24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
limited and not nearly up to exam level, April 9, 2005
This review is from: MCSA/MCSE: Windows Server 2003 Network Simulator (70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294) (CD-ROM)
This product has a few very basic exercises in each category that is supposed to go along with exam objectives. Some of them are guided, some are 'open' labs, but either way there are only a few steps for most of them and they will not get you nearly to the level that you need for the exam.
The exam is much more difficult.
If you are going to spend $100 get Virtual PC or VMware and set up something that way. Also, if you are using the MS Press books that come from the self-paced training kit they have a 6 month trial version of Server 2003, so get the kit, get Virtual PC or some old computers and build a little network.
If this product ever drops to $20 or so then grab it but don't blow $100 bucks on it.
Also, as a side note, for the first exam you don't need a virtual trainer, Virtual PC or a network anyway. You can learn just about everything you need to know just by installing Server 2003 (which comes in trial version form with many Server 2003 cert books) and messing around with it. I don't know about the other exams but I do know that this product is a waste of money for the first exam.
Also, if you are planning on taking other certs such as Linux or Novell, with Virtual PC you can install those OS'es inside your regular Windows installation and mess with them without having to dual boot or format or whatever.
Good luck and buy something else!
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Poor Performing Product, January 29, 2006
This review is from: MCSA/MCSE: Windows Server 2003 Network Simulator (70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294) (CD-ROM)
It has been my experience that this product software frequently crashes and does not permit you to do the exercises as outlined. I was not able to log off as administrator and log on as user, so I couldn't verify the effect of different permissions. With most exercises, everytime you close a window the users or groups you created are lost and can't be used in the next lab. The exercises do not cover enough of the topics like group policy. It does not cover all exercises as described in the text like on 70-290, but only a subset of the exercises presented in the text. So for me this product has been disappointing, overpriced, and a waste of money.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Preparation for your MCSE Examination:, July 2, 2005
This review is from: MCSA/MCSE: Windows Server 2003 Network Simulator (70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294) (CD-ROM)
Granted you can't compare a simulator to having three independent 3Gz, 1Gb RAM, 250Gb Drive servers. Which I do have, but what about when your away from your lab? What about the last 30 to 45 minutes of your shift, this is a good time to pop in this CD and get some studying done. If you can complete the short exercises provided, you can always make them more complicated later. My point is this CD gives you a very strong foundation, and is definitely alot better than going to take your exam with no hands on experience. I would recommend this CD to anyone who doesn't want to waste $125.00 on a exam, when you could have owned this CD for the same price.
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