Hardware Books

There is so much in this book that I can relate to, having started my own company around the same time in Silicon Valley (although in software). John and Kyle made the same mistakes that many entrepreneurs thankfully make - they followed their passion instead of their senses, and didn't buckle under the pressure and the unknown. One other valuable lesson from this book -- document your process. This is a great way to share your successes and your mistakes with others. I wish we had more stories like this when I was working on my MBA - something more than the dry, non-applicable case studies stuck in front of us. And John and Kyle also provided one other important gem: how to save a few bucks a month at the neighborhood gym. Thanks guys.

I was in a book store and I was attracted to the title and the cover color. I picked up the book and read the jacket and I was hooked. I hardly ever buy non-technical books -especially non-fiction. But I was hooked after reading the jacket so I bought the book and assiduously read and enjoyed it. Also I am a Wharton alumnus. I also took classes with Len Lodish.

Eric Ericsson

The book spells out tips for starting a business (use credit cards instead of banks) and the mistakes the authors made along the way (when do you enter the market). You can even contact them after reading and talk to them about your ideas. The encouraging aspect of the book is that while they are starting their business, they spoke to their classmates who were making $200,000 on wall street and working for the dot-coms, but John and Kyle were not discouraged. I am happy that they were able to take an idea like a computer mouse shaped like a gold club and turn it into THEIR company. Congrats guys!

The Mousedriver Chronicles is the story of 2 Wharton MBA's who take a business plan developed on their entrepreneurship course at Wharton and decide to make a go of it. In 1999 they turn away high paying jobs at investment banks and over funded dot.com startups to go it alone.

Their idea: to make and sell a computer mouse that looks like the head of a golf driver.

They fund the venture themselves, find a manufacturer in Hong Kong, move to San Francisco (to be part of all the start up vibe in The Bay area) and run the business from the kitchen of their rented flat.

Their story is brilliantly relayed as they grapple with manufacturing, marketing and distribution hassles. The single product focus of their new company, named Platinum Concepts Inc., makes for a wonderful entrepreneurial story with excellent lessons about what it takes to succeed as a self funded start up. The two founders quickly learn that they need more than the theoretical knowledge acquired on their MBA at Wharton; they need to be street wise. They experiment with different mechanisms to make things happen and end up categorizing their execution strategies as follows:
Plan A: Make use of their business school network and contacts
Plan B: Hit the streets and the shops to find a creative solution
Plan C: Work the Yellow Pages

More often than not, plan B and C worked far better than plan A.

One of the founders, John Lusk, began sharing their entrepreneurial adventure with friends and family via a monthly email called "The Insider". The Insider was a real, often humorous, sometimes highly insightful newsletter about their adventure. The insider subscriber list grew and grew. MBA lecturers began distributing The Insider as prescribed reading. In 2001 Inc. Magazine featured a cover story on the company and its two founders. The Inc. cover story entitled "An American Start-up" focuses on the impact of The Insider e-mail newsletter. The email newsletters were used as the foundation for the book published in 2001 entitled The "Mousedriver Chronicles".
The company has since been shut down but the Mousedriver website still serves as a portal for entrepreneurs and copies of The Insider newsletter can be found in PDF format on the website: www.mousedriver.com

MouseDriver is about two guys who graduate from Wharton with MBAs in 1999 (the heart of the internet boom) and start a business manufacturing and selling a computer mouse that looks like the head of a driver golf club, turning down high paying jobs at dotcoms, investment banks, consulting firms etc.

As a small business consultant (Transcendence Consulting, LLC tcllc.net) I can tell you right now that if you are looking to start a busines, buy this book TODAY. It is an amazing look at the entire process of starting a business, from the ability to jump head first, manage yourself during
the highs and lows, deal with self doubt and solve an endless supply of problems. It is an easy read that will take you no time at all to complete.

The product is in good shape, as the seller said it would be, but did not arrive until the very last day of the time allowed to ship. (4 weeks after i ordered it)

This book is the one you are looking for -- jam packed with useful information -- superfantastic!

"Freedom of The Hills" is a must have for anyone who wants to or does spend time outdoors hiking, mountaineering, climbing or needs a reference for the mentioned sports. This book has it all. It is a great read. Like one of the previous reviews, you may want two copies. One for your house and one to take in the field with you. I have read the whole book and continue to review chapters in the areas of interest to me. You will not be disappointed. Enjoy it and get outside !

This is an incredible mounaineering text, and it is well put together.
The item was in perfect condition, as described, and arived promptly. Thank you!

With over 1/2 a million copies sold, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills truly is "the bible" of safe and efficient climbing. With the book measuring in at over one inch thick, it would be impossible to accurately give it justice in the space provided here. Therefore, I'll hit the highlights. The 6th edition, which I have, is divided up into 6 parts:

-outdoor fundamentals...covers things such as clothing/equipment/land nav/food

-climbing fundamentals...knot tying/rappelling info

-rock climbing...footholds/shoes/leading on rock

-snow, ice, and Alpine climbing...the in's and outs of ice and snow climbs (includes various rescues)

-emergency prevention and response...leading in a crisis situation/first aid

-the mountain enviroment..mountain geology/snow cycles/cloud types (neat pics!!)

The book ends with a nice list of additional reading (like you'd really need to with all the info in this book!). As you can see, there's really one word to describe this book- COMPLETE. So, if you're looking for a mountaineering resource to put on your shelf for when some questions come to mind- GET IT! Also recommend Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff if you have a shoulder problem that interferes with your climbing.

This book is a must have, I have recommended to all my friends and family. Kudos to the Author for publishing such a wonderful book.

I have read may books on WFP and this is the one I go to when I need to figure out how to do something. Mine is full of tape flags, post-it notes and dog-eared pages because it gets used all the time. Another book, Essential Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) (Microsoft .NET Development Series) is also very good, but it isn't a refrence book like this one. If you want to program in WPF you need Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed bu Adam Nathan!

I had a lot of fun with this book, and it provided me with a fantastic foundation of knowledge for implementing WPF technology in my applications.

It's organized well, in that important tips are easy to find (no digging through paragraphs to find answers to common problems), and conversely thorough in detail; when more information is required. So it is quite versitile, whatever your reading mood. Whether it's casually flipping through, or digging deeper in to advanced topics.

The book's written very well, and most notably with a passion. The writer explains concepts clearly to the reader, and I'd highly recommended it to anyone interested in learning about this technology.

WPF is a remarkably inconsistent tool including contradictory settings, rules that only work some of the time, confusing shortcuts, and other inconsistencies. This book covers so much detail, that the many quirks of WPF sometimes get in the way. It might have been better if the book ignored some of the more arcane details. At times it gives so much information that things are more confusing than necessary.

Still, the book does cover a vast amount of information. If you just want an introduction to WPF, it may be a lot more than you're looking for, but if you want to know all about the weird details, this book includes a lot.

I ordered this book and Pro WPF in C# 2008 (Mathew MacDonald) at the same time. I read WPF Unleashed first because I saw the reviews on Amazon.com. I thought, wow, great book. Then I read Pro WPF in C# 2008.

I found Pro WPF in C# 2008 to be a much better book than WPF Unleashed. It's thicker, has more content, and dives much deeper. It also covers .Net 3.5 because it's newer.

Don't get me wrong, they are both excellent books and I recommend them both. But if you really want to understand core WPF concepts, Pro WPF in C# 2008 is the better choice.

I NEVER write reviews; however Mr. Troelsen for this effort has earned it. He has written by far one of the best written tech books on C programming I've ever read, and for COM/ATL this book makes writing interfaces for VB both understandable and accessible. Coverage and background is sufficient, and equally important for those who don't do this every day for a living, the depth in setting up projects in Visual Studio is also there so one unfamiliar with technical setup issues involved in setting up an ATL COM project are enabled to create their own. All I can say is well done, please keep up the good work, very much appreciated. Looking forward to your next releases.

Sincerely,
Dr. Mathew G. Pelletier, Research Engineer

This book is the perfect example of a good "Computer" book: It teaches what it needs to teach in a way you understand.
It covers all the important stuf like BSTRs, Smart Pointers, DCOM, TLBs, IDLs and other buzz-like acronyms.
I used it as an only reference for learning COM and I was doing complex COM projects within weeks. Andrew Troelsen is 'the man'!

Best regards,

Describe low level COM and then ATL internals and interfaces which can let reader easily understand such complex mechanism. Though the book is a little bit old, it can still be served as a good reference.

Apart from the fact that so many customers gave 5 stars to this book, there's another indicator of its value: it looks like nobody wants to resell it after they are done reading it. I, for one, intend to keep it for reference...

I've been programming in C# for a few years, and now I needed to learn COM. This book was the best tech manual I've ever read.

My recommendation is: if you need to learn COM, do not waste your money on any other book until you've read this one.

My current project at work required me to learn COM. I purchased several books to assist in the learning, and I must say that this book is absolutely indispensible, both as an instructional medium and as a reference. I highly recommend this book to anyone needing to learn about COM.

What's inside? It starts with a basic intro to COM, useful (dare I say it) for managers as well as the developer to get the big picture. Then it goes into a discussion of ATL and design patterns. This second section is incredibly important since ATL is for COM as STL is for C++. It finishes off with some of the more advanced areas of study in COM. Only a few advanced topics are not covered (custom marshalling for one), but considering it starts from an assumed ignorance of COM, it does reach a good level of detail.

Who am I? I studied computer science in University. However, I had never previously developped on Windows. I am primarily a C++ programmer, with some experience with Java. Knowledge of C++ (I would say more than just a familiarity) should be a prereq. to reading, but that's about it. It introduces most OO topics you need in the first chapters that most experienced developers can probably skip.

I have a friend that recommended me this book and I have to agree with him that this was a very well written book. Don't let the fact that the title says "Windows NT" discourage you from getting this book. There is a lot of useful information in this book that is still standard practice for scripting in Server 2003. Probably one of the few and only outdated commands in the book is the AT command that was replaced by SCHTASK. Even then, the author goes into detail on how these different commands work and how to use them in your work environment to you benefit. I recommend this book as a learning tool and as a reference for my fellow scripting brethren.

Great book on NT shell commands that Microsoft doesn't even document. Not even "command /?" gives you any help.

Great for reference and to learn.

Although this book was authored in 1998, it is still as relavent today with Windows Server 2003 as it was when Windows NT 4.0 was first released. The fact is that the Command Shell hasn't changed all that much over the years and Timothy Hill's book remains the best guide to using and writing command scripts that I could ever recommend. And with Windows Server 2003's push to be able to do everything from the command line that one can do from the GUI, it's even more important to fully understand how the Windows Command Shell works.

Windows NT Shell Scripting is less about Windows NT than it is about how to write shell scripts. It covers the details of using the Command Shell in interactive mode, its configuration and how the 32-bit Command Shell differs from the 16-bit DOS box. Then it delves into the structure and syntax of the Command Shell language, providing a clear understanding of how the program control features such as IF and FOR work. Finally, it shows you how to create sophisticated shell scripts using the internal commands and external command-line utilities included with Windows and their Resource Kits.

Not everything in this book has survived the test of time. The old task scheduler using the AT command, though still supported in current version of Windows, has been mostly replaced by more powerful Scheduled Tasks of Windows 2000 and later. And you will want to supplement this book with a modern reference of the utility programs available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 (such as OReilly's "Windows Server 2003 In A Nutshell"). Yet this represents only a small part of the book and majority of material stands up very well. Certainly there is no better and more in-depth tutorial for building command scripts than Timothy Hill's book.

I like this book because unlike many technical books, the first three chapters aren't a pedestrian introduction to the basic fundamentals. This book spends chapter 1 with insight, similar to the way Applied Cryptography immediately gives you knowledge. I'm an experienced NT command shell user, and this book was valuable for me as well.
The DOS shell has become a requirement and skill relegated to the background by the direction of Microsoft curriculum, this book explains it and teaches it.

The authors instructions are easy to follow, without doting like the Teach Yourself "whatever" in 24 hour books, Tim Hill doesn't waste your time, or your money.

If you have a bit of programming experience, this book together with access to the NT Resource Kit tools will provide you with the foundation for doing almost anything you could imagine within Windows NT Shell Scripting.

The book can be used both as a tutorial and a reference for Windows NT scripting and gives good examples of the commands, tools and concepts covered. For Windows NT, this book does the job as your Shell Scripting Bible in less than 400 pages.

Since Windows NT 4.0, a lot has happened in the Windows scripting field though. With the release of Windows 2000 and the subsequent Windows XP and .NET Server, shell scripting has become much more powerful. A second edition of this book covering the new commands and tools would be most welcome. Until one exists, you might also want to look at newer books covering shell scripting for operating systems based on the Windows NT kernel.

You might also want to look at other, often more powerful ways to script your Windows NT-based environment. For that matter I recommend looking at other books covering WSH (Windows Script Host), ADSI and WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation).

All I can say is....Excellent book. It made a computer technician out of me. Tnx

If you are tired of all the PC how-to books that can't write a sentance in English, this is the book for you. Easy to follow with screenshots from the PC itself, this a guide even my mom can follow. It covers the basics of owning a computer from Windows 98 and SE, ME, and XP. How to keep them in tune and how to save some money doing it with free programs that are available online. What to take some of the mystery of the beige (black, grey, whatever) box on the desk, The Healthy PC will go long ways towards that end.

The first time I sat down with this book, I couldn't stop. I'm not a PC guru, nor am I a "tin horn." I think anyone who uses a computer from power users to novices will find it one of the most practical, easy to understand texts you'll find.

I also "googled" his name and found his website CareyHolzman.com. What a treasure trove of advice and help.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to use a computer or increase the knowledge they already have.

I absolutely love this book!!! I read about it here on Amazon and ordered it right away. I have been reading through it and using it on my computer for the past three hours... I can't put it down!!! My computer already seems more reliable, and I fixed little problems that I wasn't sure how to (i.e. The annoying send error file reports).
One of the great things about this was how explanatory it was... Although I knew what a lot of computer jargon means, I understood it after reading this book.
I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone looking to take care of their computer!

When you work or deal with young people, talking about computers
is a big challenge and most of the times you feel like a "dummie or an idiot". This forces you to run to Barnes & Noble or the local Library to end up more confused and frustrated not knowing which book to pick.
"The Healthy PC" is not as tedious as other computer books,
on the contrary once you start reading you will not stop, and if you follow the steps Carey recommends you'll feel very comfortable.
This is a great book, to bad he does not have any publications about hardware, but I understand his next book will be about "networking" available next year, I can't wait to buy it.

This book gives refreshing new ideas to use on photos. It is great for beginners and intermediate users. Goes through all the steps of how to get the effects you see on the page. The accompanying CD provides the pictures for you to follow along. Many worthwhile and useful effects to enhance photos. A book worth investing in.

I have been in photography for 35 years, but I would have to classify myself as an "advanced beginner" with Adobe Photoshop. Most of what I have learned, that has been really valuable to me, has been from the NAPP website,...you do have to join, but the information and training videos are well worth the membership fee. I do own a lot of Photoshop books because I wanted to learn as much as I could about it. It is such a powerful program, that it will do just about anything that you can imagine in your mind. "How to Wow" is absolutely THE BEST of all of the Photoshop books that I own. You do have to know your way around Photoshop at least a little, but this is a really good book to anyone that has learned the basic functions of any of the Photoshop programs. I am going to buy three more of these for Christmas gifts. I really do love this book, and you won't regret buying it.

I picked this book up when I was first starting into digital photography hoping to gain a few tidbits of knowledge to help enhance my photos. What I found instead was a treasure trove of step-by-step, easy to follow procedures for doing everyday tasks, like color balance adjustments, to more indepth tasks, like filling in a receeding hairline and photo restoration. Jack Davis approaches the subject with years of experience from teaching workshops and presents each chapter in layman's terms, foregoing technical jargon so many of us find ourselves mired in. Included with the book is a CD of presets for things such as texturing and frames. The presets alone make this book worth the price of admission but people of all skill groups will find the information collected useful and extremely easy to follow.

If you really read the book carefully, you'll find that there are at least a dozen techniques that you will want to refer to in future projects. I set tabs on sections of the book (via post-it notes) on about 15 technigues/effects/etc.
Well organized and with easy-to-follow instructions, it certainly is one of the very best books you'll find on Photoshop.

This book is too easy for an intermediate user, but a bit too advanced for a beginner. For a digital photographer with no Photoshop experience, Scott Kelby's The Photogrshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographer would be an alternative choice.

I've used about six Photoshop book. It's a decent book, but not a must have book. As an intermediate Photoshop user, I didn't pick up any new technique from this book. Therefore, I have exchanged this book for Linnea Dayton's Photoshop CS/CS2 Wow

I read the book from cover to cover. I have all of Leo Laporte's books, listen to his podcast This Week in Tech (TWiT), and watch his cable TV show.

Poor Leo's 2002 Computer Almaqnac is a must read, there is so much information. Just the little things make a big difference. This book has taught me alot, and I still pick it up and thumb through it and find something new. I cannot wait for the 2003 edition, as I have heard it will be bigger, and better. Leo keep up the GREAT work, think geek!

I bought this book solely based on the fact that Leo wrote it. Leo has got to be the coolest geek in the world. I like this book because the structure is unique. Each day of the calendar year Leo gives a new tidbit of information so you can start your day with something new for the whole year. Keep in mind this book is mainly for beginning computer users. Most advanced users will not get much out of this book. I liked it though because it's Leo and he's funny and writes like he runs his shows. I did learn a thing or two as well. Definitely a must have for the Leo fan and the beginning to intermediate computer enthusiast.

Finally a book on computers that everyone can understand and appreciate. This is my favorite reference book. It has tons of tips and tricks that will keep you informed on all subjects dealing with computers and the internet. Leo Laporte is brilliant and his common sense tips are invalubale. Thanks Leo for making it easy and fun to learn computers.

This is a must have for anyone who works with technology - by choice or by force. You'll actually have fun while learning new things, tips and tricks, shortcuts, etc. The one-a-day format keeps the concepts from overwhelming even novice users. Keep this one by your computer, you'll want to try out the tips right away. And if you're tempted, go on and read ahead - we won't tell! ;-)

Ben is that rare teacher who makes his subject clear for anyone, beginner or advanced user. He will not remain on my shelf, but in my travel bag and by the computer. This book will be well used and look it. Don't hesitate. Push the buy now button. You will not regret it. I am not related and have no financial interest in the book!!!!!!! Join the enlightened!!!!

This book is very good. Ben Willmore is an expert of expert. Buy it and it will not make you disappoited.

I'm a photoshop user since version 5, but with the latest developments I feld a little bit lost between all the possible features. Ben shows you how to use them and to develop your own style. It's more then telling how it works, but also how it can work for you. Now I can adjust and create my pictures even better. The book is easy to read, for the novice and even for an expert designer. Lot of tips, tricks and humor makes this book the best add-on for this product.

All of Ben's Studio Techniques books are a must read! There is no better Photoshop book out there! If you only buy one Photoshop book, this is the one to get!

Ben Willmore makes learning easy and appeals to the full range of learners. Great website support and lots of examples to help a person learn what they want. Dive in on any chapter and you will find out what you want to know and walk away with a better understanding of Photoshop as well. I would highly reccommend this book to all but the very newest to Photoshop, for it is jam-packed with knowledge that a lot of books promise but do not deliver.

O'Reilly's an up and coming publisher of computer related books. Maybe a kingpin already. This selection is a true quick reference guide. Written by the Thompsons, this selection gives you a thorough look into buying, assembling and operating computers. You do need a basic understanding to get anything out of this book, but if this is the case, you won't be disappointed. I have a first edition copy, and it's still current. That says a lot, a first edition published four years ago is still not too outdated! Think about it. How many computer related books can you think of that's relatively current after four years? Huh?

This book is amazingly concise and thorough, yet also very easy to read. It contains many helpful photographs, and the authors maintain a great website that is tremendously useful and is a great addition to the book. I am not a big fan of the "In a Nutshell" computer books published by O'Reilly, but this book is definitely an exception. It's great for both beginners and experts.

Robert Thompson is a man who doesn't hold back from giving his opinion on why something is good or bad, either on his website or in his books. In _PC Hardware in a Nutshell_, he tells you just what he thinks of what's good and bad about PC components in just about any category you can think of, and backs it up with all the facts, figures and personal experiences you could ever ask for. Every chapter includes historical information on the components under discussion, detailed reviews of what they do and how they do it, and recommendations on what to use (and what not to use). The final chapter walks you through building your own machine step-by-step, though, this being an omnibus book, the chapter is necessarily slightly skimpy in comparison to _Building The Perfect PC_. The writing style is clear and lively, in fact the book is well worth reading as a book even if you don't need any specific information at the time. The only real complaint I have is something the author has no control over - the fact that new PC hardware comes out so fast that it's just impossible to review every single new thing in a paper edition. (Well, that and the fact that Thompson doesn't like Western Digital because he's had bad experiences with their hard drives, whereas I've been using WD exclusively for years and never yet have had one go out on me. I think that can be chalked up, though, more to the fact that there's just so much PC hardware out there that different people are just going to end up having completely different experiences with components from a particular manufacturer. That, or I just got lucky with WD hard drives.) All in all, this book is truly indispensable.

This is a great book that covers every aspect of building a PC. However, as of August 2004, the 3rd edition of this book is a bit dated. For example PC3200 memory is considered the newest memory and both Pentium 4 Prescott processors and Athlon 64 processors were not out when this book was published. If you are buying this book, you may want to wait for a 4th edition, unless you are looking to assemble an old computer.

I would not accept the author's hardware recommendations as the final word. For one thing, the components they review are in many cases no longer manufactured. Magazine reviews and PC hardware Web sites are going to have different opinions on what the best components are.

Let me start out with a huge thanks to O'Reilly. I'm not a big fan of large corporations or publishers - but I have come to trust O'Reilly implicitly wherever technical issues are concerned. Although I'm certain that they are not the "perfect" publisher, nor in the business for wholly (ha!) altruistic reasons, I AM amazed by the remarkable originality, diversity, range, quality, accuracy, and honorable business practices of this publisher. Oftentimes I wonder how they manage to maintain such a level, when their current library is so chock-full of tough-to-follow acts.

That said, PC Hardware in a Nutshell does not fail to meet up to these high expectations. Let me get the review portion of my review out of the way - simply put, this is the book I have been hunting for a couple years. That I did not immediately search the O'Reilly library only shows that I am a bit silly. I should have known better. End of review.

But I would like to carry this a bit further, and go out on a limb to discuss the only complaint prior reviewers have voiced: that the book is too "Microsoft-centric."

Rather than a weakness, I believe that this is actually a strength. Let me offer big kudos to the authors and publisher for realizing that a serious, yet accessible, compendium of computer hardware knowledge was necessary. The folks who register such complaints are those least in need of an in-depth introduction to PC hardware. These are the high priests of hi-tech, who rule the roost by virtue of their knowledge-monopoly on all issues technical. They would have you believe that if it was not hand-crafted from spare parts, duct tape, and copious amounts of solder and configured with the most obscure version of Linux, then it's only fit for a 4-year-old. They are, quite simply, dead wrong. Let them compile their own "PC Hardware for Only the Most Serious Tech Gurus", I say!

Thompson's very first point is that he intended the book to be of the most practical usability possible. The practical reality is that the people who desperately need such a compendium are poor fools, like Yours Truly, who are too technical to be satisfied with tutorials on how to use Microsoft Office, yet are not quite knowledgeable enough to get right under the hood of their PCs (never mind build a Linux box from spare hatpins and Reynolds Wrap). We, the "psuedo-techies", often do not come equipped with enough experience, knowledge, or confidence to take ourselves to the next level. We are the crowd who are using Microsoft products, yet would love to learn enough to understand exactly WHY Microsoft means "mush-mind" and Linux is God - but will never get there without a guide. This book is the guide, and to me it says, "Psuedo-techies unite! Power to the people!"