当您在封面上有“权威”('definitive')和“终极”('ultimate')这两个词，并且当一本书以“您需要了解的有关 Windows 7 的一切都在这里”('Everything you need to know about Windows 7 is right here')开头时，以非常高的期望开始阅读(reading session)是很正常的。现在，让我们看看William R. Stanek的Windows 7 The Definitive Guide是否符合您的期望。
本书的结构如何
这本书的标题是“专业人士和高级用户的基本资源”('The Essential Resource for Professionals and Power Users')，只要浏览目录，你就会相信这一点。这本书包含五个部分，总计 25 章……而这些章又总计 992 页。没有比这更“明确”的('definitive')了！作者从一开始就澄清了事情，并在前言中写道，这绝不是一本“轻量级的初学者书”('lightweight beginner book')。再说一次，不要绝望！他还说：'If you know what the Start button is and what Internet Explorer is, you're in good shape—please read on!'本书从基础知识开始，例如设置、自定义和调整 Windows 7(Setting Up, Customizing and Tuning Windows 7)，然后继续掌握您的数据和数字媒体(Mastering your Data and Digital Media)、连接和网络(Connecting and Networking)，以及管理和支持 Windows 7(Managing and Supporting Windows 7)，最后以高级技巧和技术(Advanced Tips and Techniques)结束(technology freak)，这一部分会让您兴奋地拍手叫好。
目标听众？
从一开始就有一个小问题。这本书是完整的，是的，但它没有目标读者(target audience)。即使作者一开始就试图设定受众，但本书仍然试图取悦所有人，任何公关指南都教导说，所有受众不可能同时感到高兴。本指南试图回答入门级用户和专业人士的问题，但风险是初学者会失去许多高级功能中非常有用的信息，而专业人士会厌倦阅读他们认为过于简单的内容。
让我举个例子：在本书的第一部分，有一节解释了Windows 7各个版本之间的区别：Starter、Home Basic、Home Premium、Professional、Enterprise 和 Ultimate(Enterprise and Ultimate)。它一步步告诉你如何打开控制面板(Control Panel)并确定你当前使用的是哪个版本的Windows 7，给你快照和很多指示，只是为了在下一页给你一个巨大的不友好的表格，关于使用升级Windows 7 的副本(Using upgrade copies of Windows 7)。示例列表可以继续。在第 6 章(Chapter 6)，探索和搜索您的计算机(Exploring and Searching Your Computer)，这本书会告诉您地址栏(address bar)是什么，以及它的确切位置，并以如下表结束。
因此，公平地说，初学者和高级用户都被邀请阅读本书，但他们都会觉得这本书并不适合他们。
这本书提供了什么
除了这个问题，信息也很丰富。对于入门级功能，有图像和快照来指导读者。第一部分带您了解入门、优化 Windows 7 界面、微调外观、配置软件和自定义硬件设备的基础知识。第二部分继续教您如何探索和搜索您的计算机、使用Internet Explorer 8浏览(Internet Explorer 8)Web、创建媒体库、从外部设备捕获数据、保护数据以及设置打印机、扫描仪和传真机。本书第三部分侧重于网络设置，第四部分主要是关于管理用户帐户、磁盘和驱动器、处理日常维护以及获得帮助和支持。(help and support). 现在很清楚，仅靠“开始”按钮(Start button)的知识不会让您的阅读本书变得非常轻松，让我们进入指南的最后一部分：高级技巧和技巧(Advanced Tips and Techniques)。本部分包含四章：安装和运行 Windows 7(Installing and Running Windows 7)、探索 Windows 启动环境(Exploring the Windows Boot Environment)、在 Windows 7 中使用组策略(Using Group Policy with Windows 7)和掌握 Windows Media Center(Mastering Windows Media Center)。如果你不会说代码，这就是本书的结尾。如果您不害怕等宽的文本块，那么您将在此处感到宾至如归，并且您不会因您可能认为多余的信息而烦恼。
判决
极客(Geeks)会喜欢这本书。它实际上回答了他们在这个操作系统(operating system)上可能遇到的所有问题。此外，这本书写得很好，花时间解释了其中的每一个功能。很好理解，差点推荐给奶奶。但问题就在这里。在将近 1000 页写得很好的信息中，奶奶必须通过一些她永远不会使用的高级功能来了解基础知识。只要她很有耐心，就给她买。如果您喜欢了解有关Windows 7的所有信息，那就是它。如果您不那么好奇，那么一定有一个更简单的指南(simpler guide)供您使用。
Book Review - Windows 7 The Definitive Guide
When уou hаve the words 'definitive' and 'ultimate' on the cover, and when a book begins with 'Everything you need to know about Windows 7 is right here', it's quite normal to start the reading session with very high expectations. Now, let's see if Windows 7 The Definitive Guide, by William R. Stanek, matches your high hopes.
How the book is structured
The book titles itself as 'The Essential Resource for Professionals and Power Users' and, just by browsing the table of contents, you tend to believe that. The book contains five parts, which sum up to 25 chapters… which, in turn, sum up to 992 pages. You can't get more 'definitive' than that! The author clears things from the start and writes in the preface that this in not, by any means, a 'lightweight beginner book'. Then again, don't despair! He also says that 'If you know what the Start button is and what Internet Explorer is, you're in good shape—please read on!' The book starts with the basics, like Setting Up, Customizing and Tuning Windows 7, continues with Mastering your Data and Digital Media, Connecting and Networking, and Managing and Supporting Windows 7, to end with Advanced Tips and Techniques, a section which will make the technology freak in you clap with excitement.
Target audience?
From the start, there is a small problem. The book is complete, yes, but it doesn't have a target audience. Even if the author tries to set the audience in the beginning, the book still tries to please everyone, and any public relations guide teaches that all audiences cannot be happy at the same time. This guide tries to answer both entry-level users and professionals, but the risk is that beginners will lose the very useful information among the many advanced features, while the professionals will get tired of reading stuff they consider simplistic.
Let me give you an example: In the first part of the book, there is a section that explains the differences between the various editions of Windows 7: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. It tells you, step by step, how to open Control Panel and determine which version of Windows 7 you are currently using, giving you snapshots and a lot of indications, just to give you a huge unfriendly table on the next page, about Using upgrade copies of Windows 7. The list of examples can go on. In Chapter 6, Exploring and Searching Your Computer, the book tells you what an address bar is, and where exactly it is located, to end with a table like the one below.
It's fair to say, therefore, that both beginners and advanced users are invited to read this book, but both will get the feeling that it wasn't meant for them.
What the book offers
Aside from this issue, the information is abundant. For the entry-level features, there are images and snapshots to guide the reader along the way. The first part takes you through the basics of getting started, optimizing your Windows 7 interface, fine-tuning the appearance, configuring software and customizing hardware devices. The second part continues by teaching you how to explore and search your computer, navigate the Web using Internet Explorer 8, create media libraries, capture data from external devices, secure data and set-up printers, scanners, and fax machines. The third part of the book focuses on network settings, while the fourth part is mainly about managing user accounts, disks and drives, handling routine maintenance and getting help and support. Now that it's pretty clear that your knowledge about the Start button alone won't make your life with this book very easy, let's get to the final part of the guide: Advanced Tips and Techniques. This part contains four chapters: Installing and Running Windows 7, Exploring the Windows Boot Environment, Using Group Policy with Windows 7 and Mastering Windows Media Center. If you don't speak code, this is the point where the book ends. If you're not scared of constant-width chunks of text, this is the place where you'll feel at home and you won't be annoyed by what you might consider redundant information.
Verdict
Geeks will love this book. It actually answers every question they might have on this operating system. Also, the book is very well written and takes the time to explain every feature there is. It's so comprehensible, that I almost recommended it for grandma. But here lies the problem. In almost 1000 pages of very well written information, grandma would have to slalom through advanced features that she will never use, to get to the basics. Buy it for her if only if she's very patient. If you love to know everything there is about Windows 7, this is it. If you're not so curious, there must be a simpler guide for you out there.
