By Mark Brett UIndependent Reviewer

Title: Windows 2000 Pro - The Missing Manual

Author: Sharon Crawford

Publisher: O'Reilly

ISBN: 0-596-00010-3 Price: £ 13.95

Most people would agree Windows 2000 (W2K), is a complex and powerful

operating system, the first of a new generation of desktop operating

systems. The new technology (NT) platforms are scaleable and resilient.

There were limits with the earlier versions of NT, especially the wide

area networking, in terms of domains and the way permissions (trusts)

were shared. W2K has a new architecture based around the Active

Directory Structures (ADS), which is the Microsoft answer to Novell's

Network Directory services (NDS). ADS becomes important for the W2K

Server, to address and handle all shared and networked resources.

The main point is that W2K is a complex operating system, taking up

nearly 800MB! all this power and no manual!!!!

The Missing Manual provides a comprehensive survival guide, explaining as

it goes and illustrated with many screenshots and diagrams. The book

written in clear plain English. The first chapter explains some of the

key differences between Windows 9X and W2K. Things have been moved

around and grouped together differently, the book guide you through

these changes and explains why. Like all new things, it will take

getting used to. Being able to use the book as guide and aid memoir,

which will speed up the learning process. Many of us can't get onto

training courses, the book will help orientate you and make you

productive quickly. Windows 2000, does have comprehensive on-line help

and tutorials, backed up by extensive web resources, the big shift is

the integration of the web right into the desktop in a more pronounced

way than Win 9x. There is still however a place for a book, bed time

reading, cheap quick and portable! some technologies will never get

replaced. My reckoning is that the book will get you out of trouble

to start with and still be useful months later hen you need a quick

answer.