Motorola XOOM For Dummies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I ordered this book prior to publication and was pleasantly surprised to receive it sooner than anticipated. I ordered this book because the downloadable user's manual from Motorola falls way short of hitting the target. I want to begin with the fact that I thought I had figured out just about everything there was to find in the XOOM which I am a really big fan of. I was sure wrong. This book has more tips, hints and solid information than I could ever have imagined. The author suggests the book as a reference rather than a sit down and read. However, I did sit down and read the whole thing cover to cover with my XOOM in my lap. I could only read a page or two before I had to try something new or change a setting that I didn't know about. The author clearly knows the XOOM and all of it's ins and outs as well as it's warts. After having read this book and having applied much of the content I value my XOOM even more than ever. This book clearly added much value. The pictures and layout are excellent and the 5th Wave cartoons that begin many sections just add to the enjoyment. The authors dry humor and wit added to the fun of reading and exploring.
After reading, I had two questions that weren't answered in the book. I e-mailed the author and received a reply overnight that answered them both. If you want a book that will enhance your XOOM experience, this is the one.

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Laptops and Tablet PCs with Microsoft® Windows® XP Step by Step: Keep in Touch and Stay Productive--At Work, At Home, and On the Go (Step by Step (Microsoft)) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)While I'm in general a fan of the "step by step" series from MS Press, this book is a big disappointment.
The audience of this book is clearly laptop and tablet beginning users, folks who need a little handholding in getting the most of their hardware. While the book promises a lot -- "set up your own wi-fi!" and "take your laptop to the beach!" -- it falls short in delivering useful guidance. The chapter on wireless is way too short and leaves out all the important details a beginner needs in order to get things set up. Would you believe that the whole write-up on Bluetooth, the most notoriously difficult technology on the planet right now, consists of just two paragraphs?
This thin volume is pretty much a waste of money. If you want to a get-started book on laptops and tablets, check out the "How to do everything" series, or even -- oh, no, I can't believe I'm saying this -- a Dummies book.

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Teach yourself exactly what you need to know about using the mobility features in Microsoft Windows XP. With STEP BY STEP, you'll work at your own pace through easy-to-follow lessons and practice exercises. From the fun-to the fundamental-you'll learn how to stay connected and productive at home, at work, and on the road. Plus, the CD features software, eBooks, and other resources to help you go even further!

At Home

Set up a wired or wireless home network
Play games, music, and DVDs
Show digital photos on your TV
Take your digital camera and mobile PC on vacation

At the Office

Expand your vistas by connecting an extra monitor
Share notes and files using MSN Messenger
Work anywhere with offline folders and files-even Web pages
Synch with your PDA or cell phone

On the Go

Use your mobile PC from airplane to beach
Tap into wireless hotspots
Take your music and movies with you
Maximize battery life; help secure your mobile PC

Your CD includes:

Microsoft Power Toys for Windows XP software
Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition software
Windows Media Player 10 software
Tablet PC Edition 2005 Tutorials for Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2
Microsoft Physics Illustrator for Tablet PC toy
Microsoft Office XP Pack for Tablet PC (Tablet Pack)
Microsoft Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition, eBook
Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking, Second Edition, eBook
Microsoft Encyclopedia of Security eBook
Complete STEP BY STEP eBook
Links to Windows XP-related downloads and additional information

A Note Regarding the CD or DVD

The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to booktech@oreilly.com.

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Android Application Development For Dummies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm going to preface this review by saying that I have been programming for about 15 years, and have been working professionally as a developer for almost 3 years. My background is in VB, C#, Javascript, HTML, and even a little dabbling in C/C++. With that in mind, my Java knowledge was essentially everything I had learned from C# (which is very similar), and the tutorials on Google's Android development website. You could argue Javascript may help, but they're so different that I don't think it counts as experience.
I finished all of the tutorials on Google's site and still felt like I wasn't really grasping the concept of Android development. For those of you who have developed in C#/VB for Windows or Windows Mobile, you may understand what I mean when I say that going from something so straight-forward as using Visual Studio and .NET languages to something a little more complex and code-heavy like C++ or Java while using an unfamiliar IDE like Eclipse can be a little daunting at first. Google's tutorials, while full of great examples, don't really take the time to explain the "why" and then "what" of Android development, and instead have a more confusing approach of "Step 1: Type all this code in; Step 2: That code you just type does [this]; Step 3: Run your application".
The first half of this book is incredibly informative, and after reading only a couple short paragraphs on things I've already tried to learn and failed, I really understood it this time. The author's tone and descriptions make even the most complicated topics very easy to understand. The author also likes to commonly encourage the reader, writing that we are "experts", and making assumptions that we understand what we just read, even after it was some insanely complicated thing that was described in detail across four pages. It seems like this approach might be little odd, but I liked it. It kept my confidence up as I was reading.
The second half of the book, while also great, starts a little on the fast track. There are other reviews that mention this, and although I partially agree, it's also worth mentioning that a lot of the things that are flown through quickly come together a little later in the book. However, the pace does seem to go from a "one line at a time" methodology into a "type these 60 lines of code in and I'll explain it later" sort of teaching. While I don't prefer this, and I think it's a bit messy, the information IS there; it's just harder to soak it all in than it was in the first half of the book. The application you are building at the end is quite large, and I have tried to think of an easier way the author could have filled me with the knowledge instead of the approach taken, but I really couldn't think of a better way, mainly due to the way the code has to be written for the particular task at hand.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think it was a great introduction to Android development, and is leaps and bounds above Google's documentation, at least for a beginner. I wish the book was a little longer, and I wish the author didn't frequently say things like "I could write an entire book on [subject], so I won't go into detail about this. If you want to learn more, read the documentation at [Google link]." For these reasons, I gave it four stars instead of five. The fundamentals do exist in this book, but I would have liked to have seen more.
I would recommend this book for anyone with any sort of programming background looking to get into Android development. I would probably not recommend it to someone who has no programming background whatsoever.


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The fun and friendly guide to creating applications on the Android platform
The popularity of the Android market is soaring with no sign of slowing down. The open nature of the Android OS offers programmers the freedom to access the platform's capabilities and this straightforward guide walks you through the steps for creating amazing Android applications. Android programming expert Donn Felker explains how to download the SDK, get Eclipse up and running, code Android applications, and submit your finished products to the Android Market. Featuring two sample programs, this introductory book explores everything from the simple basics to more advanced aspects of the Android platform.
Takes you soup through nuts of developing applications for the Android platform
Begins with downloading the SDK, then explains how to code Android applications and submit projects to the Android Market
Written by Android guru Donn Felker, who breaks every aspect of developing applications for the Android platform into easily digestible pieces

No matter your level of programming experience, Android Application Development For Dummies is an ideal guide for getting started with developing applications for the Android platform.

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