This compact book offers the quickest path for Windows users to get started with Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system. You get the essential information you need to upgrade or install the system and configure it to fit your activities, along with a tour of Windows 7's features and built-in applications. Microsoft has learned from the mistakes of Windows Vista, and Windows 7 shows it-this new OS is much faster and more stable. With Windows 7: Up and Running, you'll learn what's new and what's changed from XP and Vista, and get advice on ways to use this system for work, entertainment, instant communication, and more. Windows 7 is poised to be a big hit, and with this handy guide, you can be up and running -- and productive -- with it right away.

• Master the user interface, including the taskbar, jump lists, desktop gadgets, Aero Shake, and notification area

• Discover the joys of networking with HomeGroup file sharing and improved Wi-Fi

• Tour the system's improved security, including the Action Center, User Account Control, and Credential Manager

• Learn how to use Windows Live Essentials for messaging, photo sharing, moviemaking, emailing, and blogging

• Get to know built-in applications such as Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player 12, Microsoft Paint, and WordPad

• Learn about optional Microsoft software to enhance your Windows 7 experience

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 4 Ratings

A Great Primer for Mom, Dad & Friends - 2009-10-23
Reviewer Rating:
Nowadays almost everyone from grandma to the kid who lives next door is online and has a computer. The digital age has meant that many of us know the basics of how to use a computer, get online and do basic tasks -- but for many users they learn a particular way of doing things, and when software (or the OS) changes they find themselves scratching their heads wondering where things went and how they got changed. In this handy primer guide the author has done a fairly good job of helping get casual end-users up to speed on Windows 7.

The book walks you through many of the features that have changed and introduces you to some of the new functionality of the OS (for example, Libraries in Windows 7). It also walks users through common "gothcas" and things to be aware of (for example, why all sites don't support the use of Web Slices in IE8). Sidebars and a generous library of pictures help to call the reader's attention to specific items.

I was a little dissapointed in the Installation Chapter of the book, and thus took away one star. Though the author covers netbooks and dual-booting, the issue of upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 is never covered. So let me cover it right here: ALWAYS DO A FRESH, CLEAN INSTALL -- NEVER DO AN IN PLACE UPGRADE! Given the brevity of of the chapter on installation, and the main focus of the book, I feel this chapter could even be taken out without taking away from the book.

This book would make an excellent gift for mom and dad, or that friend who just bought a new computer with Windows 7 on it. It's a good primer for getting started with Windows 7 and making the jump to help keep your digital life a bit more organized and productive!

The Most Efficient Book on Windows 7 Proficiency - 2009-11-19
Reviewer Rating:
O'Reilly Publishers has a reputation for clear comprehensive volumes on a wide variety of IT topics. This brief, efficient volume on the most influential IT product of 2009 will get anyone who has some degree of knowledge of any previous window-based operating environment up to speed in the minimum amount of time in using the most important features of Microsoft's Windows 7. The author has carefully chosen the most important and most popular issues in the installation, use, and maintenance of a PC using the evolutionary but powerful operating system. Succinct clear descriptions of the carefully selected features, clear high-contrast gray-scale illustrations make this the volume for a busy professional or slightly experienced home/office user to get around and get the most benefit from this system.

Topics include:

1. Installation of the OS
2. Navigating the Taskbars, Libraries and Desktop Features and Widgets
3. File and Print Sharing
4. Security
5. Essential Applications (those that are built-in to the OS, those that can be downloaded and some extremely valuable 3rd party software)
6. Features and application of Internet Explorer 8
7. Getting the most out of XP-mode virtualization
8. Tips, Tricks and Customization of the GUI and Utilities

For anyone who has some experience with a modern OS this is a more valuable and efficient path than any "dummy's" or "visual guide"

--Ira Laefsky

Not Just for Ma and Pa - 2009-11-17
Reviewer Rating:

This was not my impression of the book at all. This book is for the busy professional who knows a bit about using Windows and would like to know as quickly as possible the most interesting features of the latest Windows.

I liked the lively style of the author, who managed to skip the tedium and focus on things that might interest you. Example: I also picked up a 950-page book, "Windows 7, The Definitive Guide" and found (from the index), only 1 short sentence on Windows PowerShell. In comparison, Wei-Meng Lee devoted two full pages to this feature in his small book.

If you focus on the good stuff, you won't notice, and might appreciate, that this book weighs less.

Suddenly, things have changed - 2009-11-22
Reviewer Rating:
Up until now, there have been two main kinds of users of Windows: those willing to invest hours and hours and hours mastering all the nooks and crannies of the operating system and those preferring to just jump into Microsoft Office or onto the web and get their work done without thinking about the operating system.

Suddenly things have changed: Microsoft has released Windows 7, the most powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use version of Windows ever, and Wei-Meng Lee has produced a well organized, clearly written, and richly illustrated book of less than 200 pages that helps users harness the power of Windows 7 in minutes rather than hours.

In a hurry? Poke your nose into Chapter 2 (Getting Around Windows 7), and then flip to the back of the book and breeze through 30 pages of illustrated tips and tricks that will make scales fall from your eyes. Total investment: about thirty minutes, max, and you'll start earning dividends on that investment immediately. (One tiny example: Troubleshooting Sleep Mode Problems on your laptop. Priceless!)

Want to find out what you can accomplish in Windows 7 without having to buy any additional software? Check out Chapter 5 (Essential Applications). You'll be amazed at what you can do with Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery, Writer, Movie Maker, and scads of utilities ranging from Sound Recorder to Math Input Panel to Sticky Notes to the new Statistics calculator and more. Check out Chapter 6 (Internet Explorer 8) and you'll be further amazed, especially if you thought that you already knew how to browse the web safely and securely.

Power hungry? I've saved the best for last. Wei-Meng Lee shows you how to set up file sharing with other Windows 7 machines and also with machines running earlier versions of Windows and even with Macintoshes. He also explains file system security and shows how you can protect your files from both local and online threats. And here's the very, very best: he shows you how to install and exploit "virtual" machines running Windows XP, Unix, or other operating systems.

Don't forget: this is a book of less than 200 pages, and it is richly illustrated. You can probably complete it in about an hour and a half. In addition to changing the way you see Windows, it just might change the way you see yourself as a computer user.

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