Windows XP Secrets

Windows XP Secrets does a fine job of documenting the latest Microsoft operating system, largely because its author assumes that you already know a fair bit about Windows from experience. He seems to figure that you're interested in the features that are new in Windows XP, and also in getting it to look and behave the way you want. As a result, this book combines documentation of the new features with some pretty cool hints--a lot of which you likely would not have found on your own, or bothered to hunt for on the Internet--about the appearance and function of Windows XP. You may gripe a bit about the amount of straight documentation Curt Simmons has included--he explains such pedestrian matters as adding a modem and creating a Windows Media Player playlist--but the obscure hints appear in sufficient number to earn the book its selling price.

Particularly cool is Simmons's affinity for third-party software--especially Tweaki and TweakUI--and the depth of coverage he's given the Registry. He's also earned kudos for paying attention to the command line, which remains the best way to do a lot of work, even in super-graphical Windows XP. This book would be better if it included a table that referred the reader directly to the scattered "SECRET" boxes--which contain a lot of the best factoids. But even without such an index this volume is a good guide to Windows XP for power users. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to install and use Windows XP, with emphasis on interface customization using less obvious configuration settings. Application compatibility, the applets in the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), Registry settings, Internet security, and small-office networking are some of the more interesting areas the author covers.