Computers Books

This book does a great job of teaching you how the VHDL language works, and how to use it.
It has many explained examples, and problems you can try.
I agree with others that he does jump around a bit, and you will have to look back or ahead.
It could also use a VHDL Quick Reference and a glossary.
If the index clear should where a key word was first defined, this would work too. It does have an index, but it is not a great index.
I used Xilinx ISE Webpack 9i - which is a free down load - the test and simulate the examples.

I used it for a class on ASIC. I liked this book a lot. Subject was presented in a clear and simple way.

Not only it supplies VHDL syntax but also examples to show proper usage.

Alos contains Digital ckt concepts so you do not need a separate text for that.

I was looking for a simple book to use as the main reference for my students, who are new to the concept of the hardware description languages. I found this the best book to fit my needs. It is simple and has a good organization which takes you slowly through the main concepts of the VHDL. It greatly helped me setting the outline for the course.

Totally impressed with the book. The way it is written is fantastic. It is a great reference for the beginner as covers the basic aspects of the VHDL including syntax. It has pretty good examples for references (although it is just good for beginners , but still it is better then other books as these are complete examples (Including entity and architecture and other needed stuff for the example) unlike other books which only give part of the answer.)

I can definetly suggest this book for beginner who wants to learn syntax of VHDL and how to use that in the mini vhdl code examples. It is also good for the people who knows VHDL but want some reference in case they forgot some syntax or methods.

Author communicates his thoughts in very precise and concise language (I found only one minor typo). This book focuses on writing synthesizable code; that fact alone makes it a very practical reference for any engineer working with CPLD or FPGA. If one supplements this book with VHDL reference and Xilinx Web edition of ISE, it is possible to get started quickly; at least I did. Thanks Volnei.

The good thing about this book is that it gets just to the point. Unlike other books, which tells every detail of this and that drawing tool, this book instructs you how to make nice and stunning graphics in a short time. With only a beginners knowledge of CorelDraw I started up following Shane Hunts carefully written instructions and succeded in making some spectacular images for my Website - graphics that I could never have done myself, without the help from a professional designer: Metallic looking 3D objects and so on... I found it relatively easy to learn tricks from examples and then adjusting it for my own purpose.

There is only one thing I would ask for in a new edition: A little more on Web-graphics. I can recommend a couple of other books with almost the same approach as this one: "The CorelDraw Wow Book", by Linnea Dayton, Shane Hunt and Sharon Steuer and "Corel Studio Techniques", by David Huss & Gary Priester. They are also great.

Prior to reading Shane's book I had pretty much given up on being able to learn the program...I was stunned to see how easy he made it to create stunning images in coreldraw...I learned techniques I truely did not feel capable of learning prior to reading his book and enjoyed the process...His enclosed cd alone was worth the price of the book ...He does not guard his techniques ...he shares them openly and wants you do know all he knows...very well organized and writen and simply turned my graphics life around!

So many computer related books written in the last several year look like they've been thrown together. They're full of typos or the content is just incorrrect or incomplete. It's apparent that a lot of time and effort went into this book. The book is full of great examples, the insruction are complete and it's interesting to read. I was a relative novice with CorelDraw and this book allowed me to create some great designs quickly. It showed me tricks that I probably would have never figured out on my own.

Highly recomended!

I've even had a Corel novice use the book with no problems. She liked it MUCH better than another one in the standard style. It's an easy to use book written in a fun and useful style. Look at the many positive reviews..

Somewhere in this long list of raves you will find my first review of this book. I gave it four stars. That was very high praise from me...back then when I had just finished the book and thought 5 stars was fawning. Now I know I was wrong. I finally put another book in the space CorelDRAW f/x was supposed to occupy on my shelf. It sits by my computer while I work, and frequently comes with me when I need lunchtime or waitingroom reading. I use this book constantly. I can't let my first review stand any longer. If you have any doubts about this book forget them IT IS WELL WORTH MANY TIMES THE PRICE! I intend to add the new version to my computer desk and book bag when I upgrade to CorelDRAW 9. And probably 10 and 11 and...

I am currently studying for the CWNA exam and I have no other resources. This book helps you understand the concepts in plain language. I started using it with the SQ3R method and I find that I can really retain the concepts offered in this book. The SQ3R method takes a little time but if you really want to learn it for the test combine it with how the information is laid out in this book and you'll get it. Good luck!

This is a great book on Wireless. Tons of detail on RF properties, troubleshooting and things to look for. Aside from being a decent study guide for the exam this book will serve as a handy reference in day to day work as well as research activities.

The book very well organize and easy to follow, however it needs more detail in order to pass the exam.

I read this book after reading the official CWNA Guide from Planet3 Wireless. I was amazed at how easy it was to read considering the depth and breadth of the material presented in the book. Some topics which weren't very clear from the other CWNA book were made much clearer. Even though I haven't taken the exam yet, I have not found a book on WLANs that I could recommend more highly for getting you up to speed as quickly as possible. The fact that the authors supply their email addresses is a HUGE bonus too. The end of chapter questions are especially useful for testing your understanding. In short BUY IT!!

After taking a class given by David Westcott I decided to buy his book. I am so glad I did. I went from working in the wireless field for three years and not being certified to reading his book and two months later becoming a CWNA. This book is just very easy to understand. They use alot of analogies to help you get the point of what they are trying to teach. If you have ever read a Cisco press book you will really appreciate the two David's writing style.

After I purchased this book a co-worker purchased "the other" CWNA book and the rest of my fellow co-workers compared the two and after all the scrutiny they all purchased this one.

If you have ever wanted to become a CWNA or just learn more about wireless technologies this book is definitely for you.

As an E-Myth/Gerber fan, I consider Erick's work an "E-Myth for IT Services". It will get you thinking about your business as a business and it provides a roadmap to get where you need to go.

Making the transition from working in to working on your business is the most powerful thing you can do to put more money in your pocket. Do it now. Buy this book!

Managed services, delivering different types of unlimited amounts of IT support for a flat fee, has been revolutionizing the IT industry in the SMB space. The model is dramatically different than the typical break/fix or blocks of hours way of doing business- it requires a fundamental business, sales, and technical transformation.

Erick Simpson's IT company was an early adopter, quickly became hugely successful, and Erick continues to lead in the field by delivering some of the best educational materials out there on this subject. I personally own this book and his follow-up sales book and have attended some of his presentations- outstanding! Some may balk at the price, but compare it to your professional hourly rate, and you'll find that the time saved and money earned make it a no-brainer. His materials, particularly this book, directly helped me close many thousands of dollars of recurring business in 2007.

Insightful, intelligently written, engaging and motivational. Easily one of the best I've read in quite awhile. Well worth every penny of the investment required.

I've spent more than a decade covering the IT channel. This book should be required reading for any VAR looking to become an MSP. The author manages to cover key areas (particularly business, sales and marketing) that most tech-focused VARs overlook.

I am a business owner interested in the Managed Services market space. I have read so much about Managed services but have not found a step by step guide on how to implement the managed services business plan or sell those services to clients. What I needed were step by step guides on both the topics. I was introduced to Erick's books by another associate. This book and "The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!" by Erick were exactly what I was looking for. Erick is not just a subject matter expert in Managed Services but has practiced and implemented his teachings and recommendations. He explains several key concepts and best practices on Managed Services, Deliverables, Pricing, How to identify clients, sell, support and maintain the services and build a long term win-win relationship with the clients. The coverage on How to Hire and Train your sales staff is worth its weight in gold. Included along with these 2 books are several forms, analysis tools and documents which make the sales process a whole lot easier with predictable results. These are the bibles for my managed services business and I refer them frequently. If you are serious about building a profitable managed services business, you must have these books.

This book is the perfect starting point for a beginner. I started with a limited amount of programming experience. By the time I finished, I felt extremely comfortable with all of the concepts presented.

It's important to set realistic goals. You're not going to finish this book and start writing real world applications. Instead, this book builds the foundation needed to tackle more advanced concepts and programs found in other books.

This is an excellent book. I have completely read this book. I recommend this book for every student learning C#.

This is a great book for C# beginners like me. The book is very well written as it simulates the real class environment and answers every possible question that the beginner might have. I went to a 5-day C# training and I learned less there than I learned after reading this book. The author is a talented instructor, and I wish all computer science professors were like him. I am looking forward to an intermidiate C# book by John Smiley! Thank you, John.

Have you ever thought you wanted to learn how to program, and bought a book on programming that didn't teach you anything? Or maybe you took a class that had a required textbook that was worthless? Did you get discouraged, and think programming just wasn't "for you"? That maybe you just didn't "get it" like those other people that seemed to have no problems learning to program? If so, then this book is for you. If more computer programming books were written like this, I KNOW there'd be a lot more programmers in the world. It's not about intelligence, it's about LEARNING STYLES. This book is more narrative than just lines of code to interpret. John Smiley talks TO the reader, not AT him. He puts you in a classroom setting where people ask questions, even DUMB questions that you yourself may have wanted to ask. And guess what? He ANSWERS the questions. If you've been stymied in one way or another from reaching a point of confidence with programming then this book is for you. I give it 5 stars because that's the most that Amazon's system will let me give it. If you don't believe me, hit the library. Then buy the book to put food on this man's table, and have this awesome book in your personal library.

I am taking a series of classes from "someplace" with the intention of making a carreer change. "Someplace" offered to get me from being a non-programmer to an MCSD in 8 months using Microsoft official curriculum (MOC). An ambitious undertaking to be sure.

I have found the MOC to be of very limited help. Wow, that's an understatement.

Anyway, I have been using other resources to supplement the training and this book has been the best.

The book starts with understanding the requirements of a program. From there the author walks us through the process of building a program and incorporates a lot of very practical and useful concepts. In general, the book has followed the progression of the MOC "Programming with C#". Whether by design or not, this has been very helpful.

The book is written in narrative or as a story unfolding. The reader is included in a small class learning to program. The other students in the class ask questions to the instructor (John Smiley) and in general greatly facilitate the learning process. This narrative makes it a lot easier to follow and the simple program turns out to be full of lots of very useful training opportunities.

At first, I was underwhelmed that the author had chosen to use Notepad and the SDK to create the programs. However, having finished the book and being halfway through the MOC course (which uses Visual Studio) I am glad that he does. Visual Studio tends to be expensive to get your hands on, and while it does have some VERY helpful functionality in terms of writing code, for the beginner, a lot of the stuff it does seems like it is overwhelming for the "newbie" (at least it was to me.)

Many times, I would complete similar exercises using the notpad/SDK method in 1/3rd or 1/4 the time it would take me to do it in Visual Studio. For the most part, this was because of all of the "helpful" stuff that Visual Studio was doing. Don't get me wrong, it is a great IDE, but for a newbie like me, I think Smiley's approach was better.

I have bought many other C# books and I will be doing reviews on them as I read them to supplement the material. I've also been taking video lessons from LearnVisualStudio.net.

I hope John Smiley will create a book on Visual Studio and Intermediate and Advanced C#. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it HIGHLY to anyone just getting started.

Easily the best book on Linux that I have ever read or bought. Also one of the best computer books overall that I have ever used. That is saying a lot given that I have many computer books on the full range of computer topics and given that I am very picky in what I buy. The other reviews - all but one 5-star - give details on the book. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to set up a Linux system or who has an interest in learning about Linux.

In regard to Linux in general, it provides a superior platform to the Microsoft platforms. Also the add-on programs that are available - all of the most useful are included in any of the best-known distributions, such as Ubuntu or Red Hat/Fedora - are as good as (in the sense of user-friendly) as the comparable Windows programs and in many cases better.

What is interesting to me is that much of the Linux development occurs outside the USA. It is a great tribute to the huge Linux-oriented developer universe that those developers have developed such outstanding tools that are free of the exorbitant, monopoly-determined prices of Microsoft products. So I hereby thank you all for your fantastic contributions to computer technology. Without your programs we would all be prey to the monopoly pricing and less-than-optimal programs produced by Microsoft. Not to say that there is anything wrong with most Microsoft products, but thank god there are better products available and better yet that most are free of licensing cost and most are changeable because the source code is available.

It's been two years since I've purchased this book, and I still reference it from time to time.

This book covers many common open-source applications used in conjunction with linux (bind,samba,sendmail,etc).

The examples are well-written. It's a great book for someone who is wanting to educate themselves to use linux.

I will note that the book seems to be red-hat/fedora biased. I use fedora, so that was a plus.

Much of what I have done piecing together information from Google is concisely done in this guide. This book got my mail server setup in no time whereas in the past I gave up in frustration (and lack of knowledge).

The mail chapter alone was worth the price but this book is full of solving common system administration tasks for people with some linux experience but not the expertise of being a sysadmin.

I really enjoy the content of the Book. Since my early days using Linux consult the linuxhomenetworking website for tips & howtos.

This is surely a must have book. It's been a while since I see some book with so much content !!!.

This certainly isn't a hand holding introduction to Linux by any means (jump in at the deep end, it works!). However if you're looking for a down to earth, practical guide to a variety of everyday tasks involved in running Linux in a server environment you'll find this book very useful. The subject matter covered is useful, and the explanations are sufficient with plenty of useful examples. Certainly a good introduction although obviously for the finer points of configuration more specialised sources will need to be consulted.

I enjoyed the writing style of the author, well presented information with bits of humor to keep it interesting. I enjoyed reading the history of OS X and learning how all the parts were brought together to create the most enjoyable computing experience I have ever had. The technical information and programming examples are extremely helpful in better understanding how things work under the elegant aqua interface.

I'd been meaning to buy this book for over a year and was not disappointed. It is very well written, easy to understand and goes quite into depth regarding OS X.

It's enormous! And every page has information useful to someone who develops on the Mac. This book is the ultimate tome of reference for the serious Mac developer. It's also a significant contender as a tome of reference for IT support for the Mac. Finally, it is the best reference for someone with a Windows background who's wondering if Mac OS might be superior technically (leaving aside user interface). (it is.)

All the gory details of how a Mac OS is put together from Mach to Cocoa are covered and then some. The author is a hard-core expert who put a lot into this book. Well worth the price!

This well written books contains everything you need to know about the internals of Max OS X. This book is enormous and really goes deep into the internal of the OS.
This reading gave me the satisfaction of understanding the inner working of Mac OS X which now make my work as a software engineer much easier because I know what is going on.
The book is well balanced in that it cover all the different aspects of the operating system without getting into unecessary details.
One small complaint is that the chapter describing the hardware architecture focus on PowerPC systems. I would of course have rather have a detail explanation of the Intel platform. Maybe in a second edition.

This is analogous to the Windows Resource Kits for OS X, only better. The many examples, most using some sort of code to make their point, combined with the depth of topics covered, makes this the one book really serious OS X coders and admins need to have.

Like it's cousin, the MS ResKit, it's dry, concise, and may scare off some folks. And like the ResKit, it's just as essential as a learning tool and reference book rolled into one.

I've seen many reviews that talk about this book as a book for programmers. I don't believe that for one second. I've heard many references to the old days when all admins were programmers and heard tell of greybeard hackers who are equally proficient at both coding and admin work. This book does a similar job of blending the lines between the two tasks, illustrating concepts and giving examples using C and scripting as well as using human readable english. As a non-coding UNIX and OS X aficionado, I look forward to broadening my knowledge of both programming and unix administration as it applies to OS X via this awe-inspiring book.

I found the book well laid out; it was easy to find solutions to problems. I like the small size; very easy to carry around. I recommend this series of books to anyone who is an admin.

WOW. So much for so little and in such a little compact book is amazing. Perfect for a newbie looking to get into Administration of windows 2000 servers or a seasoned MCSE that needs refresher.
Excellent book.

My library of tech books fills many shelves. Out all of those books, Microsoft Windows 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant is one of the most used. I highly recommend it as a desktop reference. I refer to it all the time and it is one of the rare tech books I read cover to cover as well.

This is the best Win2K Server book I have come across for daily administration. Stanek's writing style is actually enjoyable to read and easy to understand. He obviously knows the subject, and this book is like attending an expert training class. It's refreshing to read a book written for the real admins. I also used it to help prep for MCSE tests on Win2K.

I particularly bought the book because I needed additional training on Active Directory. It has also helped with our DNS and DHCP configuration. Finally I found a book that covers Win2K DNS in good detail and also details how it integrates with AD. After reading the book, I finally fixed our DNS and AD problems. Another highlight of the book for me was his covering disk configurations, roaming profiles and EFS. Lots of expert tips and insights. Again, the book's not an exhaustive reference on the subject but is a solid daily adminstration reference. I highly recommend this book as a primary tool to correctly learn how to admin a Win2K domain.

I have the first edition and got the second edition immediaetly. With the second edition, Stanek has done a great job! This book is well written, easy to follow and concise, yet packed with lot's of useful information and hints and tips for Windows 2000. I consider myself a fairly expert Windows admin, but still learned quite a lot from this book. Like other Windows books that Stanek has written, this one is excellent for either new admins or experienced admins. I whole heartedly recommend this book to everyone.

It was not for me, I've been working for the postal service for seven years, It was a gift for my brother and he raised the score from 78 to 91 by just followig this book tips... The best one in the market as of today.

This book/software package is an ideal purchase for individuals preparing to take the United States Postal Exam 473 & 473-C. The material is not only accurate and up-to-date, it's affordable, easy to follow, and comes with wonderful live customer service! This package takes you from the beginning to the end of this exam. It provides detailed information about each segment, strategies to overcome common obstacles, and finally simulates the actual exam with six practice tests. If you are serious about preparing for this exam, you want this book/software combo! Watch out for fraudulent companies! They are out there, and they will take your money. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way. The first company (which shall remain nameless in this review to avoid slander) stole my money by twisting the truth and providing me with irrelevant out-of-date material. If it had not been for the discovery of this book/package and Mr. T. W. Parnell's wonderful support team, I would have failed the exam. If you buy this package and follow the steps, you won't regret it! This book contains, "The Right Stuff!"

This book was really easy to follow and I felt really confident before and after my test. I think I had about a week and a half before my test to do this program and it seems just about right.I was so confident as I took the test, I finished with time to spare and went back and double checked myself. I took the test in 2005 and scored very well thanks to the book and computer program. I have had several interviews because I scored so well. I have had some questions along the way and they have been very helpful. The pathfinder people are very nice people to work with and very up up date on all their information. They communicate well and are quick to respond. I think they have many insiders that give them accurate information that the other books seem to not even have a clue on. You cannot go wrong with this. He gives you clues and tips to make it so easy to do. I have been to the library and read through many of the other books out there before I purchase this one. None of them compare to it in information and ease of use. Just buy it you won't be disappointed!

I used the Postal Exam 473 & 473-C Computer-Based Course and did very well on the Postal Exam. The CD-ROM with the test practice exams helped me greatly. One year after taking the Postal Exam, I was selected for employment as a TE City Carrier at a local Post Office. I could not have done as well as I did without this course.

I bought the CD version of New Postal Exam 473 & 473-C Computer-Based Course (Paperback)by T. W. Parnell (Author), Susie Varner (Illustrator), from Amazon.com merchant wadsjk (http://www.amazon.com/shops/wadsjk). This study guide is great. It gives very helpful advice - even though I modified some Mr. Parnell's suggested strategies to suit my way of memorizing.

I bought the version of this book that came with a CD. The CD has a series of lessons (no substitute for reading the book as Mr. Parnell points out). The CD also allows you to simulate a test taking session. It includes instructions for taking the Exam (which are very similar to the real thing) and realistically times you on each part. The tests and answer sheets are in the book.

This Postal Exam is a TIMED TEST. It will be difficult to get through some of the sections of the Exam unless you practice. On one part of the Exam you are to make 60 responses in 6 minutes - 6 seconds per item! I have taken this Exam twice recently - six days apart. Even though I recieved Mr. Parnell's book two days prior to the first time I took the Exam, I completed 58 of the 60 items. Six days later I was able to complete all 60 on a different version of the Exam.

I'm confident the this book helped me score well on this Exam. I hope to update this review after the USPS sends me my scores.

Reading this book I was reminded that the humor of Scott Kelby leaves me a little cold. I guess being published by SK means the book must provide a sampling of his type of humor. The humor is funny at first reading but the third or fourth time it grows very dim.

That rant over I must say that the book is really good. It provides insight into Adobe Bridge, actions, and other speed tactics that will definitely enhance your work flow. Photographers who shoot a lot of pix will benefit most but there is much for everyone (except, maybe, those just beginning Photoshop who may be a bit bewildered).

Recommended reading. I just wish the print on the screen shots was big enough that I didn't need a loupe to read it.

rps

This is a really good productivity booster and time saver. If you use Photoshop a lot you will find a lot of uses for this book.

As I move around often, many Peachpit Press books I buy on the road usually, once throughly perused, end up in the hotel trashcan. Kloskowski's excellent PDF tutorial on Smart Object in PS, merely underscores my desire for publishers to make available PDF (or similar) versions of their texts so that we itinerants can view them and keep them while on-the-road. (I see that the NY Times has come out with a Reader version of its paper which is terrific). I'm a podcast convert; now make me a Peachpit Press Reader convert.

For those of you who watch Photoshop TV, you'll get the little joke in the title. This book is fantastic, I've been using Photoshop for years, so I'm fairly knowledgeable when it comes to using the program. But this book is great whether you are an intermediate user, or a professional user. Matt does a great job teaching you ways to speed up your daily production in Adobe Photoshop CS2, in addition to some great tips and tricks.

He also touches on working with Adobe Bridge - Adobe's file browser / management / etc., software. Honestly, I'm normally not a "book" person, I usually prefer the video versions of everything. But the Photoshop CS2 Speed Clinic is written in a way that makes reading it easy and fun - I had a hard time putting it down! For the price ... It's a "must buy" for all Photoshop CS2 users!!!

The Photoshop CS2 Speed Clinic is a must-have book for seasoned Photoshop users. The author presents a series of powerful tips and techniques that will work wonders when integrated into your production workflow. The book delves into harnessing the power of Adobe's Bridge software, writing repeatable Actions to automate your workflow, and fine-tuning Photoshop's settings to work well with your hardware setup (Mac or PC). The tips and techniques are easy to follow, with plenty of images to support the text. This is a book that you can easily read through in one sitting, but I guarantee you'll keep coming back to it for reference.

This book is more for intermediate to advanced Photoshop users - focusing on maximizing your productivity with the tool. It's NOT a book for learning how to use Photoshop.