Hardware Books

I love that I can just skim through this book & find the information that I need. It is really basic - clearly written with great examples. After being away from work for 8 years & being out of school for almost 20, it was a great refresher! Besides, Max proves that even geeks can have a sense of humor!

As a student finishing my B.S. in Computer Science, I very badly needed something to liven up my CPU architecture and discrete math classes, which were horribly boring.

This book not only did a GREAT job of clarifying the finer points of boolean logic, but somehow managed make it interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone trying to understand the nuts-and-bolts behind what makes your computer tick.

Maxfield's book is unique, both in format and in content. And I'm not just talking about the gumbo recipe at the end.

The first section, almost 150 pages, is "logic lite." It starts with transistors, both MOS and bipolar. From there it works its way up to simple latches and such, and scratches the surface of state machines, with side trips to boolean arithmetic and such. The breezy, informal style will work for people put off by more academic treatments, but the logic design content stops way short of what any other basic logic text would present.

The second, longer section covers material sorely missing from all other logic texts I know. It starts with the simpler parts of silicon fab process, then goes through all kinds of printed circuits and hybrid packages giving a fair tour of the basic printed curcuit (PC) processes that were current when the book was written (1995). It even goes into gutsy stuff like the copper patterns in PC processes that have to do with heat flow during soldering. All those real-world facts earned this book an extra star. The "far out technology" chapter at the end is an interesting read, too, with its discussions of nano, optical, and molecular computing.

The book's weaknesses are significant, though. It would work well with any of several companion texts that would cover what this misses. That includes more advanced logic techniques, like alternatives to gate-level implementation and all the fussy bits of state machines. A standard logic text (e.g. Katz) would fill in those blanks. Going in a different direction, it does only a little towards talking about how PC layout interacts with logic design. More about ground planes, guard rings, power decoupling, RF emissions, etc. would fit well with the detail presented here, espcially when you see how much time and effort it already spends on "vias" vs. "holes." The little bit of analog discussion from the front would help here - why inductive effects matter at high frequencies, why distributed capacitance is different from lumped, why you'd have a high-value and low-value capacitor in parallel, and why that ceramic cap near the power input has a saw cut in the edge. A third possible direction would be the way Wirth's book on circuit design for CS students went: into the higher levels of design, letting tools attend to the lower levels. The biggest flaw is in treating FPGAs as exotic, out-there technology - by 1995, they were well into the main stream, and have very nearly killed off discrete logic and ASICs in many areas.

If you just want a light-weight intro to logic design and to the physical circuits that carry it, this is OK. It could have been better in all directions and, at this 2005 writing, you should check it's sell-by date. I gave it the fourth star for addressing PCs and mounting at all, not for addressing them well.

//wiredweird

Considering this book deals with what I consider to be rocket science at best and black magic at worst I think it does a really good job of explaining things. I'm still working through it and it still makes my head hurt but I recommend this for anyone like me who wants to understand this stuff and has zero background to do so.

I grew up watching my neighbor, a mechanic, work on cars and it helped me pick up the basics. When I would try to take apart a transistor radio and figure out how it worked I was left with an assortment of colorful bits and no clues. This book is the remedy for my total ignorance of things electronic. Just how good it is I do not know due to my lack of knowledge in the field. I reccomend it to any interested beginners.

I am a tech geek and I do buy Dummies books because for some items, Wiley is the only publisher that will issues guides for items I am looking for. This book is an excellent example. iPhone for Dummies covers the original iPhone, NOT the 3G version. That said, it is still a great read. I bought this book because I was interested in an iPod Touch which is an iPhone without the phone. This is an easy to read, fun and informative book with lots of usage tips. There are wonderful, full color shots that show off the screen and features of the iPhone. Many of the gripes about missing features located at the end of the book, were added to the new 3G version. Grab the 3G version of this book when it comes out. This book will give you inside tips that aren't found in the manual. It is helpful for iPod Touch users as well. Quick start guides are one thing, but great tips make your device much easier to use. I have a co-worker who has an original iPhone and he was amazed that I knew more about his device than he did.

The iPhone is a great product. But it takes getting used to. I am an Apple/Macintosh devoteé since 1994, but one place they fall down is on manuals. If they have one at all it is incomprehensible. I am also a fan of all the "dummie" books. And this is a good one.

The iPhone is very intuitive to use, but there are features and tips that let you get the most from it. These are covered well in this familiar "Dummies" format.

I consider this book a good introduction to the iPhone as an "intructions manual". However, I do not consider that this book covers issues "outside the box". Things to consider for future editions should include:


1) Pros and cons of purchasing the iPhone at an Apple Store, ATT Store, or super chain stores. Considering that the price is the same at all of these places, I do not see a reason to purchase it at any other place than the Apple Store, if there is one near by. You cannot beat the support from the knowledgable staff at the Apple Store.

2) Top accessories to consider purchasing. The book makes no mention of screen protectors, carrying cases, necessary connections with the car stereo, etc.

3) There is no mention on how to transfer data from other PDAs (Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Black Berry) into the iPhone.

Hopefully these will be included in future editions.

The iPhone for Dummies is a dated book and seems to be written for iPhone with firmware 1.0. The book does not cover the January 15, 2008 update that Apple rolled out at Mac World. Apple has also rolled out a 16 G iPhone in addition to the 8 G iPhone as of February 5, 2008 which is not covered in the book.

For someone that has been using the Mac OS X and uses Apples standard application such as Address Book, iPhoto, and iTunes the iPhone is probability not a hard to use and the iPhone for Dummies probability seems like an easy read. But if you are coming from a Microsoft Windows platform or have had little interest in learning or do not use a lot of the standard Apple programs that are on your Mac this book is for you. The authors easily walk you through the features of the iPhone. If the iPhone seems easy to you and you have questions about specific functions the book is easy to jump around without having to read the book from cover to cover. The book has a good table of contents and a good index to find what you want about the iPhone.

The book has good color photos and graphics so you can look at the pictures as you work along with the authors. The authors bolded the steps in the instructions so they can easily found and followed.

The authors cover all the basic functions of the iPhone in 13 chapters from making a phone call, playing music, and surfing the web. They have 4 additional chapters that would be of interest to iPhone users. The chapter titles are "When Good iPhones Go Bad," Ten Thing for the Wish List," "Ten Terrific Web Resources," and "Ten Helpful Hints, Tips, and Shortcuts."

One feature I wanted to learn more about was the use of the Google Maps Application for the before the January 15th update. I found the directions easy to follow, and I was able used the iPhone to navigate from Denver, CO to Glennwood Springs, CO and back on the instructions in the sections on Google Maps Application.

One item that I have had problems with on the iPhone is getting the iPhone to sync my Apple Bluetooth headset for the iPhone. I looked in the book regarding this subject and it is very weak on Bluetooth information. I am guessing the book was written prior to the headset being released.

The authors also point out some of the things that the iPhone does not do. I found myself frustrated when the iPhone was in cover flow (horizontal) playing music. They point out that you lose some to the controls such has volume control. You have to switch pack to vertical position in order to control the volume.

I would have like to see the publisher have a site for the book for updates to the iPhone features. Since it seems there has been 3 updates in iPhone features since the book has been published.

The book iPhone for Dummies is a good book for someone wanting to getting up and going with the iPhone. It is an easy to read and understand. The downside of the book is it is dated.

Till I saw this book and Bert Monroys website my imagination and creativity for minimally very finite. Its amazing how he shows what can be done using image editors like photoshop. Its just blows you away. My wife thought the pictures in his books are photographs and when I told her bert monroy created them in photoshop, there was no sound from her. She was quite amazed. This book is well recommended. Authors like Bert Monroy truly amazes with their talent and give us additional thoughts and inspiration on how to improve our work.

I found this book very useful, very well illustrated, as Bert Monroy describes his technics. He teaches methods that opened my mind to the power that Photoshop CS has. While he covers many aspects of the program he dos not indulge in the usual rehash of every photoshop feature, focusing on specific projects. His reputation for a graphics artist and teacher are well deserved. Wonderful examples, just enough detail to convey the point without beating you over the head. Included color photos are well laid out, his teaching method couldn't be better. The tone will particular instruct the novice or intermeadiate user, but everyone will find something of use here. If you are looking for blow by blow 'how to' for every feature, look at Photoshop CS Sudio Techniques, or the Adobe Class Room in a Book. I only wish this book had more samples, examples. If you can't buy it, hope your local libray has or will. Do this for its artistic voice.

This book will get your imagination going. Some great tips.

The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is that there could have been more content.

Bert Monroy is probably one of the most talented Photoshop users there is. If you've ever seen him on TechTV, you've seen how effortlessly he uses PS.

This book is full of amazing artwork Bert has done with Photoshop, along with a lot of tips and techniques from the master himself. You'll have a hard time believe that this book isn't just a collection of photos. Bert style is so photo-realistic it's jaw-dropping.

Definitely a must-have book for any PS enthusiast. Even if you don't plan to use PS for Photoreal artwork, there are techniques here that are applicable to other uses for PS but the book itself is worth the price just for the awe factor of Monroy's work.

Bert is a great artist and teacher. I took a class from him, and learned so much, but couldn't absorb it all at once. This book allows you to learn his techniques at your own pace, and will give you the confidence to start creating images from scratch in Photoshop, or add painting techniques to your image manipulation. Highly recommended for intermediate to advanced Photoshop users and all artists.

Parece que si, pues aunque el libro cubre la mayor parte de los temas relacionados a configuracion de servidores DHCP, WINS y DNS utilizando NT considero que el libro es pobre en ejemplos ilustrativos, graficos de flujo, consejos y trucos.
Honestamente no recomiendo el libro si es que tienes un serio proyecto en mente para crear un nodo internet y deseas desarrollar toda la infraestructura de soporte TCP/IP.
Este es un libro frio, una clase magistral distante de hace unos 50 años atras sobre un tema tan moderno como TCP/IP, que mantiene al lector muy lejos del autor.
Veamoslo de esta forma matematica:
Este libro + Más graficos + Trucos y Consejos = Que buen libro !!
Espero sinceramente que mi revision te ayude a hacer una buena decision. Saludos.
Piyux.

It's clear and simple. Very good and usefull to understand the network computer.

If you're any way involved with the administration or planning of your NT network environment, this is a book you must have! I consider myself pretty good in networking, but still found myself referring back to this book every so often. A must have on any networking library!

I bought this book to use as a reference when I got my first IT job. Areas of TCP/IP I found confusing from the Microsoft course I took were cleared up nicely from reading this book.

I never found the need to buy a second TCP/IP book after reading this. You won't either.

I had studied other resources, including a training course to get my knowledge to a good standard. This book was the first that was really worth the effort. So much so, I am now looking for titles by the same Publisher to complete my MCSE

Adobe InDesign CS/CS2 BreakthroughsI bought this book a little over a year ago. I was starting a new job where the primary tool is InDesign CS2 and although I was familiar with the program it had been a while since I'd used it professionally. I was looking for a book to help me quickly learn some keyboard shortcuts as well as to learn some workflow tips.
This book was everything I needed and a lot more. InDesign is a deep program and InDesign CS/CS2 Breakthroughs is a comprehensive, well written and easy to use primer and overview, for beginners and veteran users alike. My copy has become a fixture on my desk (I work designing ads for a newspaper) and all my coworkers find it as instrumental as I do. The book also functions wonderfully as a bridge for people migrating from Quark to InDesign. Ms. Concepcion and Mr. Blatner have created a perfect tool! Bravo!

I am an InDesign instructor, and this book has helped my workshop participants tremendously. Folks who've been using Quark and PageMaker will also find this book a great time-saver. Will it be updated for CS3 soon? Evenso, it is a great reference book -- my copy is dog-eared (a sign of a useful resource). Bravo!

Living in South Africa, there are not many opportunities to attend InDesign Forums. I am a self-taught typographer, so I found this "Breakthroughs" book most useful and easy to turn to in solving a number of problems.

I am not a super nerd and do not usually buy books on computer program. But I use InDesign every day at work and home and love it. I was just looking for and inexpensive, quick-read to learn some neat new tricks and this book is exactly what I was looking for. I immediately sat on my couch and started reading. I've already used tips from the book and I've only owned it for a few weeks. Not only does it answer your specific questions about frustrating InDesign issues (yes, other people have the same ones as you!) but it gives you tips and ideas that you didn't know were possible and wouldn't have known to ask about. I have already called current and former co-workers to tell them about the simple solutions I have found in this book...it is really great.

I use InDesign every day. And still I found so many usefull tips in this book. It is not for a beginner, but definitely the book for every professional. Highly recommend the book.

This book helped me learn how to use Curves in a very thorough way. I used to be intimidated with Curves and had preferred to use the Levels command instead.

Mr. Willmore also showed how to find highlights, shadows and gray areas and then adjust the colors by the numbers. You have to average the numbers of the highlights, shadows and the gray from each individual channel within the Curves dialog box.

I practice some images with extreme color casts. I managed to get rid of the color casts to make images more exceptable.

Mr. Willmore took the time to teach people the theory of using Curves.

The rest of the book is great too.

This is not your usual do step 1 do step 2 kind of book, the author goes in to great detail about every feature of photoshop. I'm not a photoshop guru but I'm no newbie either and this book was very helpful. It shows you how to do things in multiple ways which is very helpful. While reading this book, there were plenty of instances when I found out I was actually doing things "The long way." Overall, this book doesn't just instruct, it helps the reader understand Photoshop.

I see a lot of complaints from advanced users saying the books is just a re-write of the previous. Well for one thing, there usually are not that many changes from one version of photoshop to the next, and two, they obviously haven't been to Ben Willmore's website since he constantly adds new techniques and tutorials for the experienced user. If you want the best "how to" book for photoshop then look no further. Instead of telling you how he did some complex picture with techno babble, he explains the purpose, history, and the use of all the tools, and this is the most important part, in plain English. Only after he explains how to use the tools does you give some examples of their use. The only thing he assumes is that you have no clue about any of the features and goes into great detail. Ben Willmore is the equivalent to those teachers we all have had now and then that make the process of learning fun and nearly painless.

If you are already an advanced user you'll find very little that is new to you, but if you are a brand new or intermediate then you are missing out on a great resource if you pass this book by.

This has a very thorough (so far--I haven't finished the book) intro to production work with Photoshop. My design program does not address technology and I've found it a very practical and cheap solution to learning production basics for my own classwork and as I prepare for the job market. So far it has demystified resolution, levels, curves, and I'm reading about color management now. MUCH better than the introductory classroom titles, and a required supplement to the manual if you ever expect to do extensive work with Photoshop.

I am a second year graphic design student at a tech-college and i must say this book has taught me more about Photoshop than any class I've taken or could take. This book has not only given me a priceless understanding of the application, but it has also given me the skills necessary to take my design to a whole new level. The time saving tips as well as the newly discovered tool capabilities has allowed me to get more done on my school projects. I hope you don't buy the book simply because if we ever compete for the same job my skills will prevail. Thanks Ben !!!!!!!!

Extending the hand dealt to you by the development package is where the quality programmers are separated from the mere developers; often the difference between an adequate product and a great one. If you are a developer using Delphi and want to advance to a higher level of production, this book contains the necessary boost. Anyone moving into Delphi component creation will find it essential. From properly choosing components from the Delphi Visual Component Library (VCL) to building your own components and interfacing with OLE and COM, most of the major topics are covered in detail, with sections of example code to really drive the message home.
The book starts off with a brief explanation of the models used in Delphi, basic concepts of a component, and the analysis and design of new components. This is followed up by an examination of Implementation Details, the fundamentals of polymorphism, virtual methods, exceptions, RunTime Type Information (RTTI), streaming, messaging, OLE and COM interfaces, and optimization techniques. "Design Time Support Tools," opens with an overview of the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and emphasizes the interface issues. Danny Thorpe wraps it all up with chapters on property and component editors, and experts and add-in tools.
This book contains many insightful points. The chapter on virtual methods and polymorphism contains the best explanation of the implementation details of virtual methods that I have ever seen. This chapter could serve as a reference in any study of object-oriented programming. I've incorporated many of these points into my own training course. As one whose main approach to OOP has been via C++, I found this material invaluable when teaching a course in advanced Delphi recently. The clear descriptions of the underlying implementation distinctions between virtual and dynamic methods may save you in the area of performance. Knowing and understanding why virtual methods will defeat the smart linking of the Delphi compiler/linker can reduce the size of your EXE.
When I am presenting exceptions and exception handling to experienced programmers, they always ask the following question: "What is the real difference between this and how we have traditionally handled errors?" In only a few pages, the author answers this question and puts forward two lists, "Rules of Thumb for Implementing Exception Handlers" and "Rules of Thumb for Raising Exceptions"; solid advice for both developers and educators who develop developers.
Optimizing code when there is "abundant" stack space (surely a hint of heaven!), multiple threads and different system-defined string types differ from traditional tricks. These topics are all covered in the chapter on optimization. Just because this space is available is no reason to misuse it. Knowing that the stack will never shrink over the lifetime of the thread should force you to rethink overuse. Understanding that long strings are allocated on the heap rather than the stack should cause an occasional re-examination of approach. It is also gratifying to see that there is also a short section on sledgehammer techniques, or put another way, "genuinely useful hacks."
There is also an occasional sweet sprinkle of humor. From polymetamorphicdata (care to guess what that is?) to TypInfo ("tip info") and GUID ("gwid") the jokes are appropriate and blend well into the message. However, they are grains of seasoning rather than the bulk of the flavor.
Delphi is a development environment that provides the opportunity to do many things quickly and efficiently. Add in a copy of this book and you are ready to harness the true power of Delphi by creating your own components and pushing things to the leading edge of software creation. Some sections can be read and appreciated just for their insights into object-oriented programming and design.

Published in Journal of Object-Oriented Programming, reprinted with permission.

This is purely a Delphi programmer's guide, but it unquestioningly well written, informative, and well-rounded: Anyone seeking to learn how Delphi's VCL component libraries work, how to development components of their own, or how to extend Delphi VCL components already available from Borland or third parties, should read this book. There is simply nothing else that comes close.

Mr. Thorpe's writing style is clear, concise, and does a great job of exploring the topic at hand. Any competent Delphi programmer will be well capable of undertaking VCL development on their own if they have this book at their side. One point to note about this book is what used copies go-for on Amazon.com (and elswehere): I typically see prices of between $50 and $100, even though the book was first published about 10 years ago. How many other technology books, particularly for a specific software technology, remain in such high demand after such a long period of time?

"Delphi Component Design" was written for the VCL [Borland's Acronym for "Visual Component Library"] as it was implemented in Delphi 3.0 - back in the mid to late 1990's: the implementation of VCL it describes is still the foundation underlying VCL as implemented in Delphi today, and is close enough to the modern implementation to still be a very useful text. However, since Delphi's product direction is to pursue .NET as opposed to enhancing the older VCL, the book's usefulness is limited to those who are seeking to maintain or enhance existing Delphi VCL-based applications. Even though I no longer work in Delphi, I still find myself called-upon often enough for Delphi support that I'm not going to give up my copy of "Delphi Component Design" quite yet - even despite the used copy prices I see!

This guys are crooks. They advertise a book they DO NOT have, get your money and never reply to your e-mails.

The book is supposed to be great, by the way.

The book is a breath of fresh air and covers a good basic foundation: attitudes of programmers, basic structures of OOP with objects:- various virtual methods, basic construction of building blocks, streams, other forms of communication and a few peculiar things to watch out on. I personally have no interest in databases were some may have. 32 bit is the way to go as I can now see access to the windows API with the assistance of the book and Delphi Pro.
Danny points out its not necessary to understand every base object behind the object you are building off from.
This is true if you wish to add a minor adjustment to a component. But this I believe this is a major miss conception if you are building a new and different component. And for this purpose the book dose not begin to address threading, what is happing in TObject, as TObject is not in Delphi Pro to view and is the fundamental object that every object is built from!!!!!!. This is no different than the Pascal 7 days when every one wanted to read the OOP code for them selves at an enormous cost for a copy.
I'm not saying the book should cover the windows API as that's another subject on its own, but how a action is handled through the Objects, or how a windows event is managed though OOP:- draw, mouse button.....
I need a book that should cover enough to be able to install an object into a base object like a speed button into an editor or a listbox connected to a speed button so something like TCombobox or TGraph is understood how each piece interacts and is constructed together as a unit. When the OOPer's get hold of this understanding the tools for Delphi could become available will become limitless to the users. VB definitely has this advantage over Delphi today because we do not understand enough to create something different or new. Give it another go Danny with an extra book, as it is easy to understand what you have written, be cursus to get such a difficult subject right. And you have made a breath of fresh air already into the subject that is very useful to those that have read your first book but some of us need to go further.

This book is all about what goes behind the curtains. If are a crazy developer like me and interested in knowing how Delphi designers implemented different mechanisms such as WIndows messaging OLE COM this title is a must

This book gives you all the goodies about Windows Server 2003, perfect view of what this new version has within, plus a lot more! This book was simple to read and understand, finished it in one weekend, and most of all, it's a great reference unlike some 2,000 Page Bibles...

It is clear, concise, and very well written. I get tired of reading tech books that are hundreds upon hundreds of pages long because they fill them with so much useless information and "fluff". That is not the case with this book. If you just want the plain and simple facts and useful information then this is the book you need.

This is an excellent book for those of us who have extensive experience with previous Windows releases, and need information dealing with just what's new and improved in Windows Server 2003. This book is well-written, well-organized, easy to read, and gives you everything you need, and nothing you don't.

I highly recommend this book to all experienced Windows Server administrators who need just the new info and just the facts, from authors who actually know what they're talking about.

Page 78: windows clients DO NOT require a GC server to find a domain controller.
Page 130: stub zones are NOT secondary zones with glue records. They contain read-only SOA, NS and "glue" A records and nothing else.

Returned my Mastering Windows Server 2003 (Minasi) book today and bought this one. MUCH better. Short, sweet, and to the point. Now I'm getting a handle on what I should care about in Windows 2003. This is great - I hope they keep up with this series. It's a time saver and I'm betting it will help with my MCSE upgrade exmas too.

I purchased for my wife to better understand iPod and iTunes. She likes it, therefore I'm happy with it.. Nuff said..

I knew absolutely nothing about iTunes or iPods..... This book is excellent - it's helped me sort everything out. It's clear, written in as simple language as you get with anything to do with computers and what I really love is that my screen actually matches the illustrations in the book. I'd recommend it to anyone starting out.

Everything you need to know and more. This should be include with the purchase of an IPOD

I am new to the ipod experience. All the kids have had them for sometime. I was confused on all the little details which now seem simple due to this easy to read and understand book. Recommend it to all.

The iPod is an intuitive device and most folks need only play with it to use most functions. The same thing is true for iTunes. It's when you have gone beyond the obvious and hit a snag or an annoyance that you find whether a reference is useful or not. This books does well at anticipating "second level" issues and provides good guidance. A good example is"compilations" which affects how you browse and hot music is organized. Through the index, I zeroed right in on how this works and setting it to my preference. I would recommend you start with this book whether an absolute beginner or just in need of a reference.

I've been developping applications and amateur games for a few years using C++... I bought this book along with the Director Bible... And guess what? I made a shoot'em up game in a couple of days - with the help of my brother (graphic designer - thanks for your beautiful sprites, dud! ;) )... Director + Lingo are the best way for quick games... and this book just show me how!!!
Thanks!

Gary has done the Lingo community an amazing service. With code and logic examples that illustrate nearly every variety of game you can create to be played on a computer, this book is an incredible resource.

The examples in this book made it possible to deliver a game-rich CD project with an incredibly tight timeline.

Thanks Gary!

I have a programming background and am learning Director to make professional CD products. Gary has taught me how to do this with his Using Director 8.5 book and this Advanced Lingo for Games book. He writes very well, doesn't treat you like an idiot, and is very practical. Well done Gary and I recommend this book to all people who really want to make interactive games using Director.

I am a Lingo programmer for 4 years and this book helped me advance to the next level in Lingo Programming. Using this book helped me to understand writing my own 'behaviors' and took my understanding of 'lists' to a higher level. I owe alot of my success to this book.

Rich
Multimedia Programmer
Motorola

I've been writing Lingo for some time now, and I probably own upwards of 15 books on the subject. Of all of those books, the two that I find the most helpful every step of the way are undoubtedly Gary's most recent 2 books (this one and "Director 8.5 Special Edition"). Lots of Lingo authors know Director inside and out, but what sets Gary's books on the subject apart is his colorful writing style and an uncanny ability to break down ultra-complex scripts into palatable bite-sized chunks that even a newbie will understand. Highly recommended!