DOS For Dummies, 3rd Edition
by Dan Gookin
author of DOS For Dummies, Windows 95 Edition; Word 2000 For WindowsFor Dummies; and the Illustrated Computer Dictionary For Dummies
DOS For Dummies, 3rd Edition
Published by
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Copyright 1999 Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 99-66373
ISBN: 0-7645-0361-8
Manufactured in the United States of America
15 14 13 12 11
About the Author
Dan Gookin got started with computers back in the post slide rule age of computing: 1982. His first intention was to buy a computer to replace his aged and constantly breaking typewriter. Working as slave labor in a restaurant, however, Gookin was unable to afford the full word processor setup and settled on a computer that had a monitor, keyboard, and little else. Soon, his writing career was under way with several submissions to fiction magazines and lots of rejections.
The big break came in 1984 when he began writing about computers. Applying his flair for fiction with a self-taught knowledge of computers, Gookin was able to demystify the subject and explain technology in a relaxed and understandable voice. He even dared to add humor, which eventually won him a column in a local computer magazine.
Eventually Gookins talents came to roost as a ghostwriter at a computer book publishing house. That was followed by an editing position at a San Diego computer magazine. During this time, he also regularly participated on a radio talk show about computers. In addition, Gookin kept writing books about computers, some of which became minor bestsellers.
In 1990, Gookin and IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., connected on an outrageous book idea: a long overdue and original idea for the computer book for the rest of us. What became DOS For Dummies blossomed into an international best-seller with hundreds and thousands of copies in print and many translations.
Today, Gookin still considers himself a writer and computer guru whose job it is to remind everyone that computers are not to be taken too seriously. His approach to computers is light and humorous yet very informative. He knows that the complex beasts are important and can help people become productive and successful. Gookin mixes his knowledge of computers with a unique, dry sense of humor that keeps everyone informed and awake. His favorite quote is, Computers are a notoriously dull subject, but that doesnt mean I have to write about them that way.
Gookins titles for IDG Books Worldwide include the best-selling DOS For Dummies, 1st and 2nd Editions and the Windows 95 Edition; Real Life Windows 95; Word For Windows 95 For Dummies; Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade For Dummies; MORE DOS For Dummies; WordPerfect For Dummies; WordPerfect 6 For Dummies; MORE WordPerfect For Dummies; PCs For Dummies, 1st and 2nd Editions; Word For Windows For Dummies; Word For Windows 6 For Dummies; and all three editions of the Illustrated Computer Dictionary For Dummies. All told, he has written more than 30 books about computers and contributes regularly to DOS Resource Guide, InfoWorld, and PC Computing magazine. Gookin holds a degree in communications from the University of California, San Diego, and lives with his wife and three sons in the as-yet-untamed state of Idaho.
Publishers Acknowledgments
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