Some Book Reviews

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All-in-one PC cookbook

PERSONAL COMPUTER - What is a PC, How to Buy and Use One:

IF YOU have just bought your first PC or are about to do so and are on the look-out for a single resource to answer all your doubts -  this is the book for you. In just over 200 pages, the author covers an awesome range - from PC basics, to the pitfalls when buying a PC and recommended configurations for various applications, to a hands-on guide to getting started with Windows and its various application tools.

More importantly, the book is bang up-to-date - and deals with the latest versions of all software tools discussed. The screens captured in the sharp graphics are therefore the ones that a user in mid-2001 would find on a contemporary machine.

The author and the publisher may well find that they will have to update subtly a year down the road - but right now, this is a reliable and comforting ally for any one who has taken the first step down the road to cyberspace.

ANAND PARTHASARATHY

The Hindu book review section dated 10/7/2001.

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At a time when computers and related gadgets get obsolete faster than you can turn the pages of a book, this is an attempt at providing you a handbook that encompasses all aspects of a personal computer a beginner would like to learn about.

As the title suggests, the book covers everything from buying to using and, also, upgrading when the PC begins to get obsolete.

To be forewarned, they say, is to be forearmed. The book tells you what the essential components of a PC are and what they do. Things like RAM, BUS, port, or cache, are made a little comprehendible. So, when go out to bay, you know what to look for. It also tells what the pitfalls are in buying, as the vendor is most likely to see that his profits are maximised, whether you lose or gain. Details of PC and tips on buying one constitute the first two parts of the book.                                                                            

The third part deals with the intricacies of making your PC run once you have it. Everything about   setting it up and the Internet connection is put in straight manner. The most essential software that anyone getting on with computers would need are dealt with so that you may get on without asking for help from anyone. Beginning with the basic structure of Windows, utilities like E-mail, chatting, word-processing, etc., are all explained. Also touched upon are the basic peripherals that a common user would need. As any computer veteran would testify, PCs can be pesky and pop up "can't do" messages that make can befuddle a beginner. The book gives tips on handling most such encounters.

If you need a cost-effective book on getting to know your PC, this is fine enough. - KB

COMPUTERS are fast penetrating into our households. There is a vast amount of information and literature to introduce basics of computers to those uninitiated. Several books have also hit book stands in the recent days and the latest one is -- Personal Computer (PC): What is a PC, How to Buy and Use, by Divakara K. Udupa who has earlier written on highly technical books. As the title suggests, the book is aimed at new users and those who want to buy IBM-compatible computers. (The author cautions that if you planning to buy a Macintosh PC don't buy this book).

The book is divided into three parts, ranging from computer fundamentals to hardware, software and the internet. The first section introduces the concept of personal computer and its components, be it the basic keyboard or the microprocessor chip or the latest development -- DVDs. It also covers basics of internet and its applications such as web browsers, e-mails, video-conferencing and search engines. 

In the second section, the author provides tips on how to go about buying a PC. He offers you simple suggestions whether you should go purchasing a computer or hire one, depending on the nature of work. And in case you decide to buy one, the section provides information on possible configuration you could choose from.

The previous sections only educate you on the computers and its concepts, but the third part -- "How to use a PC" -- will test your technical skills. It begins with the important topic of how to set a PC and connect different components like a printer or a scanner. Enough emphasis is given on setting up of internet, which is fast becoming common among users.

Interestingly, the section offers useful hints on correct posture while working with a PC. Believe me, most of us tend to ignore this important aspect. (In fact, even I missed this point while filing this review on a laptop, which caused me severe backache.)

As the book is targeted at beginners, the author has written technical concepts and terms that are commonly used in the computer world in a layman's language.

He has extensively used screen shots, which enables readers to understand the concepts in much easier manner. It can be PC guide for new buyers as well as users, if made more affordable.

After having written two books on Network Management Systems Essentials and TMN: Telecommunications Management Network, the author this time has focused on reaching out to the common man by giving a comprehensive and indepth study into the personal computer (PC) arena. From explaining what a computer is to the history of a PC, the book gets into the hardware, software and details of Internet usage. Beginning from the basics the book takes one through the chips and bytes of a PC. It also delves into the Internet world and the usage of a PC, including email, chat, browsing etc. Lucidly explained with illustrations and pictures of the screen, it addresses new users, first-time buyers and those who want to use the PC in a more productive manner. A warning though: “This book is applicable to IBM-compatible PCs. If you are planning to buy a Macintosh PC, do not buy this book.”   

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