Excellent coverage of Windows System Programming
590420
Right up front I want to mention that I received a free copy of this book to review.  After reading the book, I would say I would have been more than happy to have paid for it.

Windows System Programming is a great book.  I was really impressed with a number of things about the book, including both its production and its content.

First of all the book is very well designed by Addison-Wesley.  I am reviewing a hard cover edition of the book.  The binding is quite strong and the paper is excellent.  The pages are nicely laid out with very readable text;  just the right size.  It is big enough to be readable, but not so big as to needlessly increase the number of pages in the book.  The editing of the text is also very good.  I can't recall any misspellings or grammatical errors.  (I have read several programming books which contained so many errors that the text was almost impossible to understand).  I also appreciate Johnson Hart's writing style.  He is very thorough while being highly readable.

Now for the content.  I liked the way he compares how Windows with Unix in the area each area of functionality he covers.  Also, he doesn't ignore the standard C/C++ libraries. He explains the difference between them and the native Windows api functions and provides guidance for choosing which to use based on your requirements.

The title of the book is appropriate for the contents.  This books focuses on systems programming on Windows and he spells out the difference between the different versions of Windows where its appropriate.  This is a very practical book.  It focuses on the function calls needed to accomplish system tasks rather than on the low level details of how the operating system works.  This includes file io, memory management - including allocating heaps, memory mapped files, process management and communication, thread management and synchronization, network programming, windows services, and more.  There is also an appendix on Windows - UNIX/LINUX portability and another on performance which compares the results of different methods of handling the same task (like processing multiple files).  From this list you can see that GUI programming is not is not included.

I felt that information was very well organized.  Each chapter focused on a specific aspect of Windows system programming.  It's often impossible to present a topic without other subjects entering in, like security which to some degree affects every aspect of Windows programming.  Johnson did a good job of providing enough information to satisfy, while not loosing the main thread of thought.  Overall, I was very impressed by how well he covered each subject clearly and fully.  He included all the details that are needed to actually be able to write code, while communicating his subject in an engaging and clear manner.

In addition to this, I thought the examples were very clear.  I also liked the way that they were handled.  The book did not print full code for the examples.  It only contained enough of the code to illustrate the point being discussed.  The full code for the examples along with additional examples could be downloaded.  This code contains the complete code for the examples as well as additional useful code.
1199187
This is an excellent book which covers Windows Forms, Microsft .NET's class library for creating the classic windows application. If you see bad reviews for this book, it's because people expected more than what the book promises. This book does an excellent job of covering user interface coding (UI). Note that yes, you can use the designer that comes with VS.net. But you get a wonderful understanding of the underlying code involved, and sooner or later, you will want to either change what the designer codes or create use your knowledge to create new controls.
1314814
As someone familiar with configuring and administering previous versions of Windows Server my initial question was, what value could this book add over simple trial and error?

Firstly, I found this book has an excellent structure that lends itself to the immediate concerns of a system administrator setting up and configuring a new Windows Server install in an infrastructure role (AD, DNS, DHCP etc..). The author provides concise introductory insights to each topic but likewise does not hesitate to take a deep dive into very specific details where relevant and necessary, which I appreciated. Also, all the way through there are practical insights which can save you a bunch of time and effort down the road.

The author uses a enlightening mix of command line, registry & GUI instruction to illustrate the various operations that one might need to perform, all the while providing useful background information on how Windows functions. As Windows Server 2012 R2 in some ways still looks quite familiar to experienced users it could be easy to overlook some of the new features and methods of doing things which are now available. This book does a great job of bringing those new features to light in a way which is relevant to someone who is configuring a new Windows Server install with infrastructure services in mind.

This is a highly practical and insightful guide or reference for anyone looking to configure and install Windows Server 2012 R2 for infrastructure purposes. It's a book I'll be using when configuring a new server, role or wanting to gain insight on a certain feature or behaviour.
3462579
This book describes, in a simple series of steps, how to construct a production-quality runtime system. This includes powerful features like TCP/IP networking, interfacing to native code, and synchronization primitives. Everything that you would expect from a commercial runtime system is presented in explicit detail.

This includes the source code and documentation for a full set of development tools (like a bytecode assembler, symbolic debugger, and binary analyzer).

There is also an extended discussion of how the book's virtual machine can be ported to other platforms. To this end, the author offers a critical path analysis of the development process so that the reader can build their own virtual machine. This is followed by a critical path analysis of the procedures necessary to build an entire operating system!

The author obviously knows what he is doing and is coming from a heavy 80x86 background. There are several points in the book where the author discusses actual hardware implementations of system I/O, paging, and interrupts. You can tell that Barry Brey was the technical editor.

What I liked best was the authors explanation of how object-oriented  concepts are implemented in bytecode. Probably the most concise discussion of exceptions, encapsulation, and inheritance that I have ever seen. Cool.
4366663
This book is done "right" in all the details, it has a lot of contents, well presented, too. It really covers all the practical aspects of the operating system.

The pagination is superb, the information extremely valuable, particularly in those sections dealing with Web connections, setting up hardware devices and managing folders and files.
The language is clear, technical as it needs to be, but also colloquial in such a way that, most of the time, I continue to read past my initial point of interest...

It comes with a CD, which includes the complete eBook and skill-building practice files.  I would recommend this book to everybody, including those operating (no pun itended) at higher level of computer science than the average Joe, such as myself.
290116
Most everyone who uses a personal computer has questions from time to time about its operating system. Even advanced users need some assistance with troubleshooting, and everyone can use a little additional training every once and a while. This reference guide offers both how- to advice on correcting problems and general guidance to help Windows 2000 users better understand the system.

One thing that makes this book a little different from others is the format. It includes bulleted text, screen shots, and other symbols that are typical of a reference book. But it also includes a good amount of reading material to supplement the screen shots and the reference- style text. In this regard, this book is like a study guide, which makes it more useful than other reference books that step you through things but don't explain as well as they should.

I think this guide could be even better if it included more advanced techniques. There is some material about advanced topics, like one would expect with a book that claims it is supposed to help you "master" the subject. But the majority of the guide is for beginners and intermediate students of Windows 2000.

Many reference books exist for users of Windows 2000 and other operating systems, so this guide is not alone. But I think the combined approach of reference book and reading book makes this one of the better guides on the market for understanding and utilizing Windows 2000.
1306581
Mark Minasi is one of the most authoritative figures on Windows. His in-depth coverage of Win 2000 and his simple language make this one of the best books on the subject. I would recomend this book, and anything he writes on any Microsoft Windows product.
1136543
This is the book which gives the Window users tons of information. Robert Cowart must have spent a lot of time for exploring and studying the Window Vista to write this book. He supplies most of the detail I have expected to look for. Moreover, I can learn a lot of new useful functions of Vista which I haven't thought of.

This is an excellent book for Vista users.
1743779
Ordinarily I'm wary of publications that have an accompanying  CD containing source code, especially when the topic concerned is general and covering a large field. All to often the source is specific to a particular platform, and attempts to hide the fact that the actual text in the book is somewhat lacking. In other words, it's frequently not worth the media its written on.
Mr. Sutter, on the other hand, has dealt with the subject of programming embedded systems in a clear, accessible, yet detailed manner. The book is exceptionally well formatted and arranged so that even those new to embedded systems programming can quickly pick up the basics and avoid the most common pitfalls. As for the source, it is extremely well written and support exists for a large number of platforms. Getting the basic "monitor" to run on a new board (provided the CPU is supported) is mainly a matter of modifying a few lines in a few files! You really do get the best of both worlds with this package.
One thing I particularly like about this book is that its generality is offset by Mr. Sutter's ability to precisely define the "lowest common denominator" across all CPU families and explain how a programmer can write powerful yet highly portable code.
In terms of coverage, you need look no further for additional material - this book literally contains everything you need in order to get a system up and running. Even with a completely 'alien' evaluation board, given datasheets and this book by your side you can have a system booting in no time. I have his monitor running on six different boards with processors ranging from SH2 to PPC405. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs to get an embedded system up and running under a tight deadline.
3494422
Ms. Bragg knows her stuff.  This book is a nuts & bolts approach to implementing security on a variety of Windows systems.  The author's "how-to" instructions start with immediate steps to close the holes in Win systems and proceeds to cover all the bases from physical security to communications to PKI, security policies and more.  This book is very inclusive and covers Win systems from 95 through 2003.
The text is well laid out with plenty of screen shots, tables and explanations.  The index makes this a fine reference book.
The book does not get bogged down with a lot of superficial theory and speaks right to the heart of security issues.
2799136
I have been using Windows 7 for over a year now, since it was in beta. I have been able to get around and use the general functionality of Windows 7, but not take advantage of the entire operating system. Windows is a hugely customizable OS. This book, Microsoft Windows 7 Administrator's Reference, covers a huge amount of information about Windows 7. Every aspect of the operating system is covered! This book is great!

I am amazed at how thorough this book is. Everything is explained, down to the Calculator program. First I got a nice introduction to most of the programs built into the program. A general description of what each does was given. Then a thorough guide to installing the operating system in all the various manners possible, followed by methods to push the installation of Windows 7 to multiple computers with greater ease and lots of customization. This can be immensely helpful for those who have to deal with mass installations in a company.

Microsoft Windows 7 Administrator's Reference also includes in-depth information on fully preparing the operating system for a secure and reliable life. Setting up networking, locking down the system and configuring every aspect of how the system runs is all covered in detail. Right down to Internet Explorer options. In addition to this, there is a lot of information on remotely managing servers. The ability to remotely manage servers and automate tasks is immensely useful. I am very happy to see this side of the operating system included, as it could have just left off at managing a single computer. I find that to be one of the key reasons why I really liked this book.

In addition to there being an incredible wealth of knowledge in this book, I found it easy to understand! Everything is explained in an order that will take you through getting to know the basics all the way through advanced and remote customization. It is really set up so someone can pick up this book as a beginner user of Windows 7 and learn how to thoroughly manage Windows 7 in a small business or practically any manner one could want!

I am very happy that I got this book, and I think that anyone looking to have a thorough grasp of the Windows 7 operating system and all of it's awesome new features should give this book a read. It really impressed me!
4910319
This is the best book I've ever read about Windows programming. It has a lot info about native windows programming, and is very easy to understand.
4543389
As a full time system administrator I don't get much chance to program, but on occasion I have to write little utilities that something like Python or Perl might be too slow for.  The problem is that I work on a mixed network of Solaris, AIX, Linux, and Windows machines, and since I'm not a full-time coder it takes me a long time to figure out how to get something working on one machine to work on another.  Write Portable Code has been a great resource and I've already avoided a few potential hair pulling bugs that I didn't even know were bugs!

My only complaint is that it doesn't get into deep details about moving stuff like sockets from Linux to Windows, but if Mr. Hook did this I'm sure the book would be 2000 pages long.

I'm surprised no one has written a book on this topic yet, but I'm glad this one is available now.
2299170
The book covers the fundaments of the Delphi 2005 programming, in an inteligent and clear way. Doing more emphasis in win32 development but not leaving alone to .NET interested.
This book mantain the expected quality for an author like Marco Cantu. An recommended choice for all Delphi developers.
1749951
This book is an excellent general survey of operating systems concepts.  At 941 pages, it packs a lot into those pages.

Apart from a good historical survey of most important issues over 64 years of operating system conceptual history since general purpose commercial computers emerged from the shadows of world war two, it could be criticised as only dealing in depth with Linux and Windows.  Older important sophisticated operating systems such as VMS are mentioned with in almost no depth.

Unpaid Linux programmers looking for good ideas for reuse may have to look to older and other works if looking for ideas of over twenty years standing to reimplement as out-of-patent.

It misdescribes the MS-DOS program loader as an operating system.  But what features does an operating system require at a minimum?  A very good question for any student of computer science!  Read, enjoy, think and consider!  And to get more depth on specific topics of operating system theory, other works will have to be sought out and referenced  ...
4427994
The book, as the title indicates, covers all the basics of using Windows 10. The screen captures and step-by-step instructions on doing any task is helpful. It's not going to be much use to an experienced computer user, but for a beginner, it's very helpful
284091
I've been using Windows Server for a long time, but like any experienced administrator, there are aspects of Windows Server which I simply don't use regularly, or even at all.

This book is excellent for any Windows administrator because it provides a balanced view of all the major Windows Server roles and features.  It doesn't delve into staggering and bewildering depths, but it also doesn't skim the surface.  It provides satisfactory levels of technical and summary content on every aspect of Windows Server, generally proving that while you certainly do know your stuff in the areas you deal with every day, there are always useful things to learn.

It is also an excellent resource for learning about areas of Windows Server which you may not be as familiar with. Written for experienced administrators, the book assumes that while you may not know much about a particular area, you certainly don't need hand-holding to get up to speed quickly.

In Orin's usual style, the tone is friendly and accessible. Personally, I have already learned a few things which I'm going to try in my next server build, and have had my attention drawn to some areas which I'd overlooked, and now want to spend more time with.

Books like this also serve to re-engage Windows administrators with the product they use every day. Keep a copy on your desk - you won't regret it :-)