Reviews (5)

Useful to have on hand
I just got a new computer and needed a new Dummies book because I'm a dummy.I have already used this book to solve several problems.Windows XP is quite different from Windows 98 so this is a must have on my desk.Easy to use.

INDISPENSIBLE
Don't know what I would do without a book like this, there are no others available.

Great Book!
Being a total dummy about computers, I bought this book so I could learn to use the Word program included on it.It's just wonderful.You can go page by page for a testbook-lesson esperience, or just look up what you need to do in the index.I would buy this book again if this one were destroyed.I recommend it to you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Word Processing    4. Microcomputer Word Processing Software    5. Microsoft Word    6. Word Processing - General    7. Word Processing - Word    8. Word processing    9. Computers / Word Processing / General   

Editorial Review

Explaining the fundamentals of personal computing to those who wouldrather read words than look at pictures, Read more

Reviews (8)

Outstanding books for beginners!!!!
I was a "dummy" when it came to pc basics. I wanted to know Ram, rom, whats on the motherboard, etc. I wanted to know my Dell 4100 inside and out. Thanks to Mr. Gookin's excellent book, I am on my way to becoming very good friends with the very computer that once intimidated the heck out of me. He talks in, depth (but doesnt go so far as to confuse the beginner with a lot of geek jargon), and with humor, all you need to know about your computer so you can feel confident about using it. Youre not going to be a techinician when youre done with this book, but after reading it, you will be able to go to the local computer store with confidence and talk their language and not get the runaround. If every computer were to come with an instruction book, this one should be it!! Hats off to Dan Gookin and IDG books for such an excellent book. I look forward to reading Upgrading and Fixing Pc's For Dummies next!

Very Good
This is a very handy book to have.It is best for people who have very little experience with computers.

Who's the Dummy
I have been working with computers for a number of years and I am still mystified by all the computer hardware, software, jargon, acronyms, properties, claims, capabilities etc.Most of what I have learned has been through experimentation, reading Dilbert, and pleading for advice.Dan Gookin's book PCs for Dummies has been a great help in demystifying the world of PCs.After breaking down and purchasing this book, I realized just who the "dummy" was.Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - IBM    4. Hardware - Personal Computers - PCs    5. Microcomputers    6. Computers / Personal Computers & Microcomputers / IBM-Compatible    7. PCs (IBM-compatible personal computers)   

Reviews (1)

useful explanations
Possibly the most important things Gookin explains are how to keep an eye on your power consumption when using batteries, and how to hook up to the Internet. These are both usually in the real world context of you travelling to some place. That's why you're getting a laptop, right?
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - IBM    4. Hardware - Personal Computers - PCs    5. Laptop Computers    6. Portable computers    7. Computers / Personal Computers & Microcomputers / IBM-Compatible    8. Personal computers   

Reviews (6)

Excellent for Much More Than Just eBay Photos
Using simple, lo-tech language and a wealth of color photos, this excellent book can teach anyone to arrange, light, photograph and even edit macro (closeup) pictures. I bought it sight unseen on a friend's recommendation, and it's even better than I thought it would be.
My eBay photos will never be the same
Not being a true photographer(strictly for business) I looked through many books hoping I could find one that would help me take better photos for eBay. That's when I stumbled on this little gem. I'm sure this stuff is old hat to photo pros and hobbyists, but to those of us who don't know our f-stops from our brackets, this is a God send. My photos look so much better, that I've gotten compliments from friends and buyers (who'd a thought that!) People ask me what kind of camera I use, settings, etc. and my answer is read "eBay Photos That Sell". If nothing else the chapters of Objective and Subjective photos will help most folks (and don't forget the shower curtain). Simple stuff I know, but it makes all the difference in the world. BUY this book! You won't be disappointed.

Highly Recommended!
If one takes a look at the items up for sale on eBay, many of the items have pictures. Some of them are stock photos from the manufacturer's website, but the great majority of them are amateur photos taken with a digital camera. The photographic quality of eBay is usually on the lower end of the amateur scale, filled with distracting elements, flash reflections and a host of other problems. The goal of this book is to teach the reader how to take product photos that sell.
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Subjects:  1. Computer - Internet    2. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Digital cameras    5. Digital techniques    6. Electronic Commerce    7. Image processing    8. Internet - World Wide Web    9. Photography    10. Techniques - Digital    11. Computers / Internet / General    12. Image processing: graphics (static images)    13. Photographic equipment & techniques   

Reviews (5)

EASY TO READ
This book is very informative ad even enjoyable to read. It has been a big help and explains things so anyone can understand.
Basic But Beautiful
This book is about the very basics of computers, but it completely covers all parts of a computer, inside AND out.

basic information, will help you get started with PCs
This book is aimed at complete beginners, which is not a bad thing; too few computer books really are. It covers the basics of how to use a computer (with an emphisis on the XP OS). Covers basic hardware and software, what part of the computer does what, the difference between an OS and application software (many people don't have a clue) and other basics. It won't make you a computer geek, but it will certainly, for many people, increase thier computer literacy significantly.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Literacy    3. Computers    4. Computers - IBM    5. Hardware - Personal Computers - PCs    6. Microcomputers    7. Reference - Beginner Guides    8. Computers / Personal Computers & Microcomputers / IBM-Compatible    9. Personal computers   

Reviews (1)

Helping Make WORD Better for All
We've bought two copies of this book -- one, for ourselves and one for a relative.We recommend it to all our friends, even those who are quite proficient in using WORD.One learns things that one didn't even know are offered in this software and the helpful suggestions can make writing so much easier, whether for business or for fun. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Word Processing    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Computers - Word Processing    5. Microcomputer Word Processing Software    6. Microsoft Word    7. Word Processing - General    8. Word Processing - Word    9. Word processing    10. Computers / Word Processing / General   

Reviews (4)

I hate raining on the parades
This is a very good book for troubleshooting, and if you think you could use this, you probably could. Do you know how to defrag a hard drive? If not, this is for you (it's easy, really).
Great choice as a first line of reference to fix things...
[2nd edition review]
A must-have book for Windows users!
Containing great humor and experience(!), this book is written mainly for users of Windows XP/ME/and 98, although users of Windows 95/NT/and especially 2000 will find that most of this 1st edition still applies. 2nd edition= XP exclusively. Dan Gookin wrote the original Dos for Dummies book- all Dummies books started with him! Chapters 1-5 cover the basics, with 6-and-on being intense! This is the strength of the book: hands-on, down & dirty problem solving! Solutions include: getting around in Windows; minor irks & quirks; slow PC; audio-video; startup-shutdown; keyboard, mouse, monitor & printer; disk disaster; internet connection; Internet Explorer; Outlook Express; general Windows disruption- too much to list here! (This is mainly a software-related book- for an intro to detailed hardware-related issues, I highly recommend Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies by Andy Rathbone, or for advanced issues Scott Mueller's Upgrading & Repairing PCs). My favorite thing here: Registry Editing 101! Many books mention the Registry- Dan actually walks you through some basic, yet sometimes necessary, editing procedures in a few very specific instances. This is beyond basic info, and is downright technical in nature. It's insane how much information he's crammed into one book! Finishing Chapters include PM- preventive maintenance- for disks in general, and using Backup. I use Norton Ghost for Backup myself- I can't stress enough how great it is! You can get it with Norton AntiVirus too if you purchase SystemWorks 2003 Professional (my favorite!). They're all worth their weight in gold(!). To Dan Gookin: In a good-natured way, I recommend Argument 4 in favor of reinstalling Windows: it brings peace of mind! With all the latest Internet threats today in the news- Viruses, Worms & Spyware- some people just don't trust that their computers are clean & secure without the reinstalling of Windows(!). Of course, with the proper use of disk imaging/backup software, this really shouldn't be an issue, but some people never get around to this kind of PM. Some people may not trust AntiVirus/Spyware apps to work for them, and reinstalling Windows can bring enormous peace of mind. Don't blame me for mentioning it- paranoia can be a powerful thing! Suggestions for next edition: maybe in PM section & Internet disaster prevention, including basic definitions & tips on safe Internet use? Phishing, Pharming, Identity Theft & Email-scams may not *directly* damage computers, but they sure do affect their users(!). Also- How about advanced videogame troubleshooting? Even people with up-to-date hardware experience crashes & restarts during games. In the Windows 2000 Getting Started book, a common solution to blue-screen stop messages is to "Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing". Believe it or not, it worked for me! Far fewer crashes during fast moving video & videogames. These are my best suggestions! Thank you for this incredible & long-overdue book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - General Information    4. Computers - IBM    5. Hardware - Personal Computers - PCs    6. Maintenance and repair    7. Microcomputers    8. Computers / Personal Computers & Microcomputers / IBM-Compatible    9. Personal computers   

Editorial Review

The book that changed the way computer books are written and marketed has come out in a third edition. By and large, it's the same as the previous edition (advances in MS-DOS have not been numerous), but there is some new information here. Further, Read more

Reviews (14)

A Classic
Not so long ago most people did not know how to use a computer. Dan Gookin's "DOS for Dummies" stepped us through the hills and vales of how to use one. For this alone the book deserves respect.
Every Page Another Stupid Joke
The concept in the "...for Dummies" series is to write in a friendly style and give the reader some substantial information along the way.What you get in this waste of paper is tons of useless unfunny attempts at humor with some passing references to DOS along the way.
Good for beginners...
This book was great, but it needed to have more advanced stuff. Heck, I already knew about 68% of the book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Operating Systems    2. Computer Books: Operating Systems    3. Computer operating systems    4. Computers    5. Computers - Operating Systems    6. Dos (Computer Operating System)    7. Internet - General    8. MS-DOS (Computer file)    9. Operating Systems - DOS    10. Operating systems (Computers)    11. PC-DOS (Computer file)    12. Computers / Operating Systems / General    13. DOS   

Editorial Review

Microsoft Word has been around for a long time, but if you are new to computing, Word 2000 can be intimidating. In Read more

Reviews (5)

Useless
I purchased this book just for the information on "section breaks." What little there is, in a word, [bad]. It is therefore totally useless to me .... Here is a quote from that section: Stillstruggling
I found this a little easier to understand and use than "The Complete Idiot's Guide."I don't know what that makes me. It is pitched at a more elementary level and the jokes and cartoons are better. It is more frank about the limitations of Word 2000Neither book deals with the problems of crashes and glitches, and when (and how) you have to telephone the [$$$]-please have-your-credit-card-number-ready line for help. I'm still struggling (having come from Wordperfect for DOS). "Average" sums it up best
This is right on target: bought this not expecting much (I'm not a big fan of the dummy books). My wife wanted to start 'learning the computer' which translated into Word processing. This book really did serve as a good introduction to Word. Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    2. Computers    3. Computers - Word Processing    4. Microcomputer Word Processing Software    5. Microsoft Word    6. Word Processing - General    7. Word Processing - Word    8. Word processing    9. Computers / Word Processing / General    10. Word processing software   

Reviews (5)

Excellent intro or review
If you are a newcomer to C, buy this book.If you are a rusty veteran, like I was -- out of practice with C but wanting to get back in -- buy this book.Start at the beginning, work thru the exercises, and you'll get to a respectable level of sophistication very shortly.Gookin is methodical, thorough, and humorous (without being silly), and covers all the main issues in C including pointers (several good chapters on this one point :-), functions, structures, and linked lists.The examples he gives you to help you thru the coding exercises are clear and easy to follow, and should serve as handy models for you own coding in the future.
a tad bit false advertised......
This is a great book and I learned a lot about programming with it. Dan seems to be a good author, and he takes you through it one step at a time.
The best book for learning C
If you are thinking of learning C then this is the book.Go and buy it. There are a host of other books on C like the classic K&R, How to program in C [Deitel & Deitel], C for Turbo C++ [Robert Lafore], C Primer Plus [Steven Prata] etc., all these books have their own merits as well as draw backs but Dan Gookin's is the very best.Dan teaches C like no other.If pointers or linked lists scare you to death. Have a look in this book! You will see how simply it is explained an executed. Yes, if you want to learn C BUY THIS BOOK!! Thanks Dan.
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Subjects:  1. C (Computer language)    2. C (Computer program language)    3. C (Programming Language)    4. Computer Books: Languages    5. Computers    6. Computers - Languages / Programming    7. Programming Languages - C    8. C & Visual C    9. Computers / Programming Languages / C   

Reviews (3)

I keep it by my computer
This book is full of great information and to the point. I hate books where I think, "Well I'll never need that information." But this book is stocked full of practical and useful computer topics. Stick this book by your computer like I did. I refer to it from time to time and it really helps me.

Quick and Easy
Quick and to the Point! I love this book. No extra verbage, just quick, easy steps to get the job done.

good tips
this book offers many practical tips for everything about pcs. the section on setting up a pc is helpfull. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - General Information    4. Hardware - General    5. Hardware - Personal Computers - General    6. Microcomputer Maintenance And Repair (General)    7. Reference - Beginner Guides    8. Computers / Input-Output Equipment    9. Personal computers   

Reviews (6)

Too Slow
This book isn't bad by any means, but it is just so slow.... from start to 1/2 way through, I found myself reading a page, skipping 2, and doing this for about 1/2 of the book before giving up on it and getting a better suited one for me.Before I Picked this up I had never coded C before, with only general basic and ASM knoledge, it just never moved along like it should have...
Very exxelent introductory book for C
I always wanted to learn the C language because it was the best for game programming. one time i went to the book store and bought this and i read it in less than 3 weeks and i learned a LOT about C and what it has to offer. it is introductory and very comprehensive. i like it a lot because i was learning a lot. i kept trying to read other books but none of those books were as easy to learn as this one. HOWEVER, i already had some backgroud knowledge of programming in the BLITZBASIC language and LIBERTYBASIC and others similiar to those. the only reason why i chose this book is because there weren't any other game programmign books that used one of the BASIC programming languages i mentioned above, and others said that C/C++ were the most common and most powerful languags to use for game programming. so that is probably why i understood it so well. it explains everything in plain english as it says(or a dummy's point of view). however the only reason why i gave this book a 4-star rating is because it was too in-formal for me. and sometimes i couldn't understand somethings because of the humor but i eventually figured it out :). Overall, i think its a great book to buy. note: If your just starting to learn programmign itself, and if you can't understand this book, then buy Game Programming for Teens writen by maneesh seth(i think i spelled it right). you may not want to learn game programming, but it has some very comprehensive information that can get you started. I'm 13 years old and i have been programming for almost 1 year now :).

this should be your first beginners programming book
A common mistake for people teaching themselves C++ programming is to start out with "C++ for Dummies" or "Teach Yourself C++ in 21 days". Those books will leave you confused and fustrated. This is the book you should start out with, dont get into OOP till you have a handle on structured programming syntax. This book will guide you through all of the confusing concepts painlessly and only teach you what you need to know to get past the initial confusion of writing code. I should warn you though that this book does not cover many of the advanced concepts of C like pointers and linked lists and that you are better off buying "C All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies" by the same author which will give you more complete coverage of the C language than this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. C (Computer program language)    2. C (Programming Language)    3. Computer Books And Software    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. Programming Languages - C    7. C & Visual C    8. Computers / Programming Languages / C   

Editorial Review

Dan Gookin's C for Dummies is a two-volume tutorial for beginner C programmers that looks at the basics of programming from the ground up. It moves at a slow, but very logical, pace. If you've ever found traditional C programming books too hard, these two books might be worth a look. The author takes great care in presenting the basics of programming from the ground up and avoids complicated math and syntax wherever possible. The first volume covers the fundamentals of the language, such as basic language constructs, variable types, functions, program logic, looping, and simple console I/O. The second half presents more ANSI C functions, arrays, and strings. Only then does the author take on the difficulties of C pointers. The tutorial closes with some file I/O and the basics of using multi-file projects. Throughout these two books, the author succeeds in making programming fun with a lot of humor (including comics) and as little jargon as possible. The technical information is in there too, between the lines, in separate sections. Each chapter ends with a quiz to make sure you are getting all the basics of programming in C (answers are included at the end of volume two). Plenty of source code is provided for all examples. All in all, this set provides a really successful introduction to C programming, which can succeed where other tutorials fail. If you've been stumped by other introduction to C texts, check out these two books. ... Read more

Reviews (112)

Outdated
Back in the days of poorly written, bloated, snippet-heavy textbooks, Dummies stood out as friendly, approachable, and simple. However, another generation of clearly written introductory programming books, with advanced yet well-explained code, shows that clarity and good writing supercede cartoons and wonky humor. Probably yoru best best in learning C is to borrow several C books from the library, and find the one that best suits your style. Dummies for C may be worth reading, but I selected another book to actually learn from.

Programming and humor. Two things that have never met until this book.
Dan Gookin makes learning C fun & easy with a bunch of humor. This book is STRONGLY recommended for professionals & beginners. You haven't read a book about C until you've read 'C for Dummies'.

How I got started
C for dummies was the first book I purchased (several years ago) to teach myself something about programming a computer. Dan Gookin is a great writer and he even took the time to help with some questions via email as I went through the book.
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Subjects:  1. C (Computer program language)    2. C (Programming Language)    3. Computer Books: Languages    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. Programming Languages - C    7. C & Visual C    8. Computers / Programming Languages / C   

Reviews (1)

Good choice to buy a lot of different products........
Very good and seriuos services. Verygood books and I continue doing business with Amazon in different items. I recommend it.
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Subjects:  1. Computers    2. Computers - Word Processing    3. Microcomputer Word Processing Software    4. Reading materials    5. Spanish    6. Spanish language    7. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction    8. Word Processing - General    9. Word Processing - Word    10. Word processing    11. Computers / Word Processing / General    12. Microsoft Word   

Reviews (2)

More Dos for dummies
If you need a reference book for MS-DOS, this is one of the best. You can learn a lot about DOS -- anything from futzing with the dos prompt to learning how to use batch files. Oh, one more important detail -- you learnthat an elephant's appendix is nearly five feet long :-) The light-heartedapproach is refreshing!

Great book!
This is a great book. I was a complete novis with DOS, and actidently picked up the 2nd version. I began to read it, but it was amazingly simple to understand, even though you are expected to know what was in the firstversion! Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Operating Systems    2. Computers    3. Computers - Operating Systems    4. Dos (Computer Operating System)    5. MS-DOS (Computer file)    6. Operating Systems - DOS    7. Operating Systems - General    8. Operating systems (Computers)    9. PC-DOS (Computer file)    10. DOS   

Subjects:  1. Computer Architecture    2. Computer Architecture - General    3. Computers    4. Computers - General Information    5. Hardware - Personal Computers - General    6. Hardware - Personal Computers - PCs    7. Microcomputers    8. Reading materials    9. Spanish language    10. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction    11. Computers / General    12. Social & Legal Aspects of Computing   

Reviews (7)

Outdated information for you to buy a computer in 2005
Don't depend on this 2005 edition of Buying a Computer FOR DUMMIES to help you to buy a computer in 2005.This book has a lot of outdated information and missed a lot current information.For example:
Excellent but necessarily incomplete
Okay, this is a little tough to explain.This is an EXCELLENT guide for people who need to buy a new home computer or laptop.But it by itself will not be enough to guide those people through the process smoothly. Demystifying the Sacred Computer
Having looked at others, I have to agree that I found Dan Gookin's book to be by far the most helpful in preparing me to buy a computer for the first time. Sure, he didn't mention brand names, but there's plenty of information available from many sources to make that decision after you understand the basics, which he rightly concentrates on. As for Gookin's humor, that is a matter of taste, but I see no contradiction in being humorous, even silly, while at the same time being very serious and knowledgable about this subject. His humor helped put me at ease in a topic that is often scary for the beginner. We need awe and reverence, but they belong to God. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Buyer's Guides    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Computers - General Information    5. Hardware - Personal Computers - General    6. Hardware - Personal Computers - PCs    7. Microcomputer Buying Guides    8. Microcomputers    9. Purchasing    10. Computers / Personal Computers & Microcomputers / IBM-Compatible    11. Consumer guides & advice    12. Personal computers   

Editorial Review

In Read more

Reviews (6)

It helps---sometimes
Plenty of us are still using older version of Microsoft software, and if you're one of those this guide is as good as any. You may spend a little time searching for the answer but it's usually hidden somewhere. The book is helpful in steering neophytes away from fancy but overly complicated or even risky features.

"FOR DUMMIES"? NO, FOR SMART FOLKS WHO COULD USE SOME HELP
I used to have a teacher who'd say, with a wry grin,"The wise man can always play the fool, but the fool can never play the wise man." With that in mind, I have no problem picking up a book about a subject I want to know with "...for Dummies" in the title. The wise man knows his limitations, and the wise man should have a sense of humor.

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Word Processing    2. Computer programs    3. Computers    4. Computers - Word Processing    5. Microcomputer Word Processing Software    6. Microsoft Word    7. Microsoft Word for Windows    8. Word Processing - General    9. Word Processing - Word    10. Word processing    11. Computers / Word Processing / General    12. Word processing software   

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Word Processing    4. Information Storage & Retrieval    5. Microcomputer Spreadsheet Software    6. Microcomputer Word Processing Software    7. Microsoft Excel (Computer file)    8. Microsoft Excel (Computer software)    9. Microsoft Word (Computer software)    10. Spreadsheets - Excel    11. Word Processing - Word    12. Computers / Business Software / General    13. Integrated software packages   

Reviews (1)

Beginners Only Please
When I received my copy of NAKED OFFICE, I was excited to think that I would learn lots of new and different things about Office.I was very disappointed.As someone who has used Word, Excel and PowerPoint for the better part of 20 years, it offered me nothing new.And considering I never use Outlook, there was nothing there for me either.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business    2. Business Software - MSOffice    3. Computer Books: Integrated Systems    4. Computer programs    5. Computers    6. Computers - Integrated Software    7. Integrated software    8. Microcomputer Integrated Application Software    9. Programming - Software Development    10. Computers / Business Software / General    11. Microsoft Office