Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 16/e

Rating:
Summary: An old companion becomes less necessary
Review: I have purchased three of the last five revisions of this book, and bought the latest as a matter of course when it first became available. It's the first one where I have wished that I had looked at it physically before purchase, because I would have not purchased it had I done so.

For many years, this volume has been an industry standard, on the desktops of tech support personnel, PC purchasing agents, vocational educators, and hobbyists. It has grown like Topsy with each revision, steadily becoming larger and larger as more and more detail regarding newer releases in x86-compatible desktop and mobile CPUs, bus types, form factors, and compatibility issues evolved. However, previous standards are described often in mind-numbing and wordy detail as well. While some editing has taken place, it's not nearly enough.

If you have one of the last two or three editions of this book, don't buy this one. It's just more paper weighing down your already sagging bookshelf. If you are starting from scratch, this may still be a useful book, but be warned: it's a colossal aggregation of data, much of it of historical interest only.

Much of the "legacy" data is of primary interest to embedded systems designers and developers, but Mueller is strictly a desktop person: embedded people will be frustrated with this volume. Also, Mueller is wholly Microsoft-centric, meaning that there is a lot of DOS and NT stuff in here but no Unix, Unix-like (Linux or Free/Open/NetBSD), or embeddable (VxWorks or QNX) information whatsoever. Considering the average Linux user is going to be far more likely to need this type of knowledge than the average Windows user, one gets the idea that Mueller is just not comfortable with or even conversant with other environments than Microsoft and has elected to dodge the issue. Previously there was a "Linux Edition" of the book, where an outside team simply edited out the Microsoft discussion and put in some coverage of Linux video and sound configuration and some generic boilerplate. I find it a little disturbing because one simply can't consider oneself a computing professional in 2004 without a fair level of Unix competency:it just isn't credible.


Although the text is often shovelware, the accompanying DVD is a disappointment as the bundled software for disk testing and partitioning included in previous editions' disks is no longer included. Some previous editions had some very useful stuff including a fully functioning commercial partitioning program.

In my opinion the book should be blue-pencilled down to about 700 pages with much of the remainder put in .pdf format and put on the DVD. Very classy would be providing a DVD and a bootable CD with a live OS enabling network and web access, disk utilities and so forth. We used to highly value the QNX Demo Disk floppies, the images for which are sadly no longer on the excellent QNX website, and perhaps QNX would allow their OS to be used for a flavorful and functional live CD to enable access of the outside world, M$ file systems on hard drives for copying or repair, and formatting and partitioning of hard disks and rewritable media. A DOS-based bootable CD might be less featureful but would at least enable disk repair and file editing and could be made with FreeDOS. Also, given the nature of the work, perhaps printing the book on "Bible paper" with a ruggedized but flexible cover-such as the Machinery's Handbook and other professional reference works-would be a better choice than the current consumer-quality binding used on most Que hardbacks.

Rating:
Summary: Great book:
Review: Good read, interesting information, garenteed that you'll learn something! If your new to computers, you may have a bit of a problem understanding some areas, but for the most part, it can be read by ANYONE. Well worth the money if your looking to increase your knowledge by 10-90% with computers!

Visit www.tech-bb.net for all your FREE technical assistance.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect geek companion, unless you're entirely uninitiated.
Review: Having been suggested to me by a highly respected peer, I was very excited to get this tome (as Mueller refers to it, himself). I haven't finished reading it yet, but the book contains more than enough info on every subject important to building and repairing PCs, unless you wish to become a computer enigneer. If that's the case, I'd recommend this as a good starting point.

Every concievable aspect of PC hardware is covered, from processors, to motherboards, to memory, to storage, to power supplies and cases, keyboards/mice, etc. Everything. It's all explained from the most technical workings of individual aspects of how hardware functions, to how all the various pieces of hardware fit together to form a working system. The level of detail to which Mueller goes is sometimes overwhelming and the organizational method has yet to be fully experienced (both in-chapter and overall), but that's the price you pay when you want to know _everything_ about building and repairing a PC.

Don't buy this book if you're just getting started. It's just too overwhelming. If you're have at least a faint idea of how to build your own computer, then buy it. I can already tell it's indispensible. When you buy it, read it cover to cover twice, and you'll never be in the dark when it comes to PC hardware again.

I'll come back and update my review when I've gotten farther in the book.

Rating:
Summary: An Encyclopedia for your PC
Review: There is a good reason why this book is in its 16th edition. Its massive and reliable coverage of what it takes to repair a PC, or upgrade various parts, continues in the tradition of its predecessors. The rate of change in this field is so great that new editions have to be continuously produced.

To be sure, the average PC user does not want or need such a tome. But there is a sizeable minority of hobbyists to whom this book is directed. It was from such people that were the PC's first audience, in the late 70s. The book harks back to the PC's roots.

Some chapters may see greater use than others. Like that on hard disks. Here is where your data lives, or dies! The chapter has a good explanation of the basic principles of disks. Newer parts, like memory sticks, get good coverage too. Also worth noting is that certain crucial external devices, like hubs and switches, are explained. This reflects the reality that these days, an isolated PC has much less utility than one hooked to the Internet.

By comparison, the chapter on floppy disks is looking increasingly anachronistic. Its presence in future editions may be dubious.

Rating:
Summary: One Word Awesome!!
Review: This book has everything in it and more that most people would want to know about PC Hardware. Your one stop reference. I have the 10th, 12th and now 16th edition. Each edition retains the old as well as adds the latest technologies. It's not something you might read cover to cover one evening but it is a handy reference. If you are a PC Technician or want to be get this book.