Getting to Know Exchange 2003

One thousand pages of pure modern messaging insight

Thank goodness for tech book publishers and their authors. They don't make immensely complex products simple; they do make immensely complex products understandable.

Sure, a thousand page book is plenty intimidating — you'd have to be a pretty serious hobbyist to commit to such a project. But chances are you're no hobbyist, but a serious Microsoft IT professional. And for Microsoft IT pros, Exchange 2003 is either already in place, and needs tending and tuning, or is on its way (or at least should be).

Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Unleashed fulfills two different missions. It lays a terrific foundation of knowledge of the intricacies of the latest Exchange. At the same time, it is packed with solid hands-on information; you know, configuration, set up, customization, that sort of thing.

There is no messing around in this book, no humor, no real light moments at all. But the writing is clear, and not overly complex. And besides, humor in technology can often miss the mark, and can be far worse than no humor at all.

Migration, how and when, is always a key concern, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Unleashed doesn't disappoint. It is not purely focused on migration like a recent Windows 2003 book by Danielle and Nelson Ruest, but it does offer the basics of why one might want to make the move, and the essence of how to move.

While I slogged my way through the entire tome (I was working on our exclusive PDF Special Report at the time), you don't have to — although the massive effort could make you a total expert. If you need to bone up on certain items, the book is organized to help you find exactly what you need. In fact, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Unleashed includes a 40-page table of contents! No wonder it took four writers to crank this book out.

Meanwhile the index weighs in at 87 pages! Oh my. For less than sixty bucks, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Unleashed offers an awful lot. And first published in December 2003, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Unleashed feels up to date, and could be easily updated to accommodate new service packs.

About the Author

Doug Barney is editorial director of Redmond Channel Partner.

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