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Peter Buckley and Duncan Clark have both worked at Rough Guide for nearly five years. Experts in both computers and music, they are the authors of numerous computer-related titled ? including the multi-million-selling Rough Guide to the Internet ? and editors (respectively) of the Rough Guide to Rock and Classical Music.

HOW DOES THIS BOOK WORK?
The first part of this book provides you with everything you need to know when buying PCs, parts and peripherals: where to get them, what to look out for and how to decide what you’ll actually need for the kind of computing you’re aiming to do. Also in this section you’ll find the lowdown on what a PC consists of and how its various components work – before long you’ll know your RAM from your ROM and you’ll be waxing lyrical about buses, buffers and burners.
Part 2 whisks you through the world of the Windows operating system. Whether you’re new to Windows or already familiar with its tools, menus and buttons, you’re sure to learn a lot. This book covers the basics, but it also introduces you to a barrel-load of tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your operating system. As well as covering the latest version – Windows XP – we also deal with Windows Me and Windows 98. And if you’re using Windows 95, most of what we say will still apply.

In Part 3 you’ll learn how to set up a home network and get to grips with the Internet, while Parts 4 and 5 present a roll call of some of the best software titles around, tips on keeping your PC working as it should, a troubleshooting section to pull you out of deep water should things go wrong and a detailed guide to upgrading your machine.
We’ve tried to keep the book as friendly as possible, but if you do find yourself flummoxed by the odd bit of techie jargon, turn to the Glossary (p.350) to get a concise and digestible definition – if nothing else, you’ll be much better at Scrabble after reading this book. And if we succeed in whetting your appetite, the Web Directory (p.390) will point you towards some of the best, most friendly and most entertaining PC-related sites on the Web. Happy computing . . .

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.