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Book Review
Many computer books weigh in at a few hundred pages and promise
to teach you about a given subject.
Upgrading and Repairing PCs is a 1,600-page tome that covers
every aspect of upgrading and repairing computers in detail.
Even the most picky techie would approve.
It's a tall order to claim to be a reference for everything
related to computer hardware. But this book even covers old
technology such as 286s.
How about some of the newest popular hardware, help with CD-Rs
(one-time recordable CDs) and CD-RWs (rewritable CDs)? Affirmative.
Does it get really detailed and specific? Yup. Will it cover
dip switches, the BIOS codes (basic input/output system -- used
by your microprocessor to fire up your computer), I/O (input/output)
port addresses and standards for ATA (advanced technology attachment,
the interface between motherboard data paths and disk storage
devices)? Yes, in all the detail you can handle. Does it handle
a reasonably simple topic in an easy-to-understand way? Absolutely.
Upgrading and Repairing PCs is essentially a dictionary and
encyclopedia. If you need to know what a computer term is, you
can quickly find a general explanation. A real understanding
of a topic can be gained by poring through the helpful text
and diagrams.
Accompanying the book is a CD filled with free software and
other helpful items. The software alone -- including full versions
of PartitionMagic and Drive Image -- is arguably worth the price
of the book.
There are also 150 study questions for A+ exams (which certify
individuals for installing, maintaining, customizing and operating
personal computers), a database with hard-drive specifications,
a vendor list database, a list of BIOS codes, beep codes and
error messages. To top it all off, there's a collection of helpful
tools for diagnosis and maintenance of computers.
At $59.99 US ($89.95 Canadian), Upgrading and Repairing PCs
is somewhat expensive, even for a computer book. But the wealth
and quality of the material is worth the price. The free software
alone is worth a retail value of more than $100 US ($150 Canadian).
A minor gripe would be that the continually changing nature
of the computer industry may require another edition next year.
That's a small complaint when you consider that is the case
with every computer book. This book covers essentially everything
that's happened in the world of computers to date.
Reviewer's rating: 5 / 5
Comments: Upgrading and Repairing PCs is the ultimate
reference book for anyone who upgrades or repairs PCs. The material
is excellent and the bonus software has a higher retail value
than the book itself.
Title: Upgrading and Repairing PCs
Author: Scott Mueller
Publisher: QUE
ISBN: 0789719037
Price: $59.99 US, $89.95 Canadian
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Adding RAM is easy, 
