Inside Windows NT (Microsoft Programming Series)

Rating:
Summary: A must-read for NT systems professionals
Review: David Solomon's long-awaited update to Helen Custer's original survey of the Microsoft Windows NT operating system is an excellent guide to the internals of the operating system for programmers, systems administrators, and other computer professionals. At 500+ pages, it is chock full of great information about NT that is simply unavailable from any other source. Profusely illustrated and full of very good examples. Custer's original "Inside Windows NT" book was always long on self-congratulations (she apparently was the official "historian" of the project), but short on the kinds of detail that makes hackers drool. It was also written to NT version 3, and is now considerably out to date. Solomon's revision is a total rewrite that remedies this situation. The book is current on NT 4.0, and even contains a good chapter on upcoming changes in NT 5.0. This book definitely belongs on any Windows NT programmer's bookshelf. Solomon writes in the introduction that he was given access to NT source code, and he demonstrates how to use the kernel debugger to decipher what is happening inside the operating system. Even so, he manages to keep the presentation lively and informative. He also reports he had access to the NT developers themselves to review what he had written, which guarentees the accuracy of the book. In several areas I found concise explanations of features that other less well-connected authors and experts had written either in a vague or contradictory way. I am very grateful for Solomon's book clearing up the confusion in these areas.

Rating:
Summary: Easy read for kernel coders and managers alike
Review: Inside Windows NT provides an extensive overview of Windows NT, and a high level peak at the internals. Packed with conceptual drawings, this book delves into NT tools and the core system itself.

Written at a time when information about Windows NT internals were hidden or not very well documented (even for those of us who wrote device drivers), this book provided valuable insights.

A valuable and interesting read for professional who must write code for NT or just want to know what goes on under the hood.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book about how Windows NT works inside
Review: Inside Windows NT second edition provides a very extensive overview to the system's internal architecture and implementation. In other words, this book is more like "how it works" than programming documentation. Programmers who seek information on detailed interface definition would find this book disappointing. However, Inside Windows NT second edition reveals some sort of information that system designers would want to have a reference of.

Rating:
Summary: Extensive yet brief
Review: Inside Windows NT second edition provides a very extensive overview to the system's internal architecture and implementation. In other words, this book is more like "how it works" than programming documentation. Programmers who seek information on detailed interface definition would find this book disappointing. However, Inside Windows NT second edition reveals some sort of information that system designers would want to have a reference of.

Rating:
Summary: Easy solid access to many NT core services
Review: This book is absolutely great in its first half. So get an overview, learn about processes and memory management. Don't try on the more advanced topics though. Yes I do recommend this book, there is no good alternative to this important subject.

Another aspect are the practical excercises. They basically boil down to reading a number in some tool. This number corresponds to the just read text. For me this wasn't helpful.

Rating:
Summary: Easy solid access to many NT core services
Review: This book is an absolute must-have, whether you're a programmer or an NT administrator (although the former will get more out of it). The only gripe I have with the book is that the chapter on security is really weak (about 1/3 the length of every other chapter)--if you're looking for a detailed programmatic discussion of NT security, pick up Kevin Miller's "NT Services" (Wrox Press). This book isn't about security per se, but its chapter on security is terrific. Sorry for the digression, Inside WinNT is screaming to sit on your shelf now!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book about how Windows NT works inside
Review: This is one of the books where I have to force myself to stop reading as one interesting a paragraph follows the next. The first few chapters give a general overview of the basic subsystems and how they work together. The information described in these chapters are taken as a basis for the following chapters that each discuss one subsystem.

For a general overview of how a subsystem works the first few pages of a chapter give you the general idea. If you want to know more the chapters will then go deeper.

The book will NOT tell you how to program NT but rather introduce you to the concepts that are working 'under the hood'.

Shortcommings: Sometimes terms are used at the beginning of a chapter that are defined somewhere in the middle of a chapter or in another chapter further into the book. Also the network subsystem is not described at all.