您可能已经注意到我们的 Windows 7 Inside Out 赠品(Out give-away)。在我们将这本书作为奖品颁发之前，我们认为最好也对其进行审查，以便我们的读者更多地了解他们将获得什么。因此，本文将详细介绍由Ed Bott、Carl Siechert 和 Craig Stinson(Carl Siechert and Craig Stinson)撰写的Windows 7 Inside Out。
注意：(NOTE:)此评论基于电子书版本(eBook version)。我们没有评估还附带 CD 的印刷版。
第一印象 - 正面
我第一次接触这本书是非常积极的。它的一切感觉和看起来都非常专业。它从涵盖您需要的一切的结构开始：安装 Windows 7、管理硬件设备、配置(the structure)网络连接、可视化配置、调整和配置(network connection)操作系统(operating system)的几乎所有方面等。每个页面的设计和布局(design and layout)也做了一个很棒的工作：您在文本和图片(text and pictures)之间取得了很好的平衡，带有重要元素标签的屏幕截图，突出显示重要提示以记住或注意项目的框。
每章=实用内容
我喜欢这本书的一件事是它充满了实用的内容。这与干计算理论无关。一切都得到了很好的解释，您实际上了解了一切是如何工作的，为什么它是这样设计的，以及如何让Windows 7满足您的需求。例如，在第二章（安装和配置 Windows(Installing and Configuring Windows) 7）中，有一个小节提供了有关如何避免在Windows 7中出现(Windows 7)软件兼容性(software compatibility)问题的提示。在详细说明如何安装Windows 7时，它还为无法从Windows 7 DVD启动的用户提供了故障排除页面(DVD) . 此页面提供了非常有用的提示，其中还涵盖了没有DVD ROM 驱动器(DVD Rom drive)可供使用的上网本所有者。在展示如何个性化和配置您的Windows 7之前，本书有一个相当大的章节介绍了如何获得帮助和支持(help and support)。我真的很喜欢这一点，因为很少有书籍和网站能展示这一点。实际上，这让我觉得我们应该开始我们自己的系列文章，关于人们如何获得帮助的 7 个教程。谢谢你，埃德！🙂 这本书的另一个积极方面是，在每一章中，都有一些特殊的部分分享了有关如何调整Windows 7不同方面的重要提示（使“发送到”('Send To') 菜单显示(menu show)更多选项，创建已安装驱动程序的详细清单等）或有关应避免做什么的重要注意事项。此外，本书的作者毫不犹豫地涵盖了操作系统中(operating system)更具争议性但非常有趣的方面，例如数字版权管理(Digital Rights Management)( DRM ) 以及如何使用（和围绕）它。即使对于像我这样已经测试和编写Windows教程近 4 年的高级用户(power user)来说，阅读本章也提供了一些有趣的见解。
真正的专家揭穿神话
我们一直在尝试使用 Windows 7 正版帮助系列做的一件事是公开(Windows 7)谈论(Genuine Help)提供真正Windows 7帮助的网站和发布未经测试提示的网站。我们厌倦了浏览这么多假装提供专家建议的低水平网站和电子书，而它们只提供破坏您的计算体验的“提示”。看到 Ed、Carl 和 Craig(Carl and Craig)站在好的一边，而且他们的力量很强，这令人耳目一新。时不时地，您会看到他们揭穿一些关于Windows的常见神话。我最喜欢的是：
我必须承认，在某个时间点，我实际上相信了神话2(number 2)。我很幸运，同时实际经验证明我错了。他们提供的解释非常合乎逻辑并且很有意义。在阅读它们时，您可以很容易地看到作者知道他们在说什么，并且他们只提供经过测试并证明有效的技巧。
改善领域
关于改进领域 - 几乎没有什么可说的。如果您是初学者，您可能需要更深入的说明和屏幕截图。作者确实以专业的方式解释了一切，但他们并没有逐个告诉你你需要做什么。如果您是计算和Windows 7的初学者，那么这本书会有点高级，您会觉得需要更详细的说明。Windows 7 Inside Out不想成为Windows 7的初学者指南，而是为那些真正想了解这个新操作系统的熟悉计算机和(operating system)Windows的人提供深入的指南。除此之外，没有什么可以“改进”的——这本书写得很好。
判决
本书的最终好处是您将真正了解Windows 7、它的功能以及它的工作原理。如果您是超级用户类型或想成为其中的一员，那么这本书是必须购买(MUST BUY)的。我很少遇到写得这么好的技术书籍。如果您是计算初学者或真正的系统管理员(system admin)，具有丰富的经验，那么这本书可能不是那么好。即便如此，我仍然相信您会找到比您想象的更多的有用信息。
Book Review - Windows 7 Inside Out
You might have noticed our Windows 7 Inside Out give-away. Βefore we give the book as prizes, we've thoυght it would be good to also review it, so that our readers know more abоut what they will get. Therefоre, this article will look in detail at Windows 7 Inside Out, written by Ed Bott, Carl Siechert and Craig Stinson.
NOTE: this review is based on the eBook version. We did not evaluate the printed copy which also comes with a CD.
First Impressions - Positive
My first contact with the book was very positive. Everything about it feels and looks very professional. It starts with the structure which covers everything you need: installing Windows 7, managing hardware devices, configuring your network connection, visual configuration, tweaking and configuring almost every aspect of the operating system, etc. The design and layout of each page also does a great job: you have a pretty good balance between text and pictures, screenshots with labels for the important elements, boxes which stand out and highlight important tips to remember or caution items.
Every Chapter = Practical Content
One of the things I loved about the book is the fact that it is filled with practical content. It is not about dry computing theory. Everything is very well explained and you actually understand how everything works, why it was designed the way it is and how to make Windows 7 do what you need. For example, in the second chapter (Installing and Configuring Windows 7), there is a subsection offering tips on how to avoid software compatibility problems in Windows 7. When detailing how to install Windows 7, it also has a troubleshooting page for people who cannot boot from their Windows 7 DVD. This page has really useful tips which also covers netbook owners which don't have a DVD Rom drive available for use. Before showing how to personalize and configure your Windows 7, the book has a pretty big chapter about how to obtain help and support. I really loved this, as very few books and websites show this. Actually, it made me think that we should start our own series of articles on 7 Tutorials about how people can get help. Thanks for that, Ed! 🙂 Another positive thing about the book is the fact that, in each chapter, there are special sections which share great tips about how to tweak different aspects of Windows 7 (making the 'Send To' menu show more options, creating a detailed inventory of installed drivers, etc.) or important watch-outs about what to avoid doing. Also, the authors of the book did not hesitate covering more controversial but very interesting aspects of the operating system, such as Digital Rights Management (DRM) and how to work with (and around) it. Reading this chapter provided some interesting insights even for a power user like me, who's been testing and writing Windows tutorials for almost 4 years.
True Experts Debunking Myths
One of the things we've been trying to do with our Genuine Help for Windows 7 series, was to openly talk about the sites which offer true Windows 7 help and those which publish untested tips. We are tired of browsing through so many subpar websites and eBooks which pretend to offer expert advice and they only offer "tips" which ruin your computing experience. It was refreshing to see that Ed, Carl and Craig are on the good side and the force is strong with them. Every now and then, you will see them debunking a few common myths about Windows. The ones I enjoyed most are:
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Myth #1: If your computer has a large amount of memory installed, you should eliminate your page file completely.
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Myth #2: Creating a page file of a fixed size improves performance.
I must admit that, at some point in time, I actually believed in myth number 2. I was lucky actual experience proved me wrong in the meantime. The explanations they offer are very logical and make lots of sense. While reading them, you can easily see that the authors know what they are talking about and they offer only tips which are tested and proved to work.
Improvement Areas
Regarding improvement areas - there is very little to tell. If you are a beginner, you might need even more in-depth instructions and screenshots. The authors do explain everything in a professional manner, but they don't show you button by button what you need to do. If you are a beginner to computing and Windows 7, then the book will be a bit advanced and you will feel the need for more detailed instructions. Windows 7 Inside Out doesn't want to be a beginner's guide to Windows 7 but rather an in-depth guide for people familiar with computers and Windows, who really want to understand this new operating system. Except this, there's not much that can be 'improved' - the book is very well written.
Verdict
The ultimate benefit of this book is that you will gain a true understanding of Windows 7, its features and how it works. If you are the power-user type or want to become one, then this book is a MUST BUY. I've encountered very few technical books which are so well written. If you are a beginner in computing or a true system admin with lots of experience, then this book might not be that great. Even so, I still believe you'll find more useful information than you would think.
