DOS for Dummies by Dan Gookin

DOS for Dummies Reviews

• 
  Erik

  Ugg, what a difficult book to review. I read this as a sort of refresher for DOS usage on hobby retro computers and it achieved the desired affect of triggering many old memories and gave me some tips I was not aware of. Good, right?
  
  The problem lies with the writing and presentation of the material. Ok, so we are all supposed to be dummies... I get it. The jokes got old pretty darn quick and most were just awful. It was really making it hard to want to finish the book. I also did not like how some of the material was presented, where the author would tell you how to do something, and then tell 3 other ways to do it but that you shouldn't do any of them. When you give folks options, they will choose some of those options... including bad ones. I think explaining the proper way to do something is sufficient for the "dummies" and no need to clutter up their already overwhelmed minds with options both good and bad.
  
  I felt like I should give this a 3 Star grade as it did do what it was supposed to do. But once my mouse pointer hits the three star spot and "You liked it" pops up I get an immediate "No I did not!" mental response. So sorry, best I can do is just an ok 2 Stars.
• 
  David Natiuk

  I just finished reading DOS for Dummies in 2011 - for FUN. I know, I know... that's going to brand me as some silly computer geek, but I'm serious when I say this book is fun on a number of different levels too.
  
  First, the book makes great use of humor throughout, explaining the quirky nature of computers, including plenty of "Do Not Read" references, and twisting computer terms into other meanings: the spacebar is a place to get drinks on Star Trek, the TAB key orders up a fizzy dark beverage, and the cursor is the guy in the room spewing profanities. But it's not a joke book, these kinds of things just pop up amongst the most serious "techie" talk, which is a big part of the charm.
  
  Second, DOS for Dummies was (I believe) the book that launched the entire "Dummies" series of books. The alliteration made it a catchy title (less so of every dummies books ever since) and the use of humor made it VASTLY different from the typical computer books of the day (horrible things really).
  
  Third, it's always interesting to look back into computer history. Technology changes so rapidly it's almost shocking to read about 40MB hard drives, $1,000 printers, and the fear of a computer crash by simply plugging in a mouse while running. DOS really is ancient history, and yet I was a part of it... so I guess history is more fun when you have first-hand knowledge.
  
  I wish they would've kept the humor over the years, but varying authors and much more "serious" knowledge of computers doesn't lend itself to the same level of fun. Still, it would've been great to have titles like "Windows for Wingnuts", "Mozilla for Morons" and "Bejeweled for Blockheads!"
• 
  Bernie4444

  This is really “Computers for Dummies" in disguise
  
  The covers are "DOS for Dummies; however, on further inspection, you will find it also describes how indirect hardware, modems, dealing diskettes, dealing databases, using MS backup of, and the differences between the different DOSs
  
  
• 
  Jacob Owens

  It was an ok book for me. Surprising was pretty hard to follow the steps and what to do and not. I know that some people that know me might think that's shocking to hear me not get something about computers or PC's. It taught me a lot about just the basics of it though which is good. I am going to learn more of the internet and YouTube for better understandable examples.
• 
  Vonn

  I lerned How to Do stuff in DOS
• 
  Craig Bolton

  DOS for Dummies by Dan Gookin (1998)
• 
  Keith

  Read 2000 or 2001