| "Just Say No To Microsoft" is entertaining, provocative, and great fun to read, but it's also packed with practical information about alternative operating systems and programs that will help Microsoft captives exercise their freedom of choice. After tracing Microsoft's rise from tiny startup to monopolistic juggernaut, "Just Say No To Microsoft" chronicles how the company's practices have discouraged innovation, stunted competition, and helped foster an environment ripe for viruses, bugs, and hackers. From there, Bove examines other operating systems, such as Linux and Macintosh, and Microsoft Office alternatives that will keep readers productive and able to interact with their Microsoft-using colleagues and friends without missing a beat.
"The shortcomings and risks of Microsoft products have made tech headlines for years, but many users stick with Windows and Microsoft Office simply because they don't know what else to try or what the alternatives are," said Bill Pollock, founder of No Starch Press. "'Just Say No To Microsoft' is a valuable resource because, in addition to explaining why and how Microsoft does what it does, it offers real alternatives. There's no reason to be a frustrated Microsoft customer anymore."
Inside Just Say No To Microsoft, readers will find:
-The history of Microsoft and its dominance of the software industry
-Thorough discussions of Linux, OpenOffice.org, Macintosh, and other Microsoft alternatives
-Freeware, open source, and other programs that can replace the buggy, virus-prone Microsoft Office suite
-Bove's "12 Steps To Freedom" for kicking the Microsoft addiction and living a clean computing life
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tony Bove has been in the computer industry since 1976, editing the influential Inside Report on New Media newsletter and writing for magazines including Computer Currents, Nextworld, the Chicago Tribune Sunday Technology section, and NewMedia. He also co-founded and edited Desktop Publishing/Publish magazine and has written 20 books on computing, desktop publishing, and multimedia. Offline, Bove plays harmonica and sings classic rock with The Flying Other Brothers band.
Title: Just Say No to Microsoft
Author: Tony Bove
Published: October 2005
Publisher: No Starch Press
Pages: 256
Price: USD24.95
ISBN: 1-59327-064-X
Publisher URL: http://www.nostarch.com
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