Hardware Books

If you need to know what you are not told in basic terms, then this is the book for you. Simple and clear instructions help you through any hurdle you may find yourself in as though you are a master. This book gives you the basics that you are never told in a way that you can understand but also gives you more advanced understanding if you require without baffling you. I would recommend this book to any age of person who would like to be able to fix or add componets themselves without paying large amounts of money to the computer wizz kids. The only down side is that the photo's are not very clear but hopefully a new edition will be forthcoming and this rectified.

First saw this book at the library. It's now 30+ days overdue. Looks like I'll have to buy my own copy. Though this tome may not be what the advanced electronic brain tech-type may need, for those at the intermediate level down, this is a great book. More than just a basic "step 1 then step 2" style book, this book covers more than just basic component replacement.Included are in-depth explanations of hard and software. Also included are some trouble shooting tips. The title of this book is misleading, it is more of a tutorial on how to repair, maintain and upgrade your computer. A nice touch is the "plasticized" cover, which is more durable than a regular paper cover.The binding is such that it lays flat allowing the page you're looking at to stay there. Also, it is longer than it is wide, just right for having open while accessing your computer via the keyboard to perform some of the tips and tricks. I hope this book is as helpful to you as it is for me. I just wonder how much the library fine will be???!!!!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. At only 350 pages, you would expect it to be light reading for novices, but it includes details about shopping for sound, video, and so on that really explains the technology behind the items and why one part costs more than another. Finally I understand video acceleration and APIs after reading this book for example. It's as much about choosing the right components as it is about installing them.

Computer software and hardware expert Faithe Wempen's Upgrade Your PC To The Ultimate Machine In A Weekend is a fast-paced and superbly presented "user friendly" guide to swiftly and easily improving performance on any personal computer. From upgrading video and audio quality; to increasing hard disk space; to connecting to the Internet at a faster speed; and even replacing one's motherboard when necessary, Upgrade Your PC To The Ultimate Machine In A Weekend is an ideal, step-by-step guide especially and particularly recommended for those novices who wants to improve their computer's abilities but aren't sure where to start.

I was first intorduced to the PC verson of this book in college, while taking a computer repair class. I was very happy to find the Mac verson of the same book. Takes you step by step through the repairs and upgrades. It also has lots of list and tables. With good information. I am looking forword to the next edition. A must buy

With 12 contributing authors, this is the most detailed, comprehensive reference available for legacy Macs; first generation PowerMac (6100/7100/8100 series) and backwards, PowerBooks and Performas, to the original Mac 128K. Hardware is covered particularly well, motherboard details, monitors and video resolution, memory SIMMs, Video memory and 3rd party video boards, Ethernet, Nubus/PDS slots, SCSI, and printer issues. Lots of pixs, tables, and diagrams. Gives a comprehensive list of startup issues and resolutions, 32ppgs!

The book answers many repeated questions that I see on the Macintosh newsgroups, when hand-me-down computers are given a new lease on life! I am amazed that so many people want to do revivals and upgrades!

I find it invaluable as a Mac DTP Systems Engineer. Much easier than scanning back issues of MacWorld and MacUser magazines. The book's index is 55 pages! I have used it for 4 years and it is quite marked up, with many added Post-it notes and scribbles.

Que, 94, ISBN 0-88022-960-8, 1012 ppgs, $35. An absolute must have if you can find it in a closeout bin, or used bookstore.

Now if a sequel of comparable comprehensiveness would become available, covering PCI Macs, Mac clones, and G3, a gargantuan task...

Gene Steinberg's Upgrading & Troubleshooting Your Mac: Mac OS X Edition is a hands-on manual that focuses on both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9.1 and later. It discusses upgrading, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting. Filled with case histories to illustrate common problems and repair solutions, this book covers a wide range of important issues -- from survival advice for laptops and organizing SCSI chains to overcoming Ethernet difficulties. 612 pages

At last, a book that's taken away the fear of Mac OS X. Mr. Steinberg's newest book not only tells you how to get the most out of your Mac hardware, he shows you how to make Mac OS X 10.1 play nicely. I was pleased to discover a way to do a clean install of Mac OS X without erasing my drive (something Apple has yet to figure out) and a handy terminal tip that helped me empty the trash when I started getting messages that it was "in use." I highly recommend this book.

Well, how to explain this?

I just checked my bookshelf, and connected the biggest challenges in our R&D to existing books and to books I should have, and it was evident, that if I/we would have more people who'd really understand the "message" of this book, we would have less unidentified challenges in our development....

We can argue about the implementation of VMS (or OpenVMS or what ever), but the persons who understand the "big picture of Design" can really make The Difference... Every person who feels to be "superior" and "really knows" how things are/should-be/or-what-ever in Linux/FreeBSD/Windoes/OrWhatever should make sure that they have really read AND understood this book....

Worth of reading, what ever "OS religion" you happen to confess.

I believe the previous reviewer had a different book in mind. This manual contains the gory details of how VMS operates on VAX systems. It provides information necessary and usefull to writers of privileged and kernel mode code, drivers, and other things that just can't be written in user context. A must have for VAX/VMS system programmers.

As expected, this is a top notch book. Includes the information I was expecting, and a little bonus: not only can you install the VB.NET Core Classes information, but the CD that comes with this book includes all the information (for integration into VS.NET) for the VB.NET Language Reference, also by O'Reilly. So, while you only get the hard-copy of one book, you get the information of two. Quite a deal.

Okay--I don't dream in code often, and I don't make a living by programming. I do it for fun. I don't have any of the expensive versions of Visual Studio--just the "Standard", cheapie one.

With that said, I love having the framework laid out for me. The fact that it integrates into VS is a big plus. And, if you're undecided, here's a little tip--you can install the VB.NET Core Classes information *AND* the VB.NET Language reference into VS with this CD. I imagine that the VB.NET Language Reference is the same way. Whatever, for the price of one, you get two (albeit only on hardcopy version).

So--well worth the money. I love it.

I am an EE but spent most of my career programming in C. This book is an excellent tutorial, beginning with the basics and gradually covering the more complex aspects of VHDL. It clearly explains the difference between sequential (traditional) programming and concurrent programming--both are used in VHDL. It also clearly defines the differences between the modelling stage (not covered in detail) and the design stage (Register Transfer Level - which is covered in great detail). Finally, he explains how to set up a test bench. Within 2 months of reading this book, other engineers were coming to me for advice. I literally wore out the binding!

+'s This is an excellent book for the one that has an inkling
of what VHDL is about.
There is a lot of detail of language definition and how the
language came about.
This author is very good at explaining a point.

-`s There is very little in this reference concerning non-
synthesisable code AND why can't folks index books? I would
really like to buy a book that I didn't have to re-read to
revisit a particular detail, L

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 Programmerýs reference and found the solution within seconds. I use the previous version Programmerýs 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