There are so many reasons to Just Say No to Microsoft—the blue screen of death, Outlook email viruses, the never-ending influx of Windows patches... And yet, with Microsoft owning the lion’s share of the desktop market, how can anyone escape the Beast from Redmond and still function? It’s not as hard as you think, and author Tony Bove is only too happy to show you how to become liberated.

Bove injects a healthy dose of humor into Just Say No to Microsoft, but his objective is sincere: to help you break your Microsoft addiction and free yourself from reliance on its ubiquitous software. After tracing Microsoft's rise from tiny startup to monopolistic juggernaut, Just Say No to Microsoft chronicles how the company's practices have discouraged innovation, stunted competition, and helped foster an environment ripe for viruses, bugs and hackers.

From there, Just Say No to Microsoft outlines the many available replacements for Windows and other Microsoft products, including the Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook), Media Player, and Internet Explorer, and explains why your computing life will be better if you make the switch. With Bove’s thorough explanations of alternative operating systems like Linux and Mac and open source solutions, you can kiss the entire Windows operating system goodbye. And, Bove demonstrates how you’ll be able to interact successfully with your less-fortunate friends and colleagues who are still tied to Microsoft.

With a foreword from PC Magazine columnist John C. Dvorak.

Tony Bove has been in the computer industry since 1976, editing the influential Inside Report on New Media newsletter and writing for magazines including Computer Currents, Nextworld, the Chicago Tribune Sunday Technology section, and NewMedia. He also co-founded and edited Desktop Publishing/Publish magazine and has written 20 books on computing, desktop publishing and multimedia. Offline, Bove plays harmonica and sings classic rock with The Flying Other Brothers band.