Monthly Archives: July 2010
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Syndication
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July 30, 2010
Book Review: “Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Plain & Simple”
By New Signature
“Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Plain & Simple“, by Nancy Muir, is a step-by-step walk-through training guide to the latest version of Microsoft’s presentation creation software.Nancy does an excellent job setting your expectations for the book. She starts off on the right foot with an introduction as her first chapter, where she sets the roadmap for the book and defines what she is intending to accomplish over the following lessons. She also clearly defines the prerequisite knowledge she assumes her audience possesses—which is basically that you need to be proficient using a computer. Nancy extends her clear roadmap by highlighting the goals of each chapter on their respective cover pages. (more…)
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July 21, 2010
Book Review: “Microsoft Outlook 2010 Plain & Simple”
By New Signature
“Microsoft Outlook 2010 Plain & Simple,” written by Jim Boyce, provides a comprehensive, colorful, and easy-to-follow guide to Outlook. The majority of tasks that this book covers could easily be figured out with a bit of trial-and-error or a quick Google search, but this book provides an easy alternative that less tech-savvy people might find comforting. While I did learn some new things about Outlook 2010 when reading through (particularly about its new features in chapter 2: “What’s new in Outlook 2010?”), I found the steps and pictures to be a bit simplistic. Then again, this book is likely not aimed at the IT professional; on page 1, it states that “no computerspeak” will be used. However, the little Tip boxes frequently contained helpful hints and warnings. Another major strength of the book was the layout of the instructions. Each task that the book demonstrates is accompanied by carefully labeled screenshots. In addition, Boyce provides multiple methods to accomplish a given task (whenever possible). Thus, if one approach is not working, this book will probably have another. Overall, this book provides exactly what it states in the title: a plain and simple guide. While not particularly suited for IT professionals, it could be a valuable resource in the hands of a small business owner who wants to get the most out of Outlook 2010. -
Book Review: “Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Best Practices”
By New Signature
“Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Best Practices” is a guide ‘by Exchange geeks for Exchange geeks’. The author worked with the Exchange team when writing this book and drew on the experience of Exchange MVP’s (Most Valuable Professionals).It’s very clear from the beginning that the authors are passionate about the topic and have a firm grasp of the technology involved in Microsoft’s Exchange product as it has developed and matured over the years.
The book is written for people that already have a firm grasp on both Exchange Server and messaging in general. If you are just getting started with Microsoft Exchange administration then there are better books to start with. The book is an investigation into the nuts and bolts of the Exchange Server environment and explains how all of the pieces fit together. Knowing the changes in Hub Transport and Client Access Roles in 2010 and how they were designed go a long way in building and maintaining a proper implementation. (more…)
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July 16, 2010
New Signature Launches Website for Primary Care Progress
By New Signature
New Signature launched the Primary Care Progress website today. New Signature worked with Primary Care Progress to design and build of the website that will help transform America’s healthcare system by providing an online community platform where patients, clinicians and trainees can learn, share, connect, promote, and be inspired. New Signature utilized the WordPress content management system and other third party services, such as MailChimp, to build this dynamic website that utilizes multimedia content, such as video, to communicate its message. The website also integrates with social media, including Facebook and Twitter.