by Tom Anderson
As much as we talk about "intuitive" computers and software, the real fact is that computers are not intuitive at all until a person has used one for a while. New computer owners, booting up their new systems and trying to make sense of what they see, need help. Here are some books that can provide assistance.
Microsoft Office 2000 8 in 1
Joe Habraken's book covers Windows 98 and all the components in Office 2000 Premium, including Access 2000, FrontPage 2000, and PhotoDraw 2000. For the most part, the book is very well thought out and executed. The first section covers Windows 98 and each successive section covers one of the Office 2000 applications. Each section consists of a series of lessons that walk the reader through basic and intermediate tasks of the application.
These tutorials are easy to follow, and progress gradually through the skills needed to use an application effectively. The section on Word, for example, covers styles, tables, columns, and inserting graphics. The discussion on Access discusses what the program is used for, how databases and tables are designed, and continues through queries, reports, and relationships.
Habraken aims the book at beginners with little knowledge of Windows or Office applications, and that audience should find the book very valuable.
Special Edition Using Microsoft Office 2000
The Using books are among the oldest series of computer books. Over the years the series has changed from essential guides to software programs to a collection of texts that approach the programs in different ways. The simple Using is a basic guide to the program (see next review), while the Special Edition series provides advanced material for a more experienced audience.
Special Edition Using Microsoft Office 2000 is written by Ed Bott and Woody Leonhard, two of the more knowledgeable people in the field. Both authors have extensive experience using Office and writing about it, and are willing to criticize Microsoft's design choices, a rare quality among book authors today.
Instead of showing the basics of text formatting or tabs and indents, the authors go straight to customizing the Office interface to make it more efficient. Each section also has tips on customizing the work environment of each application.
The techniques discussed for each program focus on more challenging material: Excel pivot tables and pivot charts, planning meetings in Outlook, and self-running PowerPoint presentations. Scattered throughout the book are hundreds of usage tips, troubleshooting pointers, and "secrets of the Office masters." Extensive cross-referencing makes it easy to find more detail on chosen topics.
The CD-ROM included with the book contains a full, licensed copy of "Woody's Office Power Pack," a popular Office add-in, along with clip art, Word templates, FrontPage themes, and substantial excerpts from several Using books on Office applications.
If you have moved past the beginner books on Office, this is an excellent next step to acquire broader and deeper skills.
Using Microsoft Word 2000
As mentioned above, the basic Using books are aimed at beginners and cover elementary topics. This volume demonstrates that, using the first 160 pages to cover text formatting, spell-checking, saving files and similar subjects.
Tables, styles, and printing constitute the greatest part of the third section. Page layout, footnotes and endnotes, columns, templates, charts and graphics are covered in the context of creating professional documents.
The book's next section covers real-world uses of Word: mail merges, workgroup documents, custom forms, and the like. The authors also discuss using Word with the Internet, and close with a section on customizing and fine-tuning Word. This is a helpful guide for real beginners with Word. Those with some experience, though, would be better off with the Special Edition version.
Microsoft Office 2000 8 in 1
By Joe Habraken
[$44.99, 1072 pages with CD-ROM]
Microsoft Press, 1999
ISBN: 1-57231-934-8
Special Edition Using Microsoft Office 2000
By Ed Bott and Woody Leonhard
[$39.99, 1520 pages with CD-ROM]
Que Books, 1999
ISBN: 0-7897-1842-1
Using Microsoft Word 2000
By Jane Calabria, Dorothy Burke, and Rob Kirkland
Que Books, 1999
[$29.99, 720 pages]
ISDN : 0-7897-1854-5
