Build It. Fix It. Own It: A Beginner's Guide to Building and Upgrading a PC Review

Build It. Fix It. Own It: A Beginner's Guide to Building and Upgrading a PC
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If a 63 year old retiree can do, so can you... with this book.
Building your own desktop is only slightly more difficult than lego blocks. If you read this book, you will see that the biggest problem you will have is your own greed for speed when you realize you can do it. While this book does not cover Intel's new I7, this book has chapters on numerous "builds" that convey how the building processes are 95% identical, so you can go on to a build using the (extraordinary!) I7 with confidence.
Numerous no-name computer assembler online sites specify their exact components: comparisons using (the essential) Newegg's prices show 50% margins -- all this $$ is yours if you have patience, can do lego blocks, and read this book and "Build your own desktop" blogs carefully. Trying to figure out Microsoft Word's formatting options is 10 times more difficult. Honest.
I have purchased 20+ Dell's and HP's over the years for myself and my children, and can say that the PC companies' product designs and especially their so-called "service" fail miserably to justify their 75% margins, and things are getting worse.
"Build a PC" by Scott Mueller is good as a second book (there are no others that are remotely up to date).
For what it is worth, I do not know either author, nor have I ever corresponded with either.


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BUILD IT. FIX it. OWN IT.A Beginner's Guide to Building and Upgrading a PCBuild It. Fix It. Own It. is the ultimate beginner's guide to building and fixing your own PC. With a friendly, knowledgeable tone, this book shows the beginning PC builder everything he or she needs to know to build a computer or upgrade an existing one. We step you through the parts that lurk inside a PC, from the motherboard and power supply to the CPU, memory, hard drive, video card, sound card, and networking hardware. In each case, you will learn how the hardware works, what it does, what types of hardware are available, and what to look for when buying the hardware.Then we walk you step-by-step though a series of PC building projects. We show you how to build five different types of PC: a basic business PC, a home theater PC, a high-performance PC, a killer gaming PC, and a budget PC. And if building a new PC from scratch isn't in your budget, we show you how to resurrect an old PC by swapping out a few key components.When you have your PC built and running, we show you how to set up a wireless network and the BIOS and maintain your new rig.Build It. Fix It. Own It. is the ultimate PC builder's guide, even if you've never ventured inside a PC case before!Author BioPaul McFedries is one of the industry's most well known and respected technical writers and is a passionate computer tinkerer. He is the author of more than 70 computer books that have sold more than three million copies worldwide. His recent titles include the Sams Publishing books Windows Vista Unleashed and Windows Home Server Unleashed and the Que Publishing books Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista, Formulas and Functions with Microsoft Excel 2007, Tricks of the Microsoft Office 2007 Gurus, and Microsoft Access 2007 Forms, Reports, and Queries. Paul also is the proprietor of Word Spy (www.wordspy.com), a website devoted to tracking new words and phrases as they enter the English language.Category HardwareCovers PC HardwareUser Level Beginner—Intermediate

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Succeeding with Technology Review

Succeeding with Technology
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I never hesitate to buy from Better World Books . I know I will get my purchase as advertised and in a matter of days. Simply a great place to buy.

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Succeeding with Technology - Third Edition presents the latest ways to get ahead and lead a successful, fulfilling life with technology. Building off the innovative approach from previous editions, it focuses on the newest trends that are impacting the way we live, while providing just the right amount of foundational concepts to provide a thorough understanding. By focusing on the application of technology and how technology may be used by students for personal and professional gain, this text gives students the information they need to prosper.

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Information Technology for Managers Review

Information Technology for Managers
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I just started using this book for an Information Systems class for my MBA. It was a required text so I did not choose it. It is lightweight and small and the chapters aren't too long, so it seems like a good book for managers to use to learn about Information Technology. The technology being discussed may change but the principles of how to manage technology are constant.

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Today's managers are increasingly expected to successfully oversee and understand information systems -- even when it is an area in which they have had little formal training or expertise. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR MANAGERS is targeted at these future managers who are expected to understand the business implications of information technology. Real world examples show future managers how information technology can be applied to improve their organization. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR MANAGERS provides a framework for managers to understand their important role vis-a-vis information technology and it emphasizes the importance of working effectively with all members of the organization to achieve results.

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CCNP TSHOOT 642-832 Official Certification Guide (Official Cert Guide) Review

CCNP TSHOOT 642-832 Official Certification Guide (Official Cert Guide)
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The latest revision to the CCNP track has removed ONT and ISCW and replaced them with the TSHOOT, or troubleshooting exam. This exam is designed to test your ability to troubleshoot various problems that a CCNP-level engineer will see in their day to day jobs. The Official Certification Guide for the TSHOOT(642-832) exam goes a long way towards preparing you to take the exam. Written by Cisco training veteran Kevin Wallace, this guide hits all the high points of topics found in the TSHOOT exam.
For veterans of the CCNP program, the TSHOOT exam will bring back memories of the old Cisco Internetwork Troubleshooting or CIT (642-831) exam. For people new to the CCNP program, this exam should be a lot of fun and a decent way to test your understanding of the way the various technologies in the ROUTE and SWITCH exams work.
The book is divided into 14 chapters that are as follows:
1. Introduction to Network Maintenance
2. Introduction to Troubleshooting Processes
3. The Maintenance and Troubleshooting Toolbox
4. Basic Cisco Catalyst Switch Troubleshooting
5. Advanced Cisco Catalyst Switch Troubleshooting
6. Introduction to Troubleshooting Routing Protocols
7. OSPF and Router Redistribution Troubleshooting
8. Troubleshooting BGP and Router Performance Issues
9. Security Troubleshooting
10. IP Services Troubleshooting
11. IP Communications Troubleshooting
12. IPv6 Troubleshooting
13. Advanced Services Troubleshooting
14. Large Enterprise Network Troubleshooting
15. Final Preparation
Each chapter begins with a "Do I Know This Already? quiz that is fairly standard in Cisco Press exam books. This allows you to skip over chapters that cover topics you may already be well versed in.
The first 3 chapters cover the fundamentals behind how to perform maintenance and troubleshoot effectively. If you are experienced in these things, you probably won't see anything that you haven't seen before. If you don't have a lot of background with Cisco networking, you will want to pay close attention to these first 3 chapters. They lay the foundation that is required to understand the remaining chapters.
The rest of the chapters move from switching, to routing, to security, and on to a variety of other topics that you will deal with in a standard Cisco network. Each of these remaining chapters, except for the last one, will present you with a brief amount of material that is of a foundational nature. If you are expecting a full review of the topics like spanning tree or OSPF, you will be disappointed. The TSHOOT book is not designed for that. You will want to review the ROUTE and SWITCH CCNP exam books first. What you will see in terms of foundational information are quick blurbs about each technology. For example, in the BGP chapter you get a brief reminder of how BGP routes or prefixes wind up in the general IP routing table. You will also get a refresher on how BGP makes its path selection.
After the foundational information, you will immediately move into the various commands that are used to troubleshoot the particular technology in question. According to chapter 15 in the book, 90% of the exam will be centered around the use of various commands to troubleshoot. With that in mind, I would estimate between 30 and 40% of the book is CLI output. The author shows you the various "show" commands that are used along with a variety of "debug" commands you can use as well. The relevant parts of the output are hi-lighted and explained in the standard format you see in many other Cisco Press books. If the author were to include examples of every possible command that could be used for troubleshooting, the book would be 3 times the size it already is. What you will see for sure are the most common commands used to troubleshoot the particular technology each chapter covers.
This leads us into what I think is the most valuable part of the book. Each of these technology chapters end with one or more trouble tickets. A problem is presented along with CLI output from one or more devices. There is enough information given for you to make a guess as to what the root cause of the problem is and how to correct it. The solution is presented following the various CLI screens used to provide troubleshooting information. Each solution is explained fairly well and generally includes additional CLI output to further illustrate the validity of the solution. The chapter wraps up by mentioning key terms as well as providing a list of troubleshooting commands associated with each technology covered in that chapter.
A CD-ROM is included with the book that has 100 practice questions for the TSHOOT exam.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book to read. If you are already functioning at a CCNP level, I recommend you focus on the trouble ticket sections in each chapter. Those sections more than any other will help solidify your understanding of the various route/switch technologies covered in the TSHOOT exam. You will be able to move fairly quickly through this book. I work with just about everything mentioned in this book on a daily basis and was able to finish the book in about a week. I averaged about 2 chapters a day. At around 500 pages, it would seem this book would take longer to read than a week. However, a fair amount of pages consist of CLI screen shots and they take up a lot of real estate in the book. For those who are not well versed in this material but have a basic understanding of the concepts, you should be able to get through a chapter a day with relative ease.

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CCNP TSHOOT 642-832Official Certification GuideKevin Wallace, CCIE® No. 7945CCNP TSHOOT Exam PreparationMaster CCNP® TSHOOT 642-832 exam topicsAssess your knowledge with chapter-opening quizzesReview key concepts with Exam Preparation TasksPractice with realistic exam questions on the CD-ROMThe official study guide helps you master all the topics on the CCNP TSHOOT exam, includingCommon network maintenance tasks and toolsTroubleshooting modelsCisco IOS® troubleshooting commands and featuresTroubleshooting Cisco Catalyst® Switches and STPTroubleshooting BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP routing protocolsRoute redistribution, security, and router performance troubleshootingIP services and IP communications troubleshootingIPv6 troubleshootingLarge enterprise network troubleshootingCCNP TSHOOT 642-832 Official Certification Guide is a best-of-breed Cisco® exam study guide that focuses specifically on the objectives for the CCNP® TSHOOT exam. Senior instructor and best-selling author Kevin Wallace shares preparation hints and test-taking tips, helping you identify areas of weakness and improve both your conceptual knowledge and hands-on skills. Material is presented in a concise manner, focusing on increasing your understanding and retention of exam topics.CCNP TSHOOT 642-832 Official Certification Guide presents you with an organized test preparation routine through the use of proven series elements and techniques. "Do I Know This Already?" quizzes open each chapter and enable you to decide how much time you need to spend on each section. Exam topic lists make referencing easy. Chapter-ending Exam Preparation Tasks sections help drill you on key concepts you must know thoroughly. The companion CD-ROM contains a powerful testing engine that enables you to focus on individual topic areas or take complete, timed exams. The assessment engine also tracks your performance and provides feedback on a module-by-module basis, laying out a complete study plan for review. Well regarded for its level of detail, assessment features, and challenging review questions and exercises, this official study guide helps you master the concepts and techniques that will enable you to succeed on the exam the first time.CCNP TSHOOT 642-832 Official Certification Guide is part of a recommended learning path from Cisco that includes simulation and hands-on training from authorized Cisco Learning Partners and self-study products from Cisco Press. To find out more about instructor-led training, e-learning, and hands-on instruction offered by authorized Cisco Learning Partners worldwide, please visit www.cisco.com/go/authorizedtraining.Kevin Wallace, CCIE® No. 7945, is a certified Cisco instructor who holds multiple Cisco certifications including CCSP®, CCVP®, CCNP®, and CCDP®, in addition to multiple security and voice specializations. With Cisco experience dating back to 1989 (beginning with a Cisco AGS+ running Cisco IOS 7.x), Kevin has been a network design specialist for the Walt Disney World Resort, a senior technical instructor for SkillSoft/Thomson NETg/KnowledgeNet, and a network manager for Eastern Kentucky University.This volume is part of the Official Certification Guide Series from Cisco Press. Books in this series provide officially developed exam preparation materials that offer assessment, review, and practice to help Cisco Career Certification candidates identify weaknesses, concentrate their study efforts, and enhance their confidence as exam day nears.Companion CD-ROMThe CD-ROM contains 100 practice questions for the exam developed by Cisco Press and delivered by the Boson Exam Environment (BEE).Boson's ExSim-Max premium practice exams available at www.boson.comCategory: Cisco Press—Cisco CertificationCovers: CCNP TSHOOT exam 642-832

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Microwave Engineering Review

Microwave Engineering
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I was first introduced to this book through my professor. After reading this book I had a very good understanding of the material: wave guides, networks, S-parameters, filters, impedence matching, and transmission lines. This book does it all. It is an excellent introductory to intermediate book on Microwave engineering. You can understand the book entirely without getting lost in theory. Pozar does a good job at not confusing the reader, and it provides some real world examples that help the user relate. I myself go to GA Tech, and I recommend any electrical engineering student who is interested in electromagnetics or RF engineering to buy this book. If only because the GA Tech Library only has one copy and it is always checked out.

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Focusing on the design of microwave circuits and components, this valuable reference offers professionals and students an introduction to the fundamental concepts necessary for real world design. The author successfully introduces Maxwell's equations, wave propagation, network analysis, and design principles as applied to modern microwave engineering. A considerable amount of material in this book is related to the design of specific microwave circuits and components, for both practical and motivational value. It also presents the analysis and logic behind these designs so that the reader can see and understand the process of applying the fundamental concepts to arrive at useful results. The derivations are well laid out and the majority of each chapter's formulas are displayed in a nice tabular format every few pages. This Third Edition offers greatly expanded coverage with new material on: Noise; Nonlinear effects; RF MEMs; transistor power amplifiers; FET mixers; oscillator phase noise; transistor oscillators and frequency multiplier.

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Upgrading and Fixing Computers Do-it-Yourself For Dummies Review

Upgrading and Fixing Computers Do-it-Yourself For Dummies
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I first owned a PC when I was 14 and when my mom bought it for me I didn't know the difference between Windows and DOS and didn't even know what RAM or a CPU was. When I bought this I didn't really have any experience with using a PC, so after learning how to use one for awhile I purchased this book and read it.
This taught me a lot about repairing computers and installing new hardware. Anyone who doesnt have a ton of Knowledge about computers and is just starting out with Computers should check this book out if you want to learn more about them. I know for me it helped out a lot. If you've been a computer user for years and already know how to install a Hard Drive, Motherboard, Video Card and Memory etc, then I would skip this one. It's not very technical at all and is obviously for people that don't know much about computers at all. It's really just a good place to start.
I'm now 21 and have worked as a Computer Technician for about 3 years now. I definitely think that this book helped out a ton, it was definitely a good place to start. I believe there are to many people out there are afraid to upgrade/fix their own PC, maybe they are afraid they'll break it. That's all a part of the learning process and you'll never get anywhere if you don't take a risk and attempt to work on them. Most everything I've learned when it comes to upgrading computers is all Trial and Error. If one thing doesn't work out one way, just try it again some other way.
I also have to mention that any of the For Dummies books are worth checking out. Believe it or not, for learning DOS I read DOS For Dummies. For being a Computer Technician DOS is one of the most useful things I've learned. If you don't know it I don't see how anyone could be a very good Technician.

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Microsoft Windows Home Server 2011 Unleashed (3rd Edition) Review

Microsoft Windows Home Server 2011 Unleashed (3rd Edition)
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This is a good general reference book for any technical level, BUT it is very lacking in installation and setup procedures and general do's and don'ts. This is especially true if you have never install the WHS2011 or the earlier WHS v1. I also feel that more detailed setup procedures, with step by step instructions and explanations of the options available at each step would have been most helpful.

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Covers the newest version of WHS!This is the most comprehensive, practical, and useful guide to the brand-new version of Windows Home Server 2011. Paul McFedries doesn't just cover all facets of running Windows Home Server: He shows how to use it to simplify everything from file sharing to media streaming, backup to security.With real-world examples, McFedries guides you through using new features ranging from the Dashboard and Launchpad to Remote Web Access and Alert Viewer. You'll find network configurations and step-by-step solutions you can easily understand and use, even if you have no server experience. Then, when you're ready, McFedries reveals how Home Server's hidden business-class features can help you save more time and get even better performance. Packed with exclusive tips and tricks, this go-to guide will help you every step of the way...as you create a home network that does more and runs perfectly!Quickly set up networks, user accounts, devices, and storageAdd any computer to your network: Windows 7, Vista, XP, Mac, or LinuxEfficiently share folders, files, and digital mediaSet up passwords and users and protect your sensitive informationReliably automate backups, so you never lose an important fileCentrally manage all your storage, so you never have to buy more than you needStream and share your digital images, audio, and video--even on your Xbox 360 or other devicesUse Home Server's built-in web server to create powerful, flexible websitesUse Windows SharePoint Foundation to help everyone coordinate their busy livesAutomatically apply up-to-date security fixes to all your Windows computersRemotely access your content from any Internet-connected computer–safely and securelyUse Home Server power tools, including Local Group Policy Editor, Computer Management snap-ins, and scriptingEfficiently monitor, maintain, tune, and troubleshoot Windows Home Server

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