Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers General Computing Editor, David Wall FEATURED IN THIS E-MAIL: * Just off the Presses: Tool belt PC tricks, tracking the family line online, and the Palm--not just for nerds * What's Hot? General computing bestsellers at press time * Recommended Reading: "Web Style Guide" * Almost Published: Books that are selling before they've even been printed * Featured Reviews: "PDF with Acrobat" * Amazon.com Presents the Best of the Century JUST OFF THE PRESSES ******************** "The Complete PC Upgrade & Maintenance Guide (10th Edition)" by Mark Minasi http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0782126065/entertainmentsit The newly released 10th edition of "The Complete PC Upgrade & Maintenance Guide" is bigger and more comprehensive than ever. Author Mark Minasi has supplemented his highly regarded material on IBM-standard personal computer hardware with information on the latest processors, motherboards, video hardware, and input devices. The result is a very large repository of information--the sort of thing that will help you track down trouble in a hurry. Plus, Minasi includes lots of advice on troubleshooting strategy and good hardware practices. This book holds all the information you need to solve hardware problems or build your own computer from scratch. "Genealogy Online: Millennium Edition" by Elizabeth Powell Crowe http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071351035/entertainmentsit "Genealogy Online: Millennium Edition" takes readers on a tour of online sources of information about family bloodlines. There's a lot of it out there, ranging from scattershot discussions on electronic mailing lists to government archives and commercial search services, and author Elizabeth Powell Crowe explains it all well. With her guidance, you'll find out how to search U.S. Social Security records, how to query the Mormon Church's extensive genealogy database, and how to share family tree information with others. There's also a lot of information about the software that you'll need to connect to the Internet and some advice on participating in online communities constructively. "Palm Computing for Dummies" by Bill Dyszel http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764505815/entertainmentsit They're not just fashion accessories for nerds! The computers of 3Com's Palm series--including the PalmPilot, the Palm III, the Palm V, and the Palm VII-- will make almost anyone's life easier and more fun. "Palm Computing for Dummies" explains the essentials of life with your pocket-size pal, including the graffiti handwriting- recognition system. Bill Dyszel tells how to do virtually everything with the standard Palm software, and documents a lot of add-in applications too (including some that appear on the companion CD-ROM). Interested in connectivity? Dyszel hooks you up with the Palm VII's wireless Internet link and the PalmModem. WHAT'S HOT? *********** At the top of this month's General Computing bestseller list are a story of how one man changed the World (Wide Web), a start-with-the-basics Flash 4 guide, and confidential computer secrets. "Weaving the Web: The Original Design and Ultimate Destiny of the World Wide Web by Its Inventor" by Tim Berners-Lee and Mark Fischetti (contributor) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062515861/entertainmentsit If you can read this review on the World Wide Web (and voice your opinion about his book on Amazon.com), you have Tim Berners-Lee to thank. When you've read his no-nonsense account of how he invented the Web, you'll want to thank him again--for the sheer coolness of his ideas. One day in 1980, Berners-Lee, an Oxford-trained computer consultant, had a random thought: "Suppose all the information stored on computers everywhere were linked?" "Flash 4 for Windows and Macintosh Visual QuickStart Guide" by Katherine Ulrich http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/020135473X/entertainmentsit Flash is a great name for an application; who wouldn't want to add flash to their designs? In practice, Macromedia Flash 4 is a complex set of tools for creating animated and interactive graphics that can be played within most up-to- date Web browsers. "Flash 4 for Windows and Macintosh Visual QuickStart Guide" is a well-paced, thorough introduction to all that this powerful application has to offer. "Personal Computer Secrets" by Bob O'Donnell http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764531336/entertainmentsit Bob O'Donnell has done the personal computer community a favor by writing "Personal Computer Secrets." He's compiled a considerable store of general computing knowledge and presented it in a readable, easy-to-reference format. Users who are beginning to explore the more advanced capabilities of their Windows-based personal computers will appreciate the clarity and depth of this book. Explore our top 50 computer titles, updated weekly: Computers & Internet RECOMMENDED READING: "Web Style Guide" ************************************** "Web Style Guide : Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites" by Patrick J. Lynch, Sarah Horton http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0300076754/entertainmentsit In 160 pages of expert instruction, authors Patrick J. Lynch and Sarah Horton put the essence of the Yale University Center for Advanced Instructional Media's wonderful online site design guide into traditional print. The "Web Style Guide" covers all the basic elements of creating a Web site, and the authors use time- tested, traditional print concepts to clearly illustrate how to make your site interface welcoming and efficient. High-quality illustrations show how to design for overall style and professional appeal. ALMOST PUBLISHED **************** General Computing guides that have garnered the most pre-orders from Amazon.com customers--before they've even been published. "The Photoshop 5.0/5.5 Wow! Book" by Linnea Dayton and Jack Davis Publication date: November 19, 1999 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0201353717/entertainmentsit Users will find techniques and solutions inside "The Photoshop 5.0/5.5 Wow! Book" to navigate quickly and thoroughly through the newest version of the popular image-editing software. Learn how to use the newest features of Photoshop 5 (multiple levels of undo, editable text, enhanced color management, easy-to-apply special effects, extended automation tools) with Davis and Dayton's training (all in full color) on illustration, photo manipulation, special effects, and painting. "Building the Ultimate Game Machine: Configuring, Building, Troubleshooting, and Maintaining Your PC for Maximum Game Performance" by Loyd Case Publication date: November 1999 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789722046/entertainmentsit Gaming hardware expert Loyd Case (contributing editor to "Computing Gaming World Magazine" and "Gamespot") presents techniques in his "Building the Ultimate Game Machine" for boosting your PC's performance in order to make it the ultimate (or close to ultimate) gaming machine. Case covers 3D graphics acceleration, Microsoft DirectX, and Internet gaming to help you learn how to maximize computer performance. FEATURED REVIEWS: "PDF WITH ACROBAT" ************************************ "Pdf With Acrobat 4 (Visual Quickstart Guide)" by Ted Alspach, Jennifer Alspach http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0201354616/entertainmentsit Using the intuitive, highly graphical style that's typical of the books in this series, "PDF with Acrobat: Visual QuickStart Guide" explains how to use the latest version of Adobe's popular Portable Document Format and the tools that exist to support it. Coverage includes Acrobat Reader, Acrobat Distiller, Acrobat PDF Writer, and Acrobat Capture, as well as the Acrobat editor itself. Readers find out how to download Acrobat files from the Web and view them with Acrobat reader, and get full information on how to use the new features of Acrobat 4, including annotations, bookmarks, and document comparisons. AMAZON.COM PRESENTS THE BEST OF THE CENTURY ******************************************* As the century comes to a close, Amazon.com takes a look at the landmarks in books, music, and video of the past 100 years. Selected by our editors, our lists take you decade by decade from the turn of the century all the way to the end of the millennium. But don't just take our word for it; cast your vote for the best book, video, and CD in our best-of-the-millennium poll for your chance to win our customers' 300 favorite music, book, and video titles. Books of the century ****** Give the Perfect Gift -- Get the Perfect Gift Does Aunt Ida send polka CDs when you'd prefer pop? Create an Amazon.com Wish List and save everyone the agony of the unwanted gift. Wish list
Clueless as to what to get your Kentucky cousin for Christmas? Send him an e-card and tell him to set up an Amazon.com Wish List so you can easily find and send him his heart's desire. Wish card ****** You'll find more great books, articles, excerpts, and interviews in Amazon.com's Computers & Internet section at Computers & Internet
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