A+ Certification Study Guide, Fifth Edition (Certification Press)

Rating:
Summary: For the love of God, don't buy this book!
Review: I starting working on computers in 1991 and own over 40 computer review books and without a doubt, "A+ Certification Study Guide, Fifth Edition" by Michael Pastore is the worst I have ever read!

To begin with, there is a mother-load of inaccurate, misleading and down right false information in this book.

Example 1: "What is the maximum recommended length of an IEEE 1284 cable (printer cable)?" Pastore answers, 6 feet. WRONG, try 10 meters. There's one missed question.

Example 2: "How does one upgrade a laptop's RAM?" Pastore answers, "Send the laptop back to the manufacturer, since most laptops don't allow the user to access RAM." WRONG, in fact almost all modern laptops allow access to RAM.

Example 3: "Is there any special cables or adapters necessary to upgrade a video card designed for CRT monitors to a modern flat panel monitor?" Pastore answers: No, CRTs and Flat Panels use the same adapters. WRONG, most modern flat panel monitors require a digital signal that uses a different adapter or cable, while CRTs are analog.

I could go on and on since the errors in this book are so numerous, but that wouldn't allow me to tell you about the extremely poor revision the book has undergone. Most "new" additions contain a fair amount of information from earlier editions that have been revised and updated. Well, while some information has been updated, the outdated information still remains. This creates the odd situation where Pastore frequently contradicts himself a few pages later after making an earlier claim.

Lastly, I'll share with you one final criticism, as the length of my evisceration in limited. Pastore's book is one of the most incompetently edited and published books I've ever seen. In the preface, under the, "In This Book:" section, Pastore actually infers that this is an MCSE review book and begins to talk about how MCSEs are administered through Sylvan Learning Centers. It looks like someone was using a template from an earlier book and forgot to update it... and of course the editors didn't catch it either.

In conclusion, this is another hastily released, poorly edited, inaccurate and incomplete flop written by Pastore and pushed through by Osborne. Shame on both McGraw-Hill/Osborne and Michael Pastore. There isn't even an errata page available from the publisher.

Rating:
Summary: For the love of God, don't buy this book!
Review: I starting working on computers in 1991 and own over 40 computer review books and without a doubt, "A+ Certification Study Guide, Fifth Edition" by Michael Pastore is the worst I have ever read!

To begin with, there is a mother-load of inaccurate, misleading and down right false information in this book.

Example 1: "What is the maximum recommended length of an IEEE 1284 cable (printer cable)?" Pastore answers, 6 feet. WRONG, try 10 meters. There's one missed question.

Example 2: "How does one upgrade a laptop's RAM?" Pastore answers, "Send the laptop back to the manufacturer, since most laptops don't allow the user to access RAM." WRONG, in fact almost all modern laptops allow access to RAM.

Example 3: "Is there any special cables or adapters necessary to upgrade a video card designed for CRT monitors to a modern flat panel monitor?" Pastore answers: No, CRTs and Flat Panels use the same adapters. WRONG, most modern flat panel monitors require a digital signal that uses a different adapter or cable, while CRTs are analog.

I could go on and on since the errors in this book are so numerous, but that wouldn't allow me to tell you about the extremely poor revision the book has undergone. Most "new" additions contain a fair amount of information from earlier editions that have been revised and updated. Well, while some information has been updated, the outdated information still remains. This creates the odd situation where Pastore frequently contradicts himself a few pages later after making an earlier claim.

Lastly, I'll share with you one final criticism, as the length of my evisceration in limited. Pastore's book is one of the most incompetently edited and published books I've ever seen. In the preface, under the, "In This Book:" section, Pastore actually infers that this is an MCSE review book and begins to talk about how MCSEs are administered through Sylvan Learning Centers. It looks like someone was using a template from an earlier book and forgot to update it... and of course the editors didn't catch it either.

In conclusion, this is another hastily released, poorly edited, inaccurate and incomplete flop written by Pastore and pushed through by Osborne. Shame on both McGraw-Hill/Osborne and Michael Pastore. There isn't even an errata page available from the publisher.

Rating:
Summary: This book has a definite potential
Review: Over the past 15 years the one thing that I have noticed about the A+ exam books is that authors covered one section more than another. Another thing I have noticed is that in order to be a useful guide the book has to be written in a logical order and have plenty of exercises. This book is a good tool for the new A+ exams.

Seeing how CompTIA did not release beta of the exams this time, most books have been release after the exam was out. This book does cover the objectives but in the OS section for example, there is no mention of the ME OS. Also there are over 50 labs, which should provide good material to learn from.

Coverage of Printers and networking is very good and I have used some of the materials in my A+ class that I am currently teaching. Another plus for the book is the color photos, about 25 or so of them, something I have not seen in any other A+ book. The color pictures aid in the understanding as you get to see the actual part.

A couple of small things to add is number conversions, while the book does breakdown hexadecimal a little bit there is nothing on how to convert form binary to decimal or hexadecimal. Also there is nothing on the electronic parts like resistor, capacitors and transistors and what the schematic symbol looks like and this could be added to the 6th edition.

There are a great deal of questions to work with, over 300 in the book and 200 more on the cd-rom that is included. Speaking of the cd, this one comes with LearnKey videos as well as simulation practice questions and flashcards.

Overall a decent reference manual that needs a few minor tweaks. If you are looking for a good starting point, either in self study or the classroom, this might be the place to look.