Microsoft Windows XP Professional Resource Kit Documentation

Rating:
Summary: Not the Windows XP Resource Toolkit
Review: As far as I am concerned a Resource Toolkit contains technical information and a lot of additional tools. I didn't dream this definition up myself, it comes from Microsoft and their excellent Resource Toolkits for NT and 2000. This book is a user manual for XP. It isn't a bad user guide but I wanted a Resource Kit hence the one star.

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Summary: For those of us new to XP this book really helps.
Review: As is the custom with Microsoft they ship a new Operating System and shortly there after they print a detailed reference book to breakdown the OS for both the technician and the administrator, so it is true with Windows XP Professional.

This 1700 page must have reference manual covers both Windows XP Professional 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the new system. I think there should have bee more coverage the XP Home version to make this the complete go to reference.

Broken down into seven parts Part I is for deployment and the strategy involved with deployment. Part II is Desktop support including backups, printing, faxing, mobile user support, disk and file management and maintenance.

Part III gives you a detailed look at the security, encryption and authentication policies and procedures for XP. Part IV is dedicated to the networking side of XP with areas like DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP, remote users and offices and network connections.

Part V is how to get XP to work with other Network Operating Systems like UNIX and Novell. Part VI is the troubleshooting section and the breakdown here is very good, every technician should be reading this section several times.

Finally Part VII the Appendices covering User Rights, Error Messages, Error Codes, and a comprehensive layout of the 64-bit version of XP as compared to the 32-bit version. The nice thing about this book is you can use it to study for the new Microsoft exam for Windows XP Professional. Overall excellent work something I have come to expect.

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Summary: Severly Dissapointed
Review: I purchased this book thinking it would be like many of the other resource kits Microsoft makes. Boy was I wrong! For starters the book has incomplete or erroneous information. It is apparent that this book was written before the product was released. It's level of information is geared more towards the beginner-intermediate audience. The most glaring deficiency is the TOTAL absence of ANY software tools! All you get on the CD is an HTML copy of the book! So if your looking for that utility that lets you migrate print services, or any scripts, you came to the wrong place! I think this one will leave a bitter taste in the mouth of many other MCSE's also! This would have been more appropriate as RUNNING WINDWOS XP , than the resource kit! Save you money if your an admin you can do with out this one.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing for a RSK
Review: I've read the RSKs for Windows 95, 98, NT4 and 2000, and this one is pretty disappointing. As a user's guide, this would have been fantastic, but as a resource to system administrators that need to know the nuts and bolts of the OS, it leaves a lot to be desired. On many occasions I have found that information I really needed to know about was not covered sufficiently to solve my problem or answer my question, and I had to resort to the Microsoft Knowledge Base or other on-line articles for the answers.

The publication also seems very rushed, and perhaps completed before the release version of the OS was finished. Many screen shots depict tabs that aren't there and informational paragraphs reference components that don't exist or were merged with something else. The organization seems a little rough, and the index does not always prove helpful.

Perhaps one of the problems was that unlike most RSKs, there are no additional resources/tools that come with this one. The included CD-ROM contains nothing more than the book in their HTML Help (CHM) format.

If you're looking for something that shows you how to use the OS, this is a great title. If you're looking for something that will really get your hands dirty and let you perform serious administration, you may want to look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing for a RSK
Review: I've read the RSKs for Windows 95, 98, NT4 and 2000, and this one is pretty disappointing. As a user's guide, this would have been fantastic, but as a resource to system administrators that need to know the nuts and bolts of the OS, it leaves a lot to be desired. On many occasions I have found that information I really needed to know about was not covered sufficiently to solve my problem or answer my question, and I had to resort to the Microsoft Knowledge Base or other on-line articles for the answers.

The publication also seems very rushed, and perhaps completed before the release version of the OS was finished. Many screen shots depict tabs that aren't there and informational paragraphs reference components that don't exist or were merged with something else. The organization seems a little rough, and the index does not always prove helpful.

Perhaps one of the problems was that unlike most RSKs, there are no additional resources/tools that come with this one. The included CD-ROM contains nothing more than the book in their HTML Help (CHM) format.

If you're looking for something that shows you how to use the OS, this is a great title. If you're looking for something that will really get your hands dirty and let you perform serious administration, you may want to look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Material, Poor Use of Medium
Review: My experience with the Windows XP Professional Resource Kit is mixed. Obeying the directive to accentuate the positive, I will first get the negative comments out of the way.

I wish I could have bought just the CD and saved all the paper used to print the book. There is nothing in print that cannot be found in the CD. What is missing from the disc are all the tools Microsoft previously included with Resource Kits that allowed you to truly exploit the operating system and tweak it to your version of perfection. If this documentation were available without the book, Microsoft could drastically reduce the price and make this Resource Kit much more affordable. Given Microsoft's push to make everything digital, I'm surprised the printed book is offered at all.

The information presented, either on the CD or in print, is very complete and it is hard to find fault with the information presented. Some people may be put off by the opening chapters, which deal with the absolute basics of installations and such, yet I would defend its inclusion. There are probably buyers of this product that are beginners and this information will be valuable to them.

No new ground is broken with the documentation because, despite the hype, XP is not all that revolutionary. The information in the chapters will ease the transition of casual users to this new operating system and provide in depth information to those who need it. The Resource Kit, however, is not a How To manual for complete computer novices. Some degree of familiarity with computer operation is presumed, even if you are a previous Windows 98 home user migrating to Windows XP. To truly benefit form this Resource Kit you should be a seasoned computer user, comfortable with tinkering with registry settings, network settings and other advanced features.

While the documentation is titled XP Professional, the text goes a long way to explain that XP Home is essentially the same operating system as the Professional Version with the exception of some advanced networking features. Any functionality issues with XP Home will be covered in this book by referencing the same feature in the Professional version and solved in the same way. This is very nice to IT Support personnel and related professionals.

Overall, I am very pleased with the information in the set. I am disappointed in the presentation. Next time, I'd like to see two versions offered: just the CD and just the printed book. This would allow the pricing to be reduced and users would be able to purchase only the format they will get the most use from.

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Summary: Microsoft Press never changes
Review: This book is no different than any other book that Microsoft Press has released. They cover every topic that is useful but they cover it vaguely. If you worked with a Win2k OS than buying this book is pointless. I think that if you had just upgraded from win95/9x than you would gain some information that is useful. If your a tekkie than this book would reflect poorly on your IT library! Come on Micosoft uleash some real Information and leave the gerneral Info to the Dummy Books!