Not long ago, a book came in the mail for me to check out. It was Microsoft Windows 7 Unleashed, by Paul McFedries. So, I checked it out.

First of all, let me make one thing clear. If you are a typical end user of Windows 7, you don’t need this book. In other words, if you use Windows like most people use Windows, then this book will seem too technical for you.

If, however, you consider yourself an intermediate to advanced Windows user, this might be a worthy resource for you to check out. If you are the kind of person who messes with your registry for fun, who runs commands via the command prompt, who delves into the nitty-gritty technical aspects of networking, then this book could prove useful.

There are over 700 pages in this book. It is technical. It is straight-forward. This most certainly isn’t a “Dummies” book.

He gets right to the point, too. There is no basic introduction to Windows basics. There is no fluff about the differences between Vista and Windows 7. He gets right to the point, with Chapter 1 about how to customize Windows Explorer.

And that mode flows throughout. He goes through performance optimization, power user tools, security (lots of paper dedicated to this one), troubleshooting, networking and scripting.

Like any computer book like this, it is most certainly NOT meant to be read. It is meant to be referenced. You look for the thing you need, use it, then close the book. And there is a robust index to help you do exactly that.

As you’re no doubt aware, Windows 7 is where its at for the time being (if you’re still a Windows user, that is). It is a good OS, and the advanced people who might have been wary of Vista should make the upgrade to Windows 7.

If you’re a code jockey who likes to delve into the inner geek of Windows, then check out this book. Again, however, if you’re just a typical end user, look elsewhere.

For more, check it out over on Amazon.