Hardware Books

Virtual Organization: Toward A Theory Of Societal Transformation Stimulated By Information Technology by Abbe Mowshowitz (Professor of Computer Science, City College of the City University of New York) is a meditative and thought-provoking discourse on how modern information technology molds and transforms society itself. Presenting diverse theories about how an increase in computer productivity can often lead to lost jobs and a weakening of traditional employer-employee loyalty, and offering visions for how societal evolution will match scientific advancements of the future, Virtual Organization is highly recommended reading which delves deeply into serious and complex forces driving the growth and change of our modern society.

The word "virtual" has probably surpassed the word "postmodern" in being used so vaguely and so generally that it has become, in many hands or mouths, almost meaningless, a kind of universal solvent to hype anybody's idea about anything, and, when applied to social phenomena, a way of being hip. How fortunate and refreshing, then, to have Abbe Mowshowitz's VIRTUAL ORGANIZATION, which is a conceptually clear and precise, intellectually and socially critical, and historically grounded as well as imaginative analysis of virtuality as a social phenomenon. Using the core of the computer-science understanding of virtuality as a model for organization, Mowshowitz shows how and why, in our particular economic, social, and political context, virtual organization is destined to be not only the predominant organizational form but also one that has and will increasingly have vast impacts on our entire social structure, for example in redrawing the boundaries between public and private in a way that can lead to a refeudalization of our society. And he does this in an amazingly comprehensive, detailed, and informed account of both the details of virtual enterprises and surrounding factors, such as information commodities, in today's political economy. He goes into substantive examination of the impact of virtual organization as a socio-historical phenomenon on many other aspects of social life, including not only the public sphere and the role of the nation-state but the family, community, and private life as well. Mowshowitz, who has had a disinguished research, teaching, and consulting career in the area of the social context and impact of information technology, is in the unusual position of being based both in computer-science and in political, economic, and social analysis and history, so that he can draw together the interwoven threads of technology and society in a convincing and thorough analysis. This gives his work a thorough and grounded character that makes it surpass, in quality and import, much of what passes for analysis of the impact of information technology on society. Because his work is not only analytical but, in the best sense, predictive and prognosticative -- in ways that are bound to be controversial -- his book is not only a scholarly contribution to, as the subtitle says, "a theory of societal transformation stimulated by information technology" but also a contribution to many of the vital public policy issues of the present. Hence this book will be of great interest and value not only to those who work in or manage virtual organizations, and to those interested in understanding contemporary social and technological trends and their interaction, but also to those concerned with what kind of society we and our descendants live in. A must read for all in any of these groups.

I have enjoyed reading your book so far and really like your sense of humor. As an EE myself, I was looking for something just like this for USB communications. The book is great!

Once again Joe Pardue ("C Programming For Microcontrollers") shows his wry sense of humor and expertise in embedded systems and programming. This time he has produced a breadboard oriented USB interface (using the FTDI R232R chip) which this book examines with code examples in C# and VB.Net (both available free from Microsoft). The interface can act both as a USB based RS232 virtual port and as a 12 bit general purpose interface with several bells and whistles. Drivers for both types of applications are free, and currently the interface is available for $20 (smileymicros.com).

This book does not teach the ins and outs of USB (you'll want Axelson's book for that). It is application, not theory, oriented, and as such contains fully coded applications. There are also several simple hardware experiments to illustrate the power and techniques needed to use the interface.

Whenever I need some help with Visual Basic.net, this is the first source that I use. Sometimes it is better than the on-line help. I would supplement this book with the "Visual Basic.Net: The Complete Reference" book. I would highly recommend that both books be added to your Visual Basic.Net reference library. Although not as fast as the on-line help, the book provides better answers to your Visual Basic.Net questions. The only error that I found is ADO.Net becomes ADO.Next in the chapter on ADO.Net. Must have been the publisher.

I am not a professional programmer so I need all the help I can get. I was stuck trying to get the Long Date format to work correctly so I consulted the help menu in VB.NET and all that provided was information that was incorrect and or that I could not implement correctly so I picked up my new copy of Programmer�s reference and found the solution within seconds. I use the previous version Programmer�s reference for VB6 and it also is an excellent resource. Both of these books by Dan Rahmel have MORE information that I can use in the real world than several of the 1500 page books on my shelves.
Lloyd Gregory techrep@lloydgregory.com

Mr. Funk gives a comprehensive overview of the web with up to date information and a socio-historical context. It's rare to find a book of this sort that is both useful, technically sound, and fun to read. Highly recommended.

I am a nontechnical reader, and I enjoyed this book for its very accessible and clear writing, for explaining what Web 2.0 is about, and for its many practical suggestions for using Web 2.0 in business.

I checked this book out of the library today and am already halfway through the book. The material is presented in such a lucid manner that reading sections over again is not necessary. It is also thoroughly engaging in its step-by-step approach to solving a problem via hardware and software.

This is a nice companion to a weightier book like Patterson & Hennessy's; especially since it is based on Motorola's 6800 series chip. I will no doubt be adding a copy to my personal library soon.

WHAT EVERY ENGINEER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MICRO-COMPUTERS is the book that solved a very serious dilemma for me, namely, where to begin a technical education of computers. In very simple but technical language this book teaches the basics of how the computer uses its innards to accomplish the tasks assigned to it by the user, be he a mathematical person, a verbal person, a gaming person, a commercial person, .... Well, you get the picture. Reading W E E S K About Micro-Computers has peaked my interest so much in the series of books WHAT EVERY ENGINEER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ..., that I immediately upon finishing it looked up the publisher to find to my delight that there are many more in the series, in which I intend to invest as my interests lead me. I HIGHLY recommend this book, only the third in the list, as a starting point for anyone with only the slightest rationality in him and wanting to know more to get himself started on his own personal voyage into the information world that is upon us to stay. Kudos toe the autors, editors, publishers, and anyone involved in the series, but especially to the authors William S. Bennett and Carl F. Evert, Jr. for their most excellent book for the beginning student, parent, child, teacher, and whoever may need to know just a little more than where the on-off button is. Ronald Darden

Active Directory is without a doubt the most important part of Windows 2000 and this book -- written entirely based upon the release version of Windows 2000 (not based on the betas) -- is a comprehensive introduction and reference to this important technology.

Building from the ground up, it combines step-by-step instructions to do complex tasks instead of dismissively telling you that you should do X (where X is undocumented elsewhere) and also teaches basic VBScript and integrates scripting solutions alongside point-and-click and command line methods.

The topics covered range from understanding and installing Active Directory through all the constituent parts to Group Policy, other Intellimirror technologies and advanced topics such as troubleshooting, interoperability and design issues.

I hope you enjoy the book.

I have gone over several books on AD but this is the only one that provided me in depth information. This is not a book for the very beginners of Active Directory but is a book that needs to read.

I've been a Windows developer for about 6 years with focus on Win32 API, MFC, COM, STL, ATL, SQL Server, and .NET.

I own several books on Windows development including Jeffrey Richter's masterpiece, "Programming Applications for Windows, Fourth Edition" by Microsoft Press. Although I love and cherish that book, I've got to admit that for most of my day-to-day Win32-related questions I refer to Ben Forta's book. This book has not seized to amaze me ever since I bought it some 3 years ago. Specifically, the information on Shell/Windows Services, commonly-used Kernel objects, and the Active Directory is very thorough and yet simple to follow.

This is by far the best inexpensive computer book I've ever owned.

Finally, a easily readable and highly informative book on Windows 2000 development. This book covers lots of basics, as well as very advanced topics, and all with lots of useable source code. If you are an experienced C/C++ developer, or if you are a Windows development beginner, this is about as good as it gets.

Worth the money to have this book by your side if you are running Win2k. This book is well organized and everything is explained very well.

This is the best Windows 2000 book that I have read! The author has packed this book from cover to cover with great things to maximize the use of this new operating system.

As a network integration company my employees are very much in need of a suitable and content rich guide to ease the transition into Windows 2000. I believe that the writing style of the author lends itself well to the technically savvy as well as computer newcomers and we will continue to recommend this book to our clients.

The instant reference is organized very intuitively and every page is something that I have run into or I know that my clients will run into in the future.

I hope to see more from where this came from!

I've read plenty of books on Windows 2000 Server, and this is one is my favorite. You can tell the author used to be a teacher because the explanations and walk-throughs are very thorough, decreasing the chances of making an error while performing tasks. I especially like the explanations on TCP/IP, Active Directory domains, DHCP, and DNS. Of course, these are basic pieces of 2000 Server, but Ms. Ballew details them nicely.
There are also an incredible amount of resouces on the CD that I've printed out and used in my migration from NT to 2000, and my Net Admins are appreciative for the good start and organizational options these offer.

If I had to choose one book to pick for upgrading to, migrating to, or installing a new Windows 2000 domain, I'd have to choose this one.

Wow! This book has it all! I'd suggest this book for anyone who is upgrading to or using Windows 2000 Server on a network. For those who are upgrading, a complete guide for planning, installing, and managing, as well as setting new standards for inventory, security, and more. There's plenty of information on using DNS and DHCP too, as well as a chapter devoted to Routing and Remote Access.

On the CD, there's a hundred or so worksheets that can help you with the migration or upgrade, and plenty of web sites that you can access if you get in trouble with it. I'd say this book is a MUST HAVE for any Windows 2000 administrator.

Super 270 page book that takes you step by step through the process of learning and using Windows 98. I found most everything I needed to know to get me started, and much more. It features a very complete table of contents and index to help you quickly find the info you want, then presents the info in an easy to understand manner, without the technical jargon the "experts" use. Topics range from Bare Bones Basics, Fixing Problems and Understanding Windows and Menus, to Printing Files, Sharing Information, Changing Settings and Finding Help When an Error Message Appears On Your Screen (An aid that I use often). This volume contains more data than some of the much more expensive videos and books I've seen, and its even easier to use. A free CD-Rom is included to help you. I refer to the book often. Well worth the price.

If you want to start computing and you are really at ground zero--my exact scenario, I'm afraid--this is your bible! This book assumes you know nothing--my exact scenario, I'm afraid--and gets you going painlessly and with humor. It comes with a cd to download for on-screen, hands-on lessons; what more could you ask for? NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH "WINDOWS 98 FOR DUMMIES," this book, "Dummies 101,Windows 98" is the place for you to start if "Windows 98 for Dummies" was over your head--my exact scenario, I'm afraid. Of course now I'm a whiz, but this book got me started and I'm sending copies to friends in need this X-Mas.