Sams Teach Yourself Windows 98 in 21 Days

Cassel and Hart open with answers to the question everyone has about Windows 98: what's new? After a quick tour, they get into the details of file management and the use of the Recycle Bin. Fonts, printing, and multimedia come next, followed by customization. Software installation and execution--including MS-DOS programs--get copious attention. The chapter on stand-alone systems also covers both system maintenance and management of multiple users.

The authors provide instructions for connecting to the global network via a modem, then go into detail on Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, NetMeeting, and FrontPage Express. Personal Web Server gets better-than-average coverage. Cassel and Hart wrap up with information on attaching a Windows 98 machine to a local area network and installing the operating system on a portable machine. Altogether, you'll find the answers to most fairly basic Windows 98 questions in this book.

The book's style combines step-by-step instructions with explanatory prose, much of which seems to result from the authors' real-life experience and experimentation. A short glossary, questions, answers, and exercises wrap up each chapter. --David Wall