More Easy Windows 98

Some people learn by observing, and those people are sure to like More Easy Windows 98. Based on the premise that a graphical operating system (one with icons and pointers, rather than typed commands) is best learned visually, this book goes heavy on high-quality illustrations, walking you through key procedures with sequential illustrations not unlike comic strips.

The reader is assumed to have rudimentary knowledge of how to get around in Windows 98 (or Windows 95, which is largely the same thing), so there's no explanation of how the mouse works or anything like that. Rather, Joe Kraynak shows how to customize your computer's appearance and behavior, how to install and use Microsoft Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, and how to troubleshoot problems. Perhaps best of all, there's good coverage of how to connect several Windows 98 computers in a small network so users can share files, printers, and other resources.

Readers may have a few gripes--quite a few of the illustrations are too small, for one thing. More seriously, More Easy Windows 98 assumes you have Active Desktop configured for one-click launching of files and applications, but not everyone's computer is set up this way and new users may be confused by having to double-click when the book says to single-click. But overall, this is a fine visual guide to some of the more subtle capabilities of Windows 98. --David Wall