(Are)在使用过其他版本的Windows之后，(Windows)您是否刚开始使用Windows 7？您是否想要一本内部比外部更大的紧凑型书籍，它几乎解释了第一次遇到Windows 7的(Windows 7)人(everything someone)需要知道的所有内容，而无需与您交谈？您是否喜欢那些对所有基础知识都进行了足够详细说明并说明它们向您展示的所有内容的书籍？如果所有这些问题的答案都是肯定的，那么这本书就是给你的。
涨涨客场
披露：(Disclosure:)我不认为我会喜欢这本书。我更喜欢用大量插图向我详细解释事情的计算机书籍，所以我在自己动手之前就知道我会看到什么，而且我认为这么紧凑的书无法做到工作。我很高兴地报告我的第一个假设是完全错误的。Windows 7：Up and Running专注于基本要素，并为每一步提供清晰的插图
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作者假定读者对以前版本的Windows有经验，主要是Windows XP 或 Windows Vista(XP or Windows Vista)，并且不会花时间解释诸如“这是你的鼠标，这是你的键盘”之类的东西。本书首先详细介绍了Windows 7(Windows 7)版本之间的差异，以及成功安装的系统要求。它为使用Microsoft的Easy Transfer 实用程序从(Easy Transfer utility)Windows XP升级的人们提供了清晰而有用的指南。尽管Easy Transfer绝对名副其实，但我很高兴在安装时看到如此清晰的说明(Windows 7)运行Windows XP的计算机上的(Windows XP)Windows 7。不幸的是，我在安装时没有这本书。
如果您有一台全新的计算机，或者如果您从Windows Vista升级，下一节将说明如何安装Windows 7，因为过程大致相同。但是，我认为错过从Windows Vista(Windows Vista)升级的说明可能有点太容易了-如果您希望保留当前数据，则必须从Windows (within)Vista(Windows Vista)中运行Windows 7安装程序。该信息应该首先出现。作者给出了全新安装的说明，仅用一句话说明了Windows Vista的不同过程，然后回到Windows Vista 安装(Windows Vista installation) 部分结束时的过程。我认为读者更有可能从Windows Vista升级而不是在新硬盘驱动器上安装Windows 7 ，因此从(Windows 7)Windows Vista中运行安装程序而不从磁盘启动的警告应该放在前面和中心而不是两页后。
哦，看，它是新的！
接下来是对Windows 7中所有新功能的描述，旨在向一直使用Windows XP 或 Windows Vista(Windows XP or Windows Vista)的用户展示升级后他们会发现最有用的东西，从任务栏开始，然后继续对Aero及其所有变体的详细说明。（下一章对任务栏和 Aero进行了(taskbar and Aero)更全面的解释。）然后本书简要介绍了(fuller explanation)桌面小工具(Desktop Gadgets)（比Windows Vista中的小工具改进了很多）和新修订的 Windows 内置应用程序（如Paint ）的新版本，写字板(WordPad)和计算器(Calculator). 作者假设人们已经知道如何使用这些应用程序。
导航等
Windows 7 的任务栏已从其前身大幅升级，新功能值得充分解释 - 他们得到了。我绝对欣赏Aero Peek的插图，因为我的电脑太旧，无法充分利用Aero。关于如何将应用程序固定到任务栏的解释也非常有用。几年前，我使用了一个名为Geoworks的程序，它可以让你固定任何菜单，我一直认为Windows不让人们做类似的事情，从而使他们受到了伤害。好吧(Well)，现在Windows 开发(Windows development)已经赶上了，它使界面更加用户友好。跳转列表(Jump Lists)的解释同样有价值。
图书馆之旅
Windows 7：启动并运行(Windows 7: Up and Running)清楚地解释了库(Libraries)的概念，并附有大量插图。这是Microsoft创建的另一项新功能，旨在帮助Windows 7用户更有效地跟踪他们的信息。根据这本书，大多数人没有使用“我的文档”类型的文件夹，而是创建了自己的文件夹。我发现这相当令人惊讶。我认为只是像我这样的老式计算机用户创建了自己的文件夹，而不是使用Microsoft内置的文件夹（我仍然使用几乎相同的目录结构(directory structure)早在 1980 年代后期，我就拥有了我的第一台 PC）。图书馆让人们拥有两全其美的优势 - 他们自己喜欢的文件夹加上一个结构，可以很容易地跟踪你把什么放在哪里。我非常感谢清晰的插图和对图书馆系统(Library system)工作原理的解释。我将立即创建自己的库结构(Library structure)。
去去小工具
我必须说我不是桌面“东西”的粉丝。我只保留了几个图标，更喜欢使用“开始”菜单中的子菜单(Start Menu)来到达我想去的地方。我的Windows Vista 电脑(Windows Vista computer)上的边栏让我抓狂，在我第一次遇到它后我很快就把它关掉了。Windows 7: Up and Running列出了可用的Windows 7 桌面小工具(Desktop Gadgets)，并解释说它们不再局限于边栏(Sidebar)。这给了我一个迹象，表明它们毕竟可能有用。对于不像我一样对桌面内容挑剔的人，小工具(Gadgets)肯定会有用，并且解释使使用它们变得容易。我将自己尝试一些，现在我可以将它们放在我想要的地方。
分享和分享
本书的下一部分专门介绍文件共享和家庭组(HomeGroup)。从明确说明什么是家庭组(HomeGroup)以及如何创建一个适用于您和网络上的其他人的家庭组开始，Windows 7：启动并运行(Windows 7: Up and Running)详细介绍了共享文件、保护您的数据以及控制谁有权访问什么。每个步骤都清楚地说明了您将在屏幕上看到的内容。第一次，共享 USB 连接的打印机变得简单，在同一个家庭组中的计算机之间共享音乐也(HomeGroup)变得简单。当我阅读本节时，我非常清楚我们家到目前为止只有一台Windows 7计算机 -其余使用 Windows XP 或 Mac OS X(rest use Windows XP or Mac OS X) - 所以我将无法利用Windows 7在(Windows 7)网络和文件共享(networking and file sharing)方面的所有改进。然后我发现了专门处理与其他操作系统共享文件的部分，我是一个快乐的露营者。我喜欢在计算机之间来回移动文件，但在将Windows 7计算机集成到我们的家庭网络(home network)方面还没有完全成功。现在我知道它是怎么做的了。我认为仅此部分就值得购买这本书。
安全又可靠
如果没有关于安全性的良好部分，任何关于任何版本的Windows的书都不可能完整。Windows 7: Up and Running用一个相当长的章节解决了这个基本问题，涵盖了相当广泛的主题，其中一些主题并不真正相互关联，尽管它们仍然属于“安全”类别。这并不像听起来那么令人困惑，因为每个安全元素(security element)都得到了清晰的解释，但是这一章本身有些混乱，有些主题乍一看似乎与安全没有任何关系。例如，这本书包括Action Center，因为Action Center处理系统和安全消息(system and security messages)。它解释了如何Action Center消除了许多Windows Vista的视觉混乱以及如何自定义它，如果您愿意，甚至可以将其关闭。下一个主题是使用过Windows Vista的人会非常熟悉的主题，但不一定是好的。微软听取了用户对(Microsoft)Windows Vista极其烦人的用户帐户控制(User Account Control)的抱怨，并消除了最糟糕的问题，使Windows 7比其前身更具吸引力。Windows 7：启动并运行(Windows 7: Up and Running)对用户帐户控制完全公正(User Account Control)的新的，更加用户友好的界面。每个可能的安全级别都有明确的解释。
继续介绍其他与安全相关的内置应用程序，本书指出Windows Vista引入了凭据管理器(Credential Manager)，这是一个安全可靠的地方来存储您的登录名、密码和证书。Windows 7 使其更易于使用，Windows 7：启动并运行(Windows 7: Up and Running)提供了有关其工作原理以及如何自定义以满足您的需要的详细说明。Windows Vista还引入了BitLocker，这是一种驱动器加密应用程序(drive encryption application)，它可以使驱动器的内容更加防窥。Windows 7引入了BitLocker to Go，它允许您加密可移动驱动器。（并非在所有版本中都可用Windows 7 .) 如果您对驱动器安全感兴趣，本节将非常有用。Windows 7: Up and Running还清楚地解释了如何使用NTFS 加密对单个文件和文件夹进行加密(NTFS Encryption)（也并非在所有版本的Windows 7中都可用）。这本书介绍了很多关于Certificates的非常有用的细节，我以前从未见过如此清晰的解释。有一个关于Windows Defender 和 Windows 防火墙(Windows Defender and Windows Firewall)的简要说明。给定(Given)这些防御措施是多么必要，如今，本节可能会更详细一些。没有讨论默认设置或用户是否希望更改它们，也没有解释什么是防火墙。诚然，作者假设您使用过某些以前版本的Windows，但鉴于今天对安全性的重视，这两个内置应用程序应该更详细地讨论。
这些是必不可少的吗？
下一节专门讨论“基本应用程序”。不幸的是，这个标题指的是Windows Live Essentials的组件，这些组件可能真的很重要，也可能不是。出于某种未知原因，Windows Live Essentials未包含在(Windows Live Essentials)Windows 7中，但可以从Microsoft 网站(Microsoft web)免费下载。它包括Messenger、Mail、Photo Gallery、Writer、Family Safety和Movie Maker. 简要描述和说明了每个组件。不要贬低这些非常有用的应用程序，但我认为它们中的任何一个都没有真正使等级成为“必不可少的”，而且显然微软(Microsoft)也有同样的感觉，因为它们不是内置于Windows 7中的。
内置插件
Windows 7 确实包含几个非常有用的应用程序，它们更接近于“必需品”。有截图工具(Tool)（截屏）、录音机(Sound Recorder)、Windows PowerShell（专家用户的脚本语言(scripting language)和命令行应用程序）、照片查看器(Photo Viewer)、光盘映像刻录(Disc Image Burner)机、媒体中心(Media Center)（并非所有版本都可用）、数学输入面板(Math Input Panel)（它可以让您“编写”数学问题）、XPS 查看器(XPS Viewer)（用于使用数字签名创建和签署您的文档——专家的另一个应用程序）、便笺(Sticky Notes)、计算器(Calculator)、写字板(WordPad)、画图(Paint)和媒体播放器(Media Player)。Windows 7: Up and Running为这些应用程序提供了简短的图解说明，但任何想要充分利用它们的人都需要一本更详细的书。尽管如此，查看您手头的内容非常有用，而无需寻找第三方软件。
探索 Internet Explorer
有关Internet Explorer 8(Internet Explorer 8)的章节详细介绍了该浏览器的许多功能，并清楚地说明了它们。微软(Microsoft)听取了用户的意见（并密切关注其他浏览器程序员的工作），并使Internet Explorer 8比以前的版本更加通用。在这里您可以了解智能地址栏(Smart Address bar)、增强(Enhanced)的选项卡式浏览和分组(browsing and grouping)、兼容性视图(Compatibility View)、在页面上(Page)查找(Find)、改进的搜索(Improved search)、网页快讯(Web Slices)、加速器(Accelerators)、InPrivate 浏览(InPrivate Browsing)、InPrivate 过滤(InPrivate Filtering)、建议站点(Suggested Sites)、域突出显示和 SmartScreen 过滤器(Domain highlighting and SmartScreen Filter)。由于其中许多功能是Internet Explorer 8的新功能，或者是对其前身的巨大改进，W indows 7：启动并运行对于任何使用(Windows 7: Up and Running)Internet Explorer的人来说都是一个非常有用的参考。
结交新朋友，保持老朋友
许多个人和企业不愿升级到Windows Vista的原因之一是它与他们的基本软件缺乏兼容性。某些版本的Windows 7（Professional、Ultimate和Enterprise）包括Windows XP Mode，这是Microsoft承认并非每个人都能负担得起所有新软件来搭配全新操作系统(operating system)。Windows XP 模式(Windows XP Mode)可能需要下载和安装 Windows Virtual PC(downloading and installing Windows Virtual PC)，这可能比普通用户愿意尝试的更复杂。使用图解说明Windows 7：启动并运行(Windows 7: Up and Running)，这并不像最初看起来那样令人生畏。本书通过Windows XP Mode的下载、安装和使用(installation and use)，一步一步地引导读者(reader step)。作者还谈到了在使用虚拟机时可能遇到的错误，以及可以做些什么来克服这些错误。Windows Virtual PC的另一个用途是安装其他操作系统。使用Ubuntu Linux(Ubuntu Linux)作为演示。任何有兴趣探索Windows Virtual PC用途的人都想要一本比这更详细的书，但Windows 7：启动并运行(Windows 7: Up and Running)将为读者提供一个良好的开端。
技巧和窍门
本书最后提供了一系列有用的提示和技巧，重点介绍了自定义Windows 7界面、故障排除、使用键盘快捷键、刻录磁盘映像以及在拇指驱动器等可移动媒体上安装Windows 7 。还有一个简短但有用的部分解释了如何将您的计算机设置为双启动Windows 7和Windows XP。本节中包含的一些提示绝对不适用于新的Windows 7用户，我不确定为什么会包含这些提示。在关注基础知识之后，看到包含大量命令行工作的部分似乎很奇怪。
判决
正如我一开始所说，我发现这本书非常有用，因为它以我最擅长的方式解释事物：直截了当的谈话和大量(straightforward talk and lots)的图片。我确实认为某些部分的安排，尤其是安装部分(installation section)，本来可以更好，并不是所有的章节都对所有人有用。但这些都是小问题，对我来说，这本书是一个守护者。Windows 7：启动并运行(Windows 7: Up and Running)对于已经熟悉Windows并且不需要“这是您的鼠标”的人来说是一个极好的资源。它解释了Windows 7简洁并带有大量插图。虽然它确实旨在让读者“启动并运行”，但随着用户获得更多体验并希望探索Windows 7中所有出色的新功能，它当然可以在书架上找到它的位置以供参考。
Book Review - Windows 7 Up and Running
Are you jυst starting out with Wіndows 7, after having used аnother version of Windows? Would yоu like a compact book that's bigger on the inside than on the оutside, and explains just about everythіng someone encoυntering Windows 7 for the first time neеds to know, without talkіng down to you? Do you like books that go into just enough detail about all the basics and illυstrate everything they're showing you? If the answer is yeѕ to all those questions, than this book is for you.
Up, Up and Away
Disclosure: I didn't think I was going to like this book. I prefer computer books that explain things to me in detail with plenty of illustrations so I know what I'm going to see before I take a whack at it myself, and I didn't think a book this compact would be able to do the job. I'm happy to report that my first assumption was dead wrong. Windows 7: Up and Running focuses on the essentials and provides clear illustrations for every step
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The author assumes that the reader has experience with previous versions of Windows, primarily Windows XP or Windows Vista, and doesn't spend time explaining things like "this is your mouse, this is your keyboard," and the like. The book starts by detailing the differences between the versions of Windows 7, and the system requirements for successful installation. It provides a clear and useful guide for people upgrading from Windows XP using Microsoft's Easy Transfer utility. Although Easy Transfer definitely lives up to its name, I would have been happy to have such clearly illustrated instructions in front of me while I was installing Windows 7 on my computer that ran Windows XP. Unfortunately I did not have this book when I was doing the installation.
The next section explains how to install Windows 7 if you've got a brand new computer, or if you're upgrading from Windows Vista, since the procedure is much the same. However, I think it might be a bit too easy to miss the instructions for upgrading from Windows Vista - that you have to run the Windows 7 installer from within Windows Vista if you want your current data to be preserved. That information should have come first. The author gives the instructions for a clean install, with just one sentence noting the different procedure for Windows Vista, and then comes back to the Windows Vista installation process at the end of the section. I think it's more likely that the reader would be upgrading from Windows Vista rather than installing Windows 7 on a new hard drive, so the warning to run the installer from within Windows Vista and not boot from the disk should have been front and center instead of two pages later.
Oh look, it's new!
Next up is a description of all the new features in Windows 7, designed to show people who've been using Windows XP or Windows Vista the kinds of things they'll find most useful after the upgrade, starting with the taskbar and moving on to a well-illustrated explanation of Aero and all its variations. (A fuller explanation of the taskbar and Aero comes in the next chapter.) Then the book talks briefly about Desktop Gadgets (much improved from the ones in Windows Vista) and the newly revised editions of such venerable Windows built-in applications as Paint, WordPad, and the Calculator. The author assumes people already know how to use those applications.
Navigation and more
Windows 7's taskbar has been substantially upgraded from that of its predecessors, and the new features deserve a full explanation - which they get. I definitely appreciated the illustrations of Aero Peek, since my computer is too old to take full advantage of Aero. And the explanation of how to pin applications to the taskbar was very useful as well. Years ago, I used a program called Geoworks that let you pin any menu, and I always thought Windows shortchanged people by not letting them do something like that. Well, now Windows development has caught up, and it makes the interface much more user friendly. The explanation of Jump Lists was equally valuable.
A trip to the Library
Windows 7: Up and Running explains the concept of Libraries clearly, with plenty of illustrations. This is another new feature that Microsoft created to help Windows 7 users keep track of their information more efficiently. According to the book, most people didn't use the "My Documents" type folders but created their own. I found this rather surprising. I thought it was just vintage computer users like me who created their own folders instead of using the ones Microsoft built in (I am still using pretty much the same directory structure I had on my very first PC back in the late 1980s). The Library lets people have the best of both worlds - their own preferred folders plus a structure that makes it easy to keep track of what you've put where. I really appreciated the clear illustrations and the explanation of how the Library system works. I will be creating my own Library structure right away.
Go Go Gadget
I must say that I am not a fan of desktop "stuff." I keep only a few icons on mine, preferring to use sub-menus off the Start Menu to get where I want to go. The Sidebar on my Windows Vista computer drove me nuts and I turned it off pretty quickly after I first encountered it. Windows 7: Up and Running lists the available Windows 7 Desktop Gadgets, and explains that they're not confined to the Sidebar any more. This gave me an indication that they might be useful after all. For people who are not as picky about desktop contents as I am, the Gadgets would definitely be useful and the explanation makes using them easy. I'm going to try out a few myself, now that I can place them where I want.
Share and Share Alike
The next section of the book is dedicated to file sharing and the HomeGroup. Starting with a clear explanation of what a HomeGroup is and how to create one that works for you and the others on your network, Windows 7: Up and Running goes into the specifics of sharing files, protecting your data, and controlling who has access to what. Each step comes with a clear illustration of what you'll see on your screen. For the first time, sharing a USB-connected printer is simple, and sharing music between computers in the same HomeGroup is easy as well. As I read through this section, I was only too aware that our household so far contains only one Windows 7 computer - the rest use Windows XP or Mac OS X - so I would not be able to take advantage of all the Windows 7 improvements in networking and file sharing. Then I spotted the sections that deal specifically with sharing files with those other operating systems and I was a happy camper. I like to move files back and forth between computers and had not been entirely successful in integrating the Windows 7 computer into our home network. Now I know how it's done. I think this section alone would have been worth buying the book for.
Safe and Secure
No book about any version of Windows could be complete without a good section on security. Windows 7: Up and Running approaches this essential issue with a fairly long chapter that covers quite a broad spectrum of topics, some of which aren't really related to each other, although they still fall under the category of "security." This isn't as confusing as it might sound, because each security element is clearly explained, but the chapter itself is somewhat choppy and some topics might not seem to have anything to do with security at first glance. For example, the book includes the Action Center, since Action Center deals with system and security messages. It explains how the Action Center did away with a lot of Windows Vista's visual clutter and how to customize it, or even shut it off if you wish. The next topic is one that people who have been using Windows Vista will be all too familiar with, and not necessarily in a good way. Microsoft listened to users' complaints about Windows Vista's supremely annoying User Account Control and did away with the worst of the irritations, making Windows 7 much more inviting than its predecessor. Windows 7: Up and Running does full justice to the User Account Control's new, more user-friendly interface. Each possible level of security is clearly explained.
Continuing with other security-related built-in applications, the book notes that Windows Vista introduced the Credential Manager, a safe and secure place to store your logins, passwords, and certificates. Windows 7 makes it easier to use, and Windows 7: Up and Running offers a detailed explanation of how it works and how to customize it to suit your needs. Windows Vista also introduced BitLocker, a drive encryption application that could make the contents of your drive much more resistant to prying. Windows 7 introduces BitLocker to Go, which allows you to encrypt removable drives. (It's not available in all versions of Windows 7.) If you're interested in drive security, this section will be very useful. Windows 7: Up and Running also clearly explains how to encrypt individual files and folders with NTFS Encryption (also not available in all versions of Windows 7). The book goes into a lot of very useful detail about Certificates, which I had not seen explained so clearly before. There is a brief explanation of Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. Given how necessary these kinds of defenses are, nowadays, this section could have been a bit more detailed. There is no discussion about the default settings or whether the user might wish to change them, nor an explanation of what a firewall is. Granted, the author assumes experience with some previous version of Windows, but with today's emphasis on security, these two built-in applications should have been discussed in more detail.
Are These Essential?
The next section is devoted to "essential applications." Unfortunately, this title refers to the components of Windows Live Essentials, which may or may not really be essential. Windows Live Essentials is not, for some unknown reason, included with Windows 7, but it's available for free download from the Microsoft web site. It includes Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery, Writer, Family Safety, and Movie Maker. Each component is briefly described and illustrated. Not to disparage these very useful applications, but I don't think any of them really makes the grade as "essential," and apparently Microsoft feels the same, since they're not built into Windows 7.
The Built-Ins
Windows 7 does include several really useful applications that come closer to being "essentials." There is the Snipping Tool (screen capture), Sound Recorder, Windows PowerShell (a scripting language and command-line application for expert users), Photo Viewer, Disc Image Burner, Media Center (not available in all versions), Math Input Panel (which lets you "write" math problems), XPS Viewer (for creating and signing your documents with digital signatures--another application for experts), Sticky Notes, Calculator, WordPad, Paint, and Media Player. Windows 7: Up and Running offers brief, illustrated instructions for these applications, but anyone who wants to make full use of them will want a book that goes into a lot more detail. Still, it's very useful to see what you've got on hand, without having to look for third-party software.
Exploring Internet Explorer
The chapter on Internet Explorer 8 goes into detail about that browser's many features, and illustrates them all clearly. Microsoft listened to its users (and paid close attention to what the other browser programmers were doing) and made Internet Explorer 8 much more versatile than previous editions. Here you can learn about the Smart Address bar, Enhanced tabbed browsing and grouping, Compatibility View, Find on Page, Improved search, Web Slices, Accelerators, InPrivate Browsing, InPrivate Filtering, Suggested Sites, Domain highlighting and SmartScreen Filter. Since many of those features are new to Internet Explorer 8, or are a vast improvement over their predecessors, Windows 7: Up and Running is a very useful reference for anyone who uses Internet Explorer.
Make New Friends, Keep the Old
One reason many individuals and businesses were reluctant to upgrade to Windows Vista was its lack of compatibility with their essential software. Some versions of Windows 7 (Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise) include Windows XP Mode, which is Microsoft's acknowledgement that not everyone can afford all new software to go with an all new operating system. Windows XP Mode may require downloading and installing Windows Virtual PC, which could be more complicated than the average user is willing to attempt. With the illustrated instructions in Windows 7: Up and Running, this is not quite as daunting as it might appear at first. The book takes the reader step by step through the download, installation and use of Windows XP Mode. The author also talks about possible errors one might encounter while using a virtual machine, and what can be done to get past them. And one other use of the Windows Virtual PC is to install other operating systems. Ubuntu Linux is used as a demonstration. Anyone interested in exploring the uses of Windows Virtual PC will want a much more detailed book than this, but Windows 7: Up and Running will give the reader a good beginning.
Tips and Tricks
The book concludes with a selection of useful tips and tricks that focus on customizing the Windows 7 interface, troubleshooting, using keyboard shortcuts, burning disk images and installing Windows 7 on removable media such as thumb drives. There's also a brief but useful section that explains how to set up your computer to dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows XP. Some of the tips contained in this section are definitely not for the new Windows 7 user and I'm not sure why they were included. After focusing on the basics, it seems odd to see a section that includes a lot of command-line work.
Verdict
As I said in the beginning, I found this book extremely useful, since it explains things the way I learn best: straightforward talk and lots of pictures. I do think that the arrangement of some sections, especially the installation section, could have been better, and not all chapters will be useful to all people. But those are minor quibbles, and for me, the book's a keeper. Windows 7: Up and Running is an excellent resource for someone who is already familiar with Windows and doesn't need "this is your mouse" hand-holding. It explains Windows 7 concisely and with plenty of illustrations. While it is indeed designed to get the reader "up and running," it could certainly find its place on a bookshelf for reference, as the user gains more experience and wants to explore all the great new features in Windows 7.
