Customer Reviews

A+ Certification Training Guide, Second Edition (OTHER NEW RIDERS)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Yes, the book is a bit skimpy on DOS/Windows training. Yes, it is exhaustingly comprehensive. But it is NOT incomprehensible. Some texts try to gloss over the author's lack of understanding of a topic with technical bafflegab; none of that here. It's pretty clear the Charles Brooks knows his topic, and can communicate that information clearly.

Something I've noted in previous reviews is that those who strongly condemned the book also displayed numerous typing errors, leading me to wonder how comfortable they were with the English Language. You WILL need to be able to read, and it IS work; this is not a book you'll take to bed with you. But the information - tons and tons - is clearly presented.

I spent a couple hours a day reading this book, and it took me 16 days to get through it. And I have an MCSE under my belt, so learning technical materials from a textbook is nothing new. This book is definitely NOT a weekend read.

I'd like to see more - many, many more - review questions in the book, and it would make sense to me to break the topics up into smaller chunks - 160+ pages in the first chapter is a bit steep.

For those who seek a monumental amount of information, want to fully understand the physical components of computers, and want to be thoroughly prepared for the A+ exam (and for employment as a junior technician), this book should suffice.

For those seeking braindumps, glossovers, and a quick guide to passing the A+ exam without understanding the topic... Look elsewhere.

Charlie Worton, MCSE

This book was the only textbook I used to study for the test. If I had not had technical knowledge prior to reading it, I would have been lost in Chapter #1. Chapter 1 presents too much content for a single chapter. I went back and read it three times. This is a great book if you are concerned with knowing the material, not simply passing a test. The information presented is highly relevant, although it covers a lot of things that were not on my exam. The practice questions included with the book comprised probably 75% of my exam. Using this book and a few online sources, I was able to get a 93% on the core exam. Try examnotes.net for a cram sheet and know your IRQ's, port addresses, and DMA channels. I would also recommend trying several different sources, because some information is different depending on the source you use.

This book by no means a quick reading if you want to go through it thoroughly as a beginner. However, if you have extensive experiences working with computer hardware you can finish it in less than 2 weeks. The author(s) tried to explain everything in simple language with sufficient graphics. For a beginner who doesn't have a lot of experience with hardware and DOS/Win, you might get lost after a few chapters of reading. For an advanced technician, you might find this book too slow. However, it will test your weak areas and teaches you the not-so-obvious concepts you thought you knew but you really didn't.

Advanced technicians should skip the chapters on their strong areas and focus on their weak areas to avoid wasting too much time reading the book.

The sample exam software is well-designed. It times your exam, let you mark any questions, scores it and even gives you statistics on how well you did in each area. You also get the printed version of the book in PDF format, which I don't think is very useable.

The book also comes with a special offer that takes $50 off your exam fee if you purchased the additional 800 questions for $50, makes it a fair trade considering you'll have to spend that money on the exam fee anyway.

This is the kind of book once you read you'll probably not going to ever touch again. It's not a troubleshooting guide but a very general way of covering PC hardware and OS. In the end, as long as you pass both exams, it's worth the money.

With all the importance over certification in the computerindustry, it is good to know that there are enough books that coverthe A+ testing. New Riders is one of those who have spent numerous hours helping you out.

In over 1000 pages you'll find charts, tables, diagrams, pictures and even step-by-step installation instructions. You have been given an extensive assortment of tools to better aide you in your quest for certification.

There are review questions and Exam Questions, along with and Apply Knowledge section at the end of each chapter. The book is far better and more accurate than the first edition, which will make studying more enjoyable.

Like most books on A+, this one has a cd included that contains about a 100 questions. For an additional $50.00 you can unlock 800 more questions. For the price, I think more questions should be included. Overall a good value for the money.

I have to tell you, I took my first test today and passed it with a 79%. this is no fault of the book though, I am trying to beat a deadline. Anyway. I started reading this book in the begining of may this year, and passed the test today, the first part anyway. this is an excellent investment. I have a friend who is enrolled in a class to get A+ certified, it cost him 1500.00 for the course, and he is using this book for the course. I did it on my own. the book cost me 50.00 but I see it as it saved me 1450.00. If you are going to get the A+, read this book first. If you can answer the questions on the disk that comes with it, you will pass the test. You won't need anything other than this. Unless you have trouble retaining what you read, then I would suggest going back over the review questions in all chapters before you go test. Good Luck!

I passed the test with quite a nice grade I used this book only. The extra questions are well worth the money, and the price is discounted from the test fee so they are virtually free. If you want to pass this test and are capable of reading, this is the book to use.

For people with some prior pc background, this book is a rare find; for the complete novice it would be well nigh incomprehensible. For anyone with background preparing for the A+ it is a wonderful and well written resource. For the total novice I would recommend starting with Meyer's A+ cert. exam guide instead.

I purchased this book over a year ago and I can not wait for the third edition to come out (April 2001). I own quite a few computer books that cover most aspects of computer hardware and software. This book is the most used that I own. The author uses excellent drawings and gives rock solid information on hardware and software including DOS, without a lot of "War Stories" that are presented in some other books. The practice question in the book and on the included cdrom are very close to the ones used on the actual A+ exam; Hence they are extremely helpful. In my opinion, this book is great for beginners and advanced users alike. Buy this book along with Scott Mueller's "Upgrading And Repairing PC's and the A+ tests will be a snap.

I have to tell you, I took my first test today and passed it with a 79%. this is no fault of the book though, I am trying to beat a deadline. Anyway. I started reading this book in the begining of may this year, and passed the test today, the first part anyway. this is an excellent investment. I have a friend who is enrolled in a class to get A+ certified, it cost him 1500.00 for the course, and he is using this book for the course. I did it on my own. the book cost me 50.00 but I see it as it saved me 1450.00. If you are going to get the A+, read this book first. If you can answer the questions on the disk that comes with it, you will pass the test. You won't need anything other than this. Unless you have trouble retaining what you read, then I would suggest going back over the review questions in all chapters before you go test. Good Luck!

I am finding this book complete and definitive. I have a 1200 hr. Electronics Technology course under my belt so the language is understandable to me. It is definitly written for a techie. I have about 6 months computer experience under my belt and am not ready for the test yet, I hope this book will give me what I need. The main problem I have as of this writing is that I tried to purchase the code to unlock the extra questions on the cd from Marcraft and they are not able to provide it! I see from the reviews that some of you were able to get it. Can someone please provide me with the correct source to purchase this code? chazmc@prodigy.net