With Vista, Windows has had an extreme makeover. Many of the features that were old friends in Windows XP now look and act differently. And if you’re thinking of upgrading to Vista but haven’t done it yet, wow — there are eight different versions! How do you know which one to choose?

That’s easy — look in Book One of Windows Vista All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies. Windows expert Woody Leonhard starts off this everything-you-want-to-know-about -Vista guide by helping you choose the version that fits your needs. He follows that with minibooks Two through Nine, each devoted to one specific area — setting up, securing, and customizing Vista, going online, adding cool hardware, getting the most from multimedia, exploring Vista video, and setting up a network. You’ll find out about:

• Ripping and burning discs of data, music, or movies

• Organizing desktop files and folders

• Collecting and editing your digital photos in the Photo Gallery

• Controlling users, making backups, and maintaining your system

• Locking down your system to deflect spam, scams, spyware, phishers, and viruses

• Exploring alternatives to Internet Explorer

• Adding hard drives, printers, key drives, USB hubs, and other hardware

• Making movies, adding music to your iPod, and setting up Media Center

Covering almost anything you will ever need to know for a long and happy relationship with Vista, Windows Vista All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies is a guide you’ll refer to again and again.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 31 Ratings

Do not waste your money on this worthless book. - 2009-10-05
Reviewer Rating:
This book is not what you need to learn to navigate Vista. It is all highly advanced high tech, IPOD, movies, games, etc. It is not useful for the average user that is switching from Windows XP and needs to learn how to navigate the differences. I am returning my copy today.

Windoms Vista For Dummies - 2009-09-12
Reviewer Rating:
The book help you get out of troble that you are in. If you are trying to change somethings you look it up in the book

Pass This One By... - 2009-08-13
Reviewer Rating:
I bought this a few days ago with high hopes that it would contain the bits and pieces I needed to navigate Vista and that information would be presented in a light hearted plain language format that is the hallmark of any of the For Dummies books. What I found once I started reading was a tech writer who thought he was a one line stand up comic, and not a very good one at that.

I don't mind humor, but the over abundance of poor humor, overused cliches, and finding it in almost every third sentence was way too much. Andy Rathbone's Windows Vista For Dummies is a much better book at half the page count and 2/3ds the price.

Another issue with the book is that the author wanders off on tangents for applications that aren't OS related. Stick to the core OS and what comes with it, and do it well, don't wander off and try to impress the readers with your poorly delivered knowledge.

Finally, and this is more of a personal issue, the author sounded like a paid shill for all things Google. Seeing the sales pitch for Google once was ok, but when it is used at every opportunity it really gets tiring.

In summation, if you want to have to re-read what you just read because of the excessive "humor", this is the book for you. If you're looking for a book that will help you in a pinch with a Vista related issue, get Andy Rathbone's Windows Vista For Dummies - it's much, much, much better.

Happy with my purchase - 2009-08-09
Reviewer Rating:
I was very happy with the customer service I received when I purchased the book Vista for Dummies. The company mailing me this book was very prompt in the mailing.

Windows Vista Akll-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies - 2009-08-02
Reviewer Rating:
This is an outstanding reference book for any user - especially of Vista. I own other "dummies" books and they are essential to those of us who have limited knowledge of the product.

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