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O'Hara, Shelley. 10 Minute Guide to Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition: Master the Skills You Need in Ten Minutes or Less. QUE. 2002.180p. ISBN 0-7897-2737-4. pap. $14.99.
Karp, David A. & others. Windows XP in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference. O'Reilly. 2002. 616p. ISBN 0-596-- 00249- 1. pap. $29.95.
O'Hara, Shelley. 10 Minute Guide to Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition: Master the Skills You Need in Ten Minutes or Less. QUE. 2002.180p. ISBN 0-7897-2737-4. pap. $14.99.
Pogue, David. Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual. Pogue Pr: O'Reilly. 2002. 571p. ISBN 0-596-00260-2. pap. $24.95.
Simmons, Curt. Windows XP Headaches: How To Fix Common (and Not So Common) Problems in a Hurry. Osborne/McGraw-Hill. 2002. 415p. ISBN 0-07-222461-4. pap. $24.99.
As the installed base of Microsoft's newest operating system, XP, grows, guides to its use will continue to proliferate (see also Computer Media, LJ 3/1/02). Upgraders with little previous experience will be drawn to 10 Minute Guide, which highlights changes from earlier versions and explains common tasks step by step. Small and leaving no room for background or troubleshooting assistance, this should be purchased in conjunction with more comprehensive guides, such as The Missing Manual. It provides enough background to allow new home users and upgraders to get up and running, while leaving them feeling as if they have a handle on why and how things work. Ample screen shots and sidebars further this process; recommended for all libraries. Headaches, for beginning to intermediate users, focuses on troubleshooting common XP problems and annoyances, like a too-rapid cursor blink rate. Nutshell is a reference for advanced users of home and professional editions, with an alphabetical format that allows quick lookup of functions and features within larger sections (e.g., networking, the registry, etc.). Each is useful and appropriate for larger libraries.
Rachel Singer Gordon is Head, Computer Services, Franklin Park Public Library, IL, and webmaster of the library careers site Lisjobs.com
Copyright Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier, Inc. Aug 2002