Hardware Books

I've been an Apple user since the old Apple IIc and have been through just about every generation of MAC and the operating systems. I'm not a "under the hood" guy - I use computers to get things done. With OS X, Apple did it again, introducing great new technology without documentation to let you know how to use it and unlease the power.

Most computer guides I've seen fall into one of two categories: A- The "This is a mouse. To use the mouse grasp firmly and push . . ." or the B- "Once in Terminal mode and root level, type the command. . . " If you are like me, you want to know how to get the most out of your machine without resorting to programming language. Mr. Miser has produced a great guide that takes you step by step through just about all the important functions and how to steps for MAC OS X (and 10.1). If you check some of the self-help boards on the internet, you get conflicting and confusing info. For example- installation of OS X and partitioning- Should you have the Classic envrionment on a different partion? How does the model of machine effect the partitioning decision? He gives you INFORMATION not just instructions, so you know the advantages and disadvantages of each decision. The book takes you step by step through all the new features and how to use them, and the tips with each section seem to predict your questions or problems before they occur. Having already installed OS X , I had been stumbling through the little quirks and problems. It IS new and different from the old MAC operating systems, and you have to get use to life in a Networked world. I had so many light bulb moments of sudden clarity that I had former Enron execs calling to offer their services in trading the excess power being generated!

The book is littered with wonderful tidbits. I had a simple question no one would answer - how do you rebuild the desktop in OS X? Found the answer - you DON'T need to perform this housekeeping under OS X. Thank you Brad!

Mr. Miser is a rare author. Here is an engineer who has a great understanding of the technology who can give wonderfully detailed information to the user in simple, plain to understand language without talking down to his reader. He has a good grasp that there are a lot of heavy users out there who are not engineers but just want to maximize productivity and minimize problems. On the other hand, the book goes far beyond the beginner level and helps you solve many issues that may have had you visiting your local computer guru- at $70 per hour. Thanks!

And as for OS X - I am doing more, faster than ever before. So make the plunge! Read the book, develop your installlation plan and make the switch over to OS X!

I don't know about you, nor your OSX situation. But I have a computing lab of 22 flat panel iMacs running OSX which have been nothing but trouble. (So much for "out of the box!")

In two separate situations I poured through the more popular and well recommended books on OSX looking for solutions. When none of them addressed those specific problems, I wrote the authors of those books asking the specific questions. (I won't mention them here.) NONE of them responded with an answer, and only ONE responded at all, and that was with a vague "guess." (Which later turned out to be wrong.)

This book arrived from QUE in my Reviews stack, and I instantly went hunting for the answers to those specific problems. I found the solutions quickly and easily among these pages.

The book is well cross-referenced, and written in a "low" geek-speak manner so that most Mac users should be able to use it effectively.

So many of the "trendy" books these days are mere reflections of the "Help" files included with the software or hardware packages. The "tips and tricks" books seem to be a carefully edited version of the popular online discussion forums and discussion lists. But Brad's book seems to evolve beyond that and actually presents important information not found elsewhere -- or more fully fleshes out details skimmed over or misrepresented by the others. (For instance: few of the other books warn you up front that the Finder cannot burn multiple-session CD-RWs -- BEFORE you burn one -- even though the machine ships with a rewritable drive.)

As a book reviewer, I've poured over maybe 30 of the most popular OSX books in the past 12 to 18 months. I feel comfortable recommending this book for all my readers as probably the best purchasing decision they could make for OSX help.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Most professional Web designers and developers occupy a large portion of their work in a visual design environments such as Dreamweaver, and use the tools within Dreamweaver to hand-code at least portions of their own markup. The positioning and scope of Special Edition Using Macromedia Dreamweaver MX is primarily to assist these web masters in gaining a professional level of competency through a working knowledge of Dreamweaver and the issues in design and markup that are affecting the changing way in which they work. Special Edition Using Macromedia Dreamweaver MX cogently addresses issues in Web design and development from an extremely contemporary standpoint. Suitable for beginners, the primary emphasis in Special Edition Using Macromedia Dreamweaver MX is to assist the intermediate designer interested in learning how to work with Dreamweaver to achieve best practices within the design and development industry. User Level: Intermediate, 720 pages

The title of this book is not the only thing that is covered (i.e. Dreamweaver MX). The authors also discuss HTML, standards, best practices, Mac vs. Windows browsers, etc, while introducing the features of Dreamweaver. This is important as many books just provide a point-and-click cookbook w/little relevant dicsussion as to "why" something is done a certain way.

There are also useful references to resources on the internet and good tips. The writing style is easy to follow and there are many good illustrations. This is not only a fantastic book for Dreamweaver MX, but a great web development book as well.

I buy a ton of tech books every year and don't give top reviews easily. This book definitely earns its 5 *'s.

I first encountered Mr. Browns JCL book in it's 1st edition about 10 years ago. I was familar with a JCL book by Shelly & Cashman at the time. Mr Brown's book had much better example's and was written in a conversational style much easier to follow than the standard IBM JCL reference or the Shelley & Cashman book that I already owned. I also have had exposure to a JCL book by Doug Lowe which is a good student text but is weak as a professional's reference after school is complete. I am currently entering my 17th year in programming. I Consult currently at a fortune 500 company, and teach COBOL for a rehabilitation program in Minneapolis. I have just convinced the staff responsible for text selection to replace the Lowe book with Mr. Brown's for the Fall quarter. In my class I have students with various disabilities ranging from physical impairments to learning disabilities. The new larger format of the 3rd edition is appreciated by those with sight impairments, and the numerous examples are appreciated by the student I have with a learning disability. I have recommended the book to many collegues and when I managed a staff of 8 I issued a copy of the book to everyone on my team. Simply put, with the many examples, the style of prose and the excellent index I can not recommend a better book on JCL

This excellent book is for novice through experienced programmers. It includes information on the more recent releases of MVS, including SMS and its impact to JCL. While the text is good reading, it is also useful as a reference book.

Most computer books age at light speed, but this one is an exception. Although it was published in 1998, the images still deliver an understandable message of how computers and the Internet work. As is the case with all "Visually" books, the sequence of diagrams takes you through a step-by-step set of lessons that anyone can understand.
If you are a novice in computers and the Internet and have a phobia with learning about them, this is still one of the best books that you can select as a starting point.

For the inexperienced intimidated by big,thick manuals with lots of print! This book is a fantastic, visually-pleasing intoductory course into computers and the internet. If your learning method is by observation or "hands-on", this is the book for you! It is as if the illustrators are in a room with you answering your every novice question and at the same time "plucking out" that very piece of equipment from the inner-workings of your computer. The result is a perfect solution to a potentially complicated learning experience, simplified. The adult "picture book" reviews computer basics like ram,cpu,modems,and compressed files, to web newsgroups, multimedia, E-mail and web navigation - what they are, how they work and how they fit in the "big picture"- all done visually. Their slogan is "Read Less, Learn More" and that is exactly the author's presentation. I got more out of this book than the "Introduction to Computers" course I took at our local college!

This book is extremely helpful in understanding all the aspects of windows millenium. I recently went to a computer store this weekend and looked at all the possibilities of the windows millenium versions and this book, by far, is the most cleanest, clearest, and easiest to understand of all the books I looked at. Don't dissapoint yourself, buy it.

Okay my Dad and his wife are almost completely clueless when it comes to using computers. My Dad runs out and buys a new computer with Windows ME. (note: he was running Windows 3.1 on his previous computer) So I bought this for him to help out. He LOVES this book. So does his wife. Very helpful!

This product was exactly as described and arrived 2 days before the expected date. All-around GREAT shopping experience. I LOVE AMAZON!

I ordered a book for school through this site and couldnt be happier with the results. I got what I paid for and it was in perfect condition with no damage. Id reccomend this site to anyone. Its reliable and inexpensive as well. The only advice I can give is if you need something sooner than 2 weeks dont use USPS for your shipping choice. Sometimes it'll be given as a special for free shipping but it takes a while but it may also depend on where you live compared to where its being shipped out from. Aside from that I'm very satisfied and will be using Amazon in the future.

Cutting the cord is awesome, jam-packed with information on this new wirless world of ours. Whether looking at wireless for your office, home or on-the-road needs, this book provides you with all you need to know regarding options and how to get connected...plus a whole lot more. I recommend it highly!

Everything you wanted to know about what's going on in the wireless arena. The author did a nice job explaining the products and services and how they work. Jam-packed with helpful information. A good read for those in the industry as well as consumers interested in researching future purchases.

It says Upgrading Your PC, but actually it is a lot more than that. I have bought this and PC Hardware in a Nutshell and you can right away tell the difference. Both books are great but this one would be more helpful for beginners like me. If you are just starting to get interested on how that little machine of yours work, then this is the book for you.

It teaches you the fundamentals, as well as showing you around inside the PC itself with its labeled photographs. You learn a lot more than Upgrading your PC; you will get familiarized with how each component inside your PC works without getting confused with PC language jargon. Actually, when you encounter jargon in a section of the book, they will explain what it means exactly in words you can understand.

The book is very simple so I don't think people that are familiar with their PC's would find this helpful. For beginners, this would prevent you from getting frustated with those hard-bound, 5" thick PC books. You can get those later after you get the main idea of how your pc works, how you get around your pc, how you upgrade it, and perhaps how to build one; which is what this book will help you know.

If you want to know more than what this book covers, get PC Hardware in a Nutshell. Great stuff!

This is just the same as any older edition of Que Publishing's Upgrading Your PC just with Norton as a contribuiter and the TechTV logo on it.

Ok, you are expert in computers. But, Do you know how to repair printers? No?

So, this book is the next upgrade that you will make to yourself! Very good book. A lot of examples and images.

I have to say that this book, will give to you a lot of oportunities and money!

Be smarter...And good look...

Learn how to fix printers! If you are already a PC technician and want to enlarge your knowledge, this book is perfect for you! It shows how matrix, ink jets and laser printers work and how to fix them.

Containing great humor and experience(!), this book is written mainly for users of Windows XP/ME/and 98, although users of Windows 95/NT/and especially 2000 will find that most of this 1st edition still applies. 2nd edition= XP exclusively. Dan Gookin wrote the original Dos for Dummies book- all Dummies books started with him! Chapters 1-5 cover the basics, with 6-and-on being intense! This is the strength of the book: hands-on, down & dirty problem solving! Solutions include: getting around in Windows; minor irks & quirks; slow PC; audio-video; startup-shutdown; keyboard, mouse, monitor & printer; disk disaster; internet connection; Internet Explorer; Outlook Express; general Windows disruption- too much to list here! (This is mainly a software-related book- for an intro to detailed hardware-related issues, I highly recommend Upgrading & Fixing PCs for Dummies by Andy Rathbone, or for advanced issues Scott Mueller's Upgrading & Repairing PCs). My favorite thing here: Registry Editing 101! Many books mention the Registry- Dan actually walks you through some basic, yet sometimes necessary, editing procedures in a few very specific instances. This is beyond basic info, and is downright technical in nature. It's insane how much information he's crammed into one book! Finishing Chapters include PM- preventive maintenance- for disks in general, and using Backup. I use Norton Ghost for Backup myself- I can't stress enough how great it is! You can get it with Norton AntiVirus too if you purchase SystemWorks 2003 Professional (my favorite!). They're all worth their weight in gold(!). To Dan Gookin: In a good-natured way, I recommend Argument 4 in favor of reinstalling Windows: it brings peace of mind! With all the latest Internet threats today in the news- Viruses, Worms & Spyware- some people just don't trust that their computers are clean & secure without the reinstalling of Windows(!). Of course, with the proper use of disk imaging/backup software, this really shouldn't be an issue, but some people never get around to this kind of PM. Some people may not trust AntiVirus/Spyware apps to work for them, and reinstalling Windows can bring enormous peace of mind. Don't blame me for mentioning it- paranoia can be a powerful thing! Suggestions for next edition: maybe in PM section & Internet disaster prevention, including basic definitions & tips on safe Internet use? Phishing, Pharming, Identity Theft & Email-scams may not *directly* damage computers, but they sure do affect their users(!). Also- How about advanced videogame troubleshooting? Even people with up-to-date hardware experience crashes & restarts during games. In the Windows 2000 Getting Started book, a common solution to blue-screen stop messages is to "Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing". Believe it or not, it worked for me! Far fewer crashes during fast moving video & videogames. These are my best suggestions! Thank you for this incredible & long-overdue book!

I bought this book before I experimented with other books of it's kind and I was able to apply what I read within minutes to my broken computer. I have over 15 years experience as an Electronic Technician and 4 years experience as a Design Engineer and I learned something new from each and every page I studied. I was able to "laugh" at my fear of PC repair after reading this book. He covers everything from start-up problems to fixing bugs and everything in between. This book was so easy to read too! It was a welcomed relief from the over-complicated articles that I usually read. Thank you Dan Gookin!