The aim of this book is to make Linux accessible to everyone. All that is needed to get started is access to a computer and a basic understanding of Windows. The book effectively builds on a reader’s familiarity with a Windows desktop to explain Linux desktop operations. The side-by-side comparison of Windows and Linux should make it easy for beginners to master Linux for everyday use.

The book comes with a Linspire CD that runs the Linux operating system (OS) from the CD without any modifications to the existing Windows OS. The book has very detailed and informative how-to instructions on essential tasks like setting up a digital subscriber line (DSL) or cable modem, setting up a local wireless or wired network, sending email, browsing the Web, creating documents, managing printers, and playing multimedia contents on CDs and DVDs. The book also has a chapter on how to use encryption to keep data and email private.

Permanently installing Linux software is covered in the book’s last chapter. The appendix addresses how to resolve potential installation issues that may occur due to the differences in the basic input/output system (BIOS), hardware, and disk drives of different systems. In addition, the appendix provides a glimpse into the power of shell commands.

The book is very readable, and the author has managed to maintain a reader’s interest by adding insightful information about the pitfalls of open source software, Linux, and Windows. The book also creates a greater awareness about Windows security and privacy issues and how Linux handles them. This book should help anyone who wants to learn how to use Linux. It does a good job of keeping the reader interested while teaching him or her the basics of Linux-based systems.