Hardware Books

Leo Laporte's PC Help Desk is most helpful, filled with easy to understand explanations and solutions to some overwhelming problems anyone could encounter with the "old" PC. Recommended reading for all PC users, and well worth the price.

I have been involved in computers and networks since Windows 3.1. I have seen every problem and issue you can imagine. Just when I thought I knew it all, the PC showed me who was boss time and time again. This was my hobby that turned into a high pay career until outsourcing killed the profession.

I had years to learn, develop and grow. You have problems right now and need them solved cheaply...today! This book is not a complete, all encompassing reference guide. It goes over the most common and most likely problems you will face. WHICH IS PERFECT!!!

I remember Leo from the ZDTV days with Sumi Das and others. He has continued on to provide the MEAT of material that will matter to you the MOST! He goes over locations of inputs and outputs on the front and back of the computer, there are nice, clear well laid diagrams, and it seems they were using Windows XP 64bit edition! Pretty cheeky Leo!!!

That said, this book is a year old. If you end up buying a computer with/or upgrading to Windows Vista...90% of this book will be obsolete. hopefully, Leo will release a new version in the next 6 months.

If you want a complete (skull numbing) reference book for your shelf, check out anything by Scott Mueller (Upgrading and Repairing PCs - 17th Edition). Scott can't be beat.

This is a great book. Easy to read for beginners, but detailed enough to be usefull. It has a handy index for quickly locating items of interest. It covers the basics of most all aspects of computing, and is quite educational for newbies. I find it a fine reference tool.

For those of you know do know Leo Leporte, let me fill you in. He's one of the busiest, friendliest, and very knowledgeable guys around today. He's on TV, the radio, and on a dozen podcasts. Leo knows technology.

The PC Help Desk is the most thorough book you can find when it comes to understanding and troubleshooting your Windows based PC. Now, personally, I own a Mac. However, most of my family owns pc's. So this book was a gift to my parents to help them figure out any problems they might have when I can't get over there right away.

Finally, although we're talking computers, it is written in a friendly everyday language. There is humor to diffuse any anxiety you might have about technology talk. It's very down to earth. I recommend this to anyone who gets baffled by his or her PC.

The pc help desk book written by leo laporte is a must read guide in keeping your pc or mac healthy...leo is warm and has a great sense of humor..He never talks down to his audience,and has been a lot of help to me on his call for help program...Any serious computer user,should buy this book...thank you! stewart l

This book is filled with GREAT information for anyone interested in working with various 'toys' for Linux. I was privileged in being part of a class presented by Tom Weeks in regards to MythTV (he assisted with the chapter in the book) and it is great information!

If you are interested in getting the latest information for various additions to your Linux box, then this is a must-have. If you are even interested in any extra features you can configure on your Linux box then you will not be disappointed!

WARNING: Your pocket book might suffer after reading this book from all the new hardware you want to buy!

You can make really useful things based on the Linux OS, and this book makes it easy! Highly recommended!

Readers of this book will find it VERY well written. It appeals to everyone, from those more proficient in Linux, to those (like myself) who are still learning. I'd highly recommend this book!

This book clearly explains the details needed to accomplish all projects.

I recently saw Tom Weeks do a Myth TV presentation where you can build your own Linux based PVR, which is covered in his chapter written in this book. This is a great resource for the computer hobbyist, amateur or enthusiast of gadget-lover! Easy to follow and fun to read!

The best book on SharePoint Services 3.0 and I have read just about every book about SharePoint Services. Bookmark her blog at [...]. Also get Inside Microsoft Windows Services 3.0 by Ted Pattison and Daniel Larson and Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007 Step by Step by Penelope Coventry.

This is the only book on WSS 3.0 that I've found to be complete. It comes at over a thousand pages. No other title even comes close. It's well-written, interesting to read (no mean feat for a tech book!), and most important--it's accurate and relevant. It covers all the base admin stuff in more depth than any other book on the topic I've seen. If you only have budget for one WSS 3.0 book, here's where you should spend it.

After our recent adoption of WSS 3.0 I spent many a weeks in training classes and text books. What I found most difficult was finding a book that focused on WSS 3.0 from network administrators point of view. Most books I read were a 70/30 split with 70% about SharePoint and its webparts and lists and such and only 30% about the Networking side and things to look for in IIS, SQL, and general services that ran with WSS. This book fit the bill perfect and was also enjoyable to read. The author was humorous throughout as well as detailed in her presentation. All points of thought and option were geared from what NetAdmins are more concerned about, network performance / Security and less about how pretty a list can look for an end-user.

Recently I started thinking about Sharepoint for one of my clients. Since I'd never had an opportunity to really delve into it, I watched a couple of Microsoft Videos to get an overview. Then I purchased this book. Aside from an enormous amount of typos, this is an EXCELLENT book. It covers everything I want to know in a very organized and understandable way. I highly recommend it and hope they find an editor who can fix the annoying typos!!!

As a SharePoint instructor I am always on the lookout for additional references that I can recommend to my students and also use to improve my own delivery of a complex topic.

I think it is essential to have a clear understanding of Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) as the foundation of what MS refers to as "SharePoint Products and Technologies". Many people (myself included) dig right into MS Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) without a complete understanding of what is part of WSS what is only available with a MOSS license. This problem is exacerbated if the only SharePoint reference on your bookshelf is a MOSS reference (hint - book titles with SharePoint 2007 or SharePoint Server 2007 in the title are probably MOSS books).

I really like the authors writing style. I find the explanations clear and the style comfortable and accessible.

I highly recommend this book whether you are in a MOSS or WSS only environment.

This book gives you the information you need when you need it. The authors will tell you what works, and what doesn't. You get the right answers, not just the Microsoft answers.

This book is more clearly defined than the Microsoft manuals. Buy it! It's money well spent!

Basically, a well-written, high level 'cliff notes' of the manuals. The target audience is casual and beginner users of SQLServer, not power users. Power users and budding DBA's should try SQL Server Unleashed by the same publisher, or SQLServer Secrets from IDG.

No other book on the market even comes close with respect to the DBA specific aspects of SQL server. All the rest are a mix of developer/DBA material. If you just want to know how to administer SQL this is definately the book for you!

As a SQL Server DBA I am often called upon to deal with 6.5 installations. All my training has been on 7.0 and while many of my peers may have gotten their start on 4.2 or 6.0 or 6.5, I learned on 7.0 and it is different. The 6.5 DBA Survival Guide has helped me to figure out how to do things in 6.5 that are done quite differently in 7.0. I have found it to be an excellent resource manual for making sense out of how things work. Online help in 6.5 is a great disappointment compared to 7.0 so a book like this is essential.

I don't know how to compare this book to others on 6.5 because I have not read any others. But my readings in this one have compared very favorably to what I have read in dozens of references dealing with 7.0.

I recommend for all programmers and System Analist that needs to learn everything about COBOL CICS.

I bought this back when I was trying to learn CICS. It was one of the best I found. I keep it at my desk at work and my co-workers use it on a regular basis too.

As always, Murach has provided a real working programmers text. This is a combination of the older volumes 1 and 2 with lots of new stuff thrown in. Beware - this is a full instructional text. It goes into depth on just about everything you would really want to know. I use it when I have questions as well as an instructional text for my junior staff programmers. The examples are also plentiful and well presented. Now that I do engagements on the road, I ship this text everywhere I go - wouldnt be without it as I still refer just to be sure I got it right.

An uncluttered layout and clear text make this the best textbook I've read in a very long time. You can see the code (or list of command options or diagram) on the right page, and read the explanation of the command on the left page. It's much easier than going back and forth trying to find a code example.

I was looking to fill in gaps in my knowledge, so I liked the way each topic stands alone. You can just look up VSAM browses or SQL commands or MRO without having to read the chapters leading up to it. I'm going to use this as a reference book. It has everything I need.

It was funny that the last two chapters were one on using CICS with web browsers and another on obsolete terms, like BLL-CELLS. I guess it's a reminder that CICS is still a developing system and we have to keep our knowledge fresh!

Murach's CICS For The Cobol Programmer is a complete training manual for CICS so well written and presented that the novice will rapidly become proficient in designing, coding, and testing CICS programs. All the features programmers use regularly on the job are featured including those for VSAM file handling, editing input data, controlling the display of data at a terminal, DB2 data access, error processing, and debugging. Programmers are also provided with an overview of how CICS can be used for web-based applications, including the design and coding considerations involved. Murach's distinctive and "learner friendly" paired-pages style is followed throughout with the illustrations and crucial coding details for a single feature or function on the right-hand page, while the left-hand page offers extra explanation and perspective. Murach's CICS For The Cobol Programmer is a "must" for anyone wanting to learn CICS programming and operation.

I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to build and trick out my first "do-it-yourself" PC like "the pros"...Joel made it easy so that even a dummie like me could make it happen. Thanks Joel!

I'm pretty well versed in the basics of computer hardware, especially as it relates to games. I've done several motherboard and memory upgrades and a lot of video-card and hard-drive/CD-ROM drive swaps. But the really serious mods -- the windows and lights and bells and whistles -- always seemed a little beyond me.

I always thought it would be cool to have a slick-looking, modded-up PC, but I wasn't sure I could handle the work, and I didn't really want to buy a ready-made one from the handful of companies that make them (and know it was really just like a thousand others out there). I was also afraid it'd end up being too expensive to justify.

But this book convinced me I could do it, and without breaking the bank. I even used the book to convince a couple of friends to go in with me on the tools and materials, so we can share the costs. We figure if a "Dummy" can do it, then we can.

Great stuff. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking to do their own custom mods.

Joel obviously knows his stuff. Yet he manages to write so that pretty much anyone who loves games and computers will get something out of this book. I knew you could modify your PC like this, but I didn't realize the extent to which you could really get creative and have fun with it. It would be a good parent/child project for an older kid or young teen who's into computers and likes working with his/her hands. A lot of fun!

Thanks to this book, my Dell now looks awesome, and runs like a much more expensive machine. It revolutionized the way I think of computers - I'll never go back to a factory design! Highly recommended!!

From geek-in-training to uber-geek, this book has something for everyone. Clear, concise and well written, I would recommend this for anyone who wants to make changes to their PC. Thanks to this book, I no longer have to rely on my techno-geek friends and relative for computer updates.

What a life saver. Excellent content and easy to understand.

No more excessive verbage that just confuses the issue. Really helpful for non-techies like be.

Wow, I find this book a guide that really works and does not leave me more confused than before I started. Largely due to the author's "easy reading" style and lots of good pictures.....I VERY highly recommend this book....I feel in control again!!

I have been using computers for years, and have been getting frustrated for years. A friend recommended this terrific book, and the super pictures are definitely worth a thousand words.

I just bought this book out of desperation because of problems I've been having with my computer. Instead of spending hours feeling frustrated, this book helped me to quickly solve my difficulties. Its writing is clear and precise and easy to follow.

This book is excellent. Not only is it fun to read but also very informative. You can read it from front to back and you can use it as a reference manual. What graphics mode for tracks does what? You'll find it! What compression scheme do I need for what purpose? You'll find it! How do I change the movie controller? Why do I have to change it sometimes? Just look it up! Did you ever wanted to know how the people from Apple make movie trailers?

The CD contains an audio tour, many examples, and software (QuickTime 5 Pro, full versions and demo versions of various tools) for Windows and Macintosh computers.

This book was written very well, and is full of useful information. It isn't just for the web! It's a must-have for anyone working with Quicktime. Good book.

I like a lot Mr.Gulie's writing and especially the chapter about SMIL and how it can be used to create QuickTime movies.

The main reason I bought the book was that it had license keys for QuickTime5 Pro for PC and Mac. Those keys costed [price] each at that time if one bought them separately (supposing they had both a Mac and a PC). So it was a good deal apart from the book content itself. An unfortunate thing is that the QT5Pro keys won't work with QT6Pro and that QT6 can't coexist with QT5 on the same machine. So I do still use QuickTime5 (Pro) on my machine...

The book also contains a CD with lots of material which is a must for books about multimedia and rich content (would be a big download for one to get from the publisher's website).

Another thing about such books are that they're usually not printed in color :(, obviously to keep the cost low

This book contains all of the otherwise unwritten techniques for producing QuickTime movies and panoramas for the web, appropriate for both Macintosh and Windows users.

Steve Gulie is in constant contact with producers of QuickTime content (on the mailing list), and is familiar with their day-to-day travails. The book is essentially an embellished FAQ, plus suggestions from Steve's first-hand experience in producing QuickTime for the Web.

The book comes with a QuickTime Pro license for both the Macintosh and Windows, which more than pays for the cost of the book. In addition, the accompanying CD contains demos or fully functional versions of dozens of useful application, for Mac and Windows.

If you're doing any QuickTime production and delivering it on the web, then you need this book.

Steve Gulie does it again. It is rare to read a technical book that makes you laugh out loud, but Steve leavens the clearly-explained information about the intricacies of QuickTime and Web browers with wit and humour.
This second edition includes QT 5 Pro Keys for Windows and Macintosh - separately these alone would cost nearly (...), so the book is a bargain too.

Full disclosure - I am an engineer on the QuickTime team, know the author, and proof-read this book. I know that it is accurate and helpful, and that it will explain techniques that would take you a long time tolearn on your own.

Safe Computing is an invaluable reference to protecting one's data, computer, money, privacy and warding off those nasty viruses and worms. It comes with a bonus CD-ROM relative to the contents of the book, for those of you fear too much separation from your computer.

It is written and formatted in a layout that is quickly accessible as you consider tossing caution to the winds and exposing your wider identity/credit card numbers to that amorphous and uncertain Cyber-World. Furthermore, when your eyes are burning, your back hunched like so many Quasimodo computer geeks, and your wrists twinging after all-night forays on the Internet, it offers a pleasing alternative to the computer screen. Unlike those software manuals, it is actually the sort of book that you may wish to keep close by your computer, for a much-needed chuckle at Mr Bentley's writing style, as well as its topical hints. It may even find its way into parents and parents-in-law Christmas stockings this year, to ward off those pesky questions concerning computing (which you can never seem to answer adequately anyhow).

A comprehensive reference manual it is, so toss out those slighter volumes about trying to protect your kids from all the mayhem on the net or how to sit up straight when typing away, and buy it.

Tom Bentley's self help manual offers lots of wonderful information to help anyone who deals with computers but, as a high school info tech (or computer)teacher I especially have found it beneficial. His pointers, advise and general information have practical application for the computer class, career preparation and business computing. I would even recommend it as a manual for employers who are concerned about the well being of employees and their computers.

Bentley has found a common sense approach for passing on information which is neither preechy or condescending. In short, I found this book to be a great read and a lot of help to me personally and the students I am teaching.

Safe Computing is a great book for the novice user. I manage a group of PC techs and this is exactly the kind of information that we try to communicate to our customers. The links are extremely helpful as is the sample CD. I will recommend this book to those users who would like an easy to understand and comprehensive reference for safe computing practices.

It's easy to become cavalier with your computer. This book tells you why that's risky & what you can do to protect your investment. Tom Bentley's gentle, whimsical book offers hands-on advice for every imaginable aspect of your computing world. Each chapter contains zillions of useful links that are 1.) actually relevant and 2.) still exist on the Web. I especially appreciated the chapter on data protection & the convenient table on backup devices. The book includes 4 pages of amusingly-illustrated stretching exercises which are so handy I've put them on my wall as reminders.

Bentley gives equal time to both Windows & Mac platforms, which means there's simply no excuse to avoid this book. It makes an excellent reference sourcebook which should be kept within arm's reach--make that an ergonomically correct reach--of everyone's workstation. "Safe Computing: How to Protect Your Computer, Your Body, Your Data, Your Money and Your Privacy in the Information Age" is both entertaining and educational, with nary a tinge of stuffiness.

Safe Computer: How To Protect Your Computer, Your Body, Your Data, Your Money And Your Privacy In The Information Age is specifically designed for anyone wanting or needing to use the computer for the personal and professional needs but are reluctant or uncomfortable in doing so because of all the stories they've heard about computer viruses, hackers, computer fraud, computer crashes, eyestrain, data loss, aching wrists, even identity theft. Tom Bentley takes a clear, comprehensive, reassuring, "reader friendly" approach in teaching the novice computer user how to protect and back up data; avoid computer usage caused aches, pains and repetitive stress injuries; avoid and overcome viruses, worms and Trojan Horses; foil hackers and identity thieves; keep secure from theft and fraud; preserve privacy while Web surfing, and much, much more. Very highly recommended reading guaranteed to restore operator confidence and assurance, Safe Computer is also enhanced with an accompanying CD-ROM.

I bought my first Mac, an iMac but I couldn't get anywhere with it, because there wasn't a real manual. Just a little card that got me as far as turning it on and that's all. I bought Mr. Steinberg's book, "Sams Teach Yourself the iMac in 24 Hours" and followed the instructions. It didn't take me very long before I was sending faxes to a business colleague in New York. This is a great book, easy reading, and I enjoyed it immensely. END

As a long time Macintosh enthusiast, a number of my friends have just purchased an iMac, and also bought a copy of Gene Steinberg's book. We have all been pleasantly surprised, because most computing books we've read consist of dull, drab, technical descriptions that are difficult to understand. But this book was something else entirely. Not only were the most complicated steps explained in a clear, logical manner, but the author has a sense of humor and tries not to take himself too seriously.

I would heartily recommend "Sams Teach Yourself the Imac in 24 Hours" not only for the iMac user, but anyone who wants to get the most value from the Macintosh.

This book teaches you so much--Apple, like most computer manufacturer's--tell's you almost nothing about the computer when you buy it. And this is coming from a first-time computer buyer, not a techno-geek. END

I am a complete computer idiot. Before I bought the iMac from the local CompUSA store here in Northern California, I didn't know a mouse from a menu. I sat down before the iMac and just sat, not knowing what to do next. I ordered a copy of "Sams Teach Yourself the iMac in 24 Hours" and read it cover to cover (no it didn't take 24 hours). Then I had the courage to hook up the iMac, and, following the author's detailed instructions, I had it hooked up in minutes and that day I was connected to the Internet, via America Online. In a week or two, I had a printer and a scanner, and I got through it, relatively unscathed, because of this marvelous book. Highly recommended!

I must say, it is one of the best on the market. It takes you by the hand and very gently leads you through everything you need to know to be successful with this computer beauty! Easy to read, easy to understand and you don't have to be a "dummie" to GET IT! Gene, keep up the good work. I really loved this book. END