Press releases

Windows 95 Nutshell Guide Released on Windows 98 Release Date

Press release: June 24, 1998

Sebastopol, CA--In a move certain to raise eyebrows, O'Reilly & Associates set the release date for its new book, Windows 95 in a Nutshell for June 25, the official release date of Windows 98. The announcement is especially significant because this is the first book in years personally written by Tim O'Reilly, the publisher whose books have revolutionized computer book publishing with their common-sense approach,depth of detail, and focus on practical information that you can really use.

When asked about the timing of the release, O'Reilly replied with a quote from Mark Twain: "Always do right. You will gratify some people and astonish the rest."

He continued: "Vendors try to create a sense of urgency about upgrades, as if you'll be left behind if you don't buy the latest and greatest version. But at the same time, many of the changes are often fairly like the chrome and tailfin changes that drove the auto industry for years."

"We figured that millions of people will still be using Windows 95 for several years to come. And rather than rushing out a book on Windows 98 based on the beta releases, we figured we'd take some time to use the final version, figure out where the bugs are, and release a really useful Windows 98 book in September, just about when the bookstores are returning all the unsold and now out of date books that were rushed out to meet the initial software release."

"As Tevye says in Fiddler on the Roof, 'Good news will stay, and bad news will refuse to leave.' The things that are good about Windows 98 will still be there three months from now, and we'll have a much better handle on what's bad and how to work around it."

Windows 95 in a Nutshell follows the successful "In a Nutshell" series it is a well-written, no-nonsense guide for sophisticated users that provides:

  • A fast-paced introduction to the operating system for new users
  • Detailed documentation on almost every command and utility available with Windows 95
  • Extensive advice and documentation on system configuration via the Control Panel, system startup files, and the Registry
  • A detailed look at the Win95 architecture, getting you under the hood and showing you how the operating system really works
  • A detailed treatment of Internet access and configuration via Dial-Up Networking
  • A comprehensive "Task Index" cross-reference list, giving shorthand instructions on how to accomplish hundreds of useful tasks
This book cuts through the hype and gives practical details about Windows 95 that you can use every day.

About the Authors:

Tim O'Reilly is founder and president of O'Reilly & Associates. In addition to running the company, he has written numerous books on computer topics, most notably UNIX TextProcessing (with Dale Dougherty; Howard Sams, 1987), Managing UUCP and USENET (with Grace Todino), The X Window System Users' Guide (with Valerie Quercia), and The X Toolkit Intrinsics Programming Manual (with Adrian Nye). As an editor, he has also had a hand in the development of many of the company's other titles. Tim also conceived the award-winning series of travel books published by O'Reilly affiliate Travelers' Tales. Tim graduated from Harvard College in 1975 with a B.A. cum laude in classics. His honors thesis explored the tension between mysticism and logic in Plato's dialogues.

Troy Mott is an editorial project manager for O'Reilly & Associates. He has played an integral role in managing many Windows books through the publishing process, from conception to release. He has degrees in English from California Polytechnic University and Sonoma State University. He is also a freelance writer for a Santa Rosa based finance company and enjoys writing fiction in his spare time.

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Windows 95 in a Nutshell
By Tim O'Reilly & Troy Mott
1st Edition June 1998 (US)
512 pages, 1-56592-316-2, $19.95 ($US)
http://windows.oreilly.com

About O’Reilly

O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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