Customer Reviews

Essential Guide to Wireless Communications Applications, The (2nd Edition)

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

 

 

Unlike alot of other books out there, the title of this book is right on the money when it comes to the content of the book. This book IS an essential guide to wireless communications. Like many other people out there, I often read the online articles and technical editorials of Mr. Dornan (do a web search, they are great reading too!). So I thought I could not go wrong with his book. I was right. Starting with a bit of a history lesson, the author takes you through current 2/2.5G cellular and then hits the ground running. He doesn't stop until he has covered 3G, wireless LANs, messaging, WAP, wireless e-commerce, security, fixed wireless (WLL) and satellite technology. Mr. Dornan has a great writing style and throughly knows his material. So, no matter what your knowledge level, the read always has a light and easy feel to it and is still able to communicate a ton of relivant information to you. If you need a good starting place on wireless communications or a refresher course, you won't find too many books better than this one.

If you are a marketing, business development, sales, or finance professional transitioning to the wireless field, this is the book for you. Mr. Dornan covers the topics in sufficient depth to make you knowledgeable without burying you in technical detail and equations. I've bought many books about technology and most are too technical so I lose interest. I am nearly finished with this book and it has be very valuable in the work I do. I would recommend it very highly.

I started reading it on Saturday and couldn't put it down, I was done by Tuesday. Sure the book has some spelling and gramatical errors (My Theory is that the editiors were put to sleep by it) but it talks about everything from the phones themselves, to wireless infrasturcuture, the building of a cell site, and commerence on Mobile Phones. It is really great for any techie that wants to know about phones, and even some who don't consider themselves techies. I enjoyed it quite a bit A+!

I really got tired of not understanding wireless tech talk: G3 networks etc. I also wanted to understand why my cell phone kept fading in and out and dropping calls as I drove certain routes. So I bought this book and read it. The book does a good job of explaining in easy to understand terms the technology. The big revelation or understanding point to me was that EVERYTHING wireless is analogous to the radio, with broadcast points (cell towers) and receivers (cell phones). The difference is one of frequency. I finally got the analog vs. digital concept that eluded me for so long for some reason. While attempting to do justice to all major wireless regions of the world, US, Asia (Japan) and Europe I found the British author biased to his home turf. Which is expected and fine but I wanted something slightly more balanced. Towards the end I became a very selective skimmer and did not really finish the book, but I got out of it what I wanted.

This is a good book. It's the only book about wireless technology I've seen that actually takes the health effects of cellphones seriously. In addition to how mobile technology works and what it can do, the author devotes an entire chapter to the health problems, and comes down firmly "on the fence". He definitely thinks there's something to the fears (even though he's enthusiastic about the technology, as is clear from the rest of the book) and I agree with him.