<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Udated but to the Microsoft Slant - overall its okay.
Review: A+ certification has been revised and everybody now taking the exam must find new training material. Microsoft Press has put together a book that will help you pass the exam once you understand that this book has a tilt towards the Microsoft way of thinking.Completely updated for the newest exam the self=paced course is very useful in shoeing the user what they need to accomplish in order to pass the exam. The drawback to the self study is you need to provide the equipment and this can get expensive, Overall you learn at your pace and although there is no review questions this text still provides excellent reference material. You'll cover topics such as number conversions, CPUs, power supply, motherboards and bios, hardware, laptops, networking, operating systems and troubleshooting. The cd-rom included with the book has videos to enhance the learning process, the entire text in electronic format. What are not included are practice tests to allow the user to have the chance of seeing the exam before taking it. If Microsoft makes a few changes and updates the cd-rom this book would be one to have. Overall the items missing may make it hard for the technician to compensate for.
Rating:
Summary: VERY Microsoft-centric
Review: Don't get me wrong, this is a comprehensive book, but while reading you have to keep in mind that it is basically Microsofts "opinion". It presents a history of computing that shines a very favourable light on the Windows operating systems and, as should probably be expected, look after their Intel buddies. It is not the best book for a study guide, but rather is written in a format that is possibly a bit more logical - it's goal is not simply to get you past the exam, it actually tries to TEACH you what the principles of the A+ Certification are testing. An experienced technician looking to formalise their knowledge with a piece of paper would probably find this book tedious and boring, but for an absolute novice, I strongly recommend that you read another version on PC history AS WELL to maintain a balanced view - a study guide from a different publisher would probably be sufficient to "round out" your A+ certification reading. As always, complement with online study guides and as many practice tests as you can lay your hands on.
Rating: 
Summary: Think Microsoft only does MCSE - think again!
Review: Having taken the A+ exams and having taught A+ for over a year now you'll find hundreds of books and resources to help you on the way, so what separates this book from the others? Simply that fact that book gives you all the information you'll need and you can learn at your own pace. The book is written to be completed in just over 35 hours, remember that your completion time is based on the schedule you set. Starting with hardware and then covering the software, the book works the exam objectives in fairly complete manner. From objective like the power supply, ESD, Safety, hard drives, floppies, monitors and video to DOS, Windows 3.X and Windows 95. Remember this book covers the current exam so newer technologies are not included. The are many hands on exercises as well as exam questions, what this book doesn't have is practice exams and that may keep some people from buying. Filled with diagrams, figures, tables and notes you have everything you need. The next edition will be updates for the more current exam and the book should then included practice exams in the current testing format. Overall this book is very good and with a little work this book will become the choice of any aspiring technician.
Rating:
Summary: Good but not enough...
Review: Hey all.. this book is a really good resource for the exam, but for sure it is not enough, cuz it doesn't cover the new 2003 objectives such as WinXP in the OS section and many other things in the core section.. I passed the tests using this book as one of my study materials, as well as the Microsoft Readiness Review and A+ Exam Cram, A+ Exam Prep (useful for WinNT), and Macaraft PrepLogic 4th edition, and still non of these books cover all of the new 2003 objectives...
Good luck all...
Rating:
Summary: Totally outstanding!!!
Review: I bought this book to start studying for the A+ Certification, but I got a lot more then what I paid for. As being an IT Tech in the Navy, I found many solutions for some of our computer problems. I'm going to recommend our ADP Department purchase this book and keep it on hand for an easy reference and problem solver.
Rating: 
Summary: not the one
Review: I just passed (January 2003) both A+ exams, using this book as one of my references. It certainly offers a different approach and unique perspective than the other A+ books. I found information in this book that is not in any of the other major A+ references; however, some of the good, nice-to-know info seems beyond the A+ objectives. I would recommend it and the Microsoft A+ Certification Readiness Review as supplements to one or more of the slim A+ Adaptive Exam books by either Meyers or Crayton. I didn't look at the info on the included CD.
Rating:
Summary: Misleading...
Review: Just ordered this booking thinking that it was the new edition shown in the picture (blue cover - in the style of all of teh new microsoft books)... upon clicking to see more images, i see that all of the images are of the older book (white cover). Now, looking further at the publication date, as some others have said, this is an old edition of the book. Pretty crappy that they're even selling it on amazon, and I don't even see the new edition for sale on here! Not overly happy that I just wasted my money...
Rating:
Summary: Do not buy - there is a third edition!!
Review: This book is a great resource for beginner and intermediate users to learn PC hardware components and maintenance. Also, it has in-depth info on Windows 98 and 2000 installation, operations, and troubleshooting. However, it does lack that same in-depth approach to Windows NT. Even though WinNT is related to--and somewhat easier than--Windows 2000, there were some questions on the exam 220-222 that I came across dealing with the differences between the two operating systems. In lieu of this, I used the A+ Exam Cram book (ISBN 1-57610-695-0) to review the day of the exam. It explained Windows NT very well.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Good
Review: Very good book. I did read it twice and with a couple of online test exam questions, I passed!
<< 1 >>
| 
