Product: 0131488724

If you have never been exposed to Linux and you’d like to see what it’s all about, you might want to check out Point & Click Linux! by Robin Miller. It’s a high-level intro to Linux using a bootable Linux CD.

Chapter List: What You Can Do with Linux; Running the SimplyMepis CD; Working with Linux: KDE and KWrite; Installing MEPIS Linux on Your Hard Drive; KPPP - Easy Modem Dialer Application; Mozilla: Your Key to the Internet; Setting Up and Using Mozilla E-mail; Mozilla Web Browser; Making Web Pages with Mozilla; Introduction to OpenOffice.org: Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Slide Presentations, Graphics, and More; OpenOffice.org Writer; OpenOffice.org Presenter; OpenOffice.org Draw; OpenOffice.org Calc: Spreadsheets; OpenOffice.org, Microsoft Office, and StarOffice; CheckBook Tracker - Simple Bookkeeping with Linux; Kopete - IM, IRC, and General Chat; gFTP - An Easy, Powerful FTP Program; K3B - Easy CD Burning Program; The Gimp - Full-featured Graphics Application; Digikam - Importing and Organizing Digital Photos; Games! - Amusements Included with the SimplyMepis CD; Other SimplyMEPIS Applications; Downloading and Installing Software; Cooperating with Windows; Customizing Linux; Dipping a Toe Into the Command-line Waters; Joining the Linux Community; Guide to Other Popular Linux Distributions; Books that Can Help You Become More Proficient with Linux; About MEPIS and the SimplyMEPIS CD; Index

As you can see, this book attempts to cover an enormous amount of ground in 255 pages. And that’s probably why I have a problem with how to rate this book…

On the positive side, if you’ve never had any exposure to Linux and you’re wondering why it’s getting so much attention, this book will help. Since it focuses on the desktop environment and the common productivity applications you’d use within Windows, the average user who wants to know what they can do with Linux. There are lots of screen prints, and you have all the software included in the CD that’s included with the book. On the flip side, it’s very high-level and superficial because it covers so much. Once you’ve read through the book and tried out the CD, you may not ever open the book again. There’s not enough to be a reference guide, and you’ll be able to grasp the material on first pass.

Based on what you’re after, this may or may not be a good book. For pure introduction to desktop Linux, this book will help a lot. Once you’ve read the information (here or somewhere else), there’s not much new here.
Rating: 3
0131488724
Count: 8