Introduction

Need to get your work done quickly and accurately with Windows XP and Office? Then use the keyboard more. The mouse is great for precise graphical operations, but for invoking commands quickly and accurately, the keyboard rules. This book shows you how to make the most of your keyboard by using the keyboard shortcuts built into Windows XP and Office—and by creating your own keyboard shortcuts to supplement those built in.

Who Is This Book For?

This book is for users of Windows XP and Office who want to get their work done more quickly, accurately, and efficiently. That probably means you. Unless you find yourself spending large chunks of your workday staring into space or drumming your fingers to the latest beats while waiting for more work to show up, you can benefit from saving time and effort by using keyboard shortcuts.

This book assumes that you’re familiar with the basics of the applications you’re using, and that you want to use them more efficiently. For example, this book assumes that you know how to start Windows XP, log on and off, run applications, use Windows Explorer, and perform basic file management. Similarly, this book doesn’t tell you what a Word document or an Excel worksheet is, but rather how to create and work in documents and worksheets faster and more efficiently. If you’re looking for a general introduction to Windows XP and Office 2003, consider larger and fuller books such as Windows XP Home Edition: The Complete Reference, Windows XP Professional: The Complete Reference, and Office 2003: The Complete Reference, all published by Osborne.