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Rating: 
Summary: Good reference for half your A+.
Review: After reading the two excellent reviews for this book, I purchased it to ensure I was ready for the two required A+ tests. That and it was one of the few books at the time which covered the new 220-301 & 302 exam objectives. The only reason I am writing this review is to ensure other A+ certification seekers out there that this book will not be a great deal of help with the OS/220-302 test. $290 is not cheap for an entry level certification and I would hope that anyone prepping for these tests only has to take each test once. On a good note, this book would be a decent PC Hardware Repair Handbook.
The reason it received 3 stars from me was for its weak OS coverage, which is half the certification. When I received the book from Amazon.com, I noticed how short the OS section was compared to the Hardware/Core section. Even the basics of 9x, NT, 2k, and XP cannot be covered in a few short sections like it was done in this book.
I did manage to pass the tests regardless, but my hands on experience and MCSE certification got me through the OS test.
Good luck to all of you!
Rating: 
Summary: Horrible CD Test
Review: Although I found this book to be very informative on all needed A+ certification topics, I was extremely disappointed with the included CD-ROM. The CD-ROM included with this book claims to have practice tests which I was very excited about. The practice exams are horrible. There are terrible misspellings, some incorrect answers, and incorrect questions. Also, there are only 4 practice tests. Two for the first exam, and two for the second exam.
For example, one of the questions asks, "What is the memory address is for the video card? I believe a much better, improved question would be, "On the Reserved (Upper) Memory Map, what is the memory address range for the Video Bios? The choices for this one question are also not good. The correct answer is supposed to be C0000-C7FFF, however it is listed as C000-C7FFF (missing a zero). All of the other choices are also missing letters or zeros.
If you are buying this book as a read-only study guide, you have made the right choice. If you would like a practice test study guide on CD, I would suggest another book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book that goes beyond the exam.
Review: CompTIA has updated the exam for the A+ Certification once again. And once again you are going to have to find a resource that can give you what you need to pass the exam first time. Once again is it time to take a serious look at Chris Crayton's latest release for the help you need. In a little over 850 pages there is more than enough information to give you a great chance of passing both the A+ exams. Crayton's knowledge of the subject matter are second to no one and this release is also a technicians dream book as it is packed with troubleshooting and repair information. The book take on both the hardware and the core exams and [resents that material in a manner that would allow any skill level to grasp and understand what is being presented. I like the organization of the book and how the review is spaced out rather than crammed into each chapter. The book has a cd with over 300 practice questions and this may be a little short as compared to some of the other manual out there. This problem can be fixed in future updates or a link on the website to download more questions. Overall this is a very good place to start and if think you are ready than this might and should be the final prep tool.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best on the subject
Review: While focused toward passing the A+ Certification exam, the practical real-world knowledge included in "The A+ Certification and PC Repair Handbook" is extensive. Hardware is covered very well from the basics of identifying components to diagnosis and repair. The authors even include information on websites with various freeware and shareware programs as well as commercial programs to help diagnose problems and test system equipment. For operating system problems and maintenance they cover most of the versions of Windows (95, 98, ME, 2000, XP). The only one not covered is NT, which is becoming more rare every day. There is no coverage of Linux as a desktop operating system and that is consistent with the A+ Certification exam. All chapters end with a set of typical certification style questions to help make sure you understood the most important points of the chapter. Throughout the book the authors have included excellent photographs, illustrations, and tables with clear labels that make the material understandable and easy to learn. Tutorial exercises are also scattered throughout so you can actually test what you have learned. The book is divided into two distinct parts with Part I actually teaching you what you need to know and Part II organizing it for exam study purposes. Lots of little tips are also scattered throughout the book and help bring years of experience to the reader. In summary, not only does it prepare you well for the exam but also provides an excellent education in PC hardware and basic configuration and maintenance. The included CD-ROM contains, among other things, several videos showing how to do things, and four practice exams. "The A+ Certification and PC Repair Handbook" is highly recommended for anyone who wants a solid basic education in PC repair and maintenance or who is trying to pass the A+ certification.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best on the subject
Review: While focused toward passing the A+ Certification exam, the practical real-world knowledge included in "The A+ Certification and PC Repair Handbook" is extensive. Hardware is covered very well from the basics of identifying components to diagnosis and repair. The authors even include information on websites with various freeware and shareware programs as well as commercial programs to help diagnose problems and test system equipment. For operating system problems and maintenance they cover most of the versions of Windows (95, 98, ME, 2000, XP). The only one not covered is NT, which is becoming more rare every day. There is no coverage of Linux as a desktop operating system and that is consistent with the A+ Certification exam. All chapters end with a set of typical certification style questions to help make sure you understood the most important points of the chapter. Throughout the book the authors have included excellent photographs, illustrations, and tables with clear labels that make the material understandable and easy to learn. Tutorial exercises are also scattered throughout so you can actually test what you have learned. The book is divided into two distinct parts with Part I actually teaching you what you need to know and Part II organizing it for exam study purposes. Lots of little tips are also scattered throughout the book and help bring years of experience to the reader. In summary, not only does it prepare you well for the exam but also provides an excellent education in PC hardware and basic configuration and maintenance. The included CD-ROM contains, among other things, several videos showing how to do things, and four practice exams. "The A+ Certification and PC Repair Handbook" is highly recommended for anyone who wants a solid basic education in PC repair and maintenance or who is trying to pass the A+ certification.
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