Customer Reviews

MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-620): Configuring Windows Vista(TM) Client (Self Paced Training Kit 70-620)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am an MCSE on NT 4.0, was an early adopter on Windows 2000 Pro, XP Pro and Vista. Of all the Microsoft client operating systems I've used, Vista is by far the most confusing. I decided to study for the 70-620 test to get a better understanding of Vista and learn some of the new features without going through the trial and error process.

So far this is a really easy to read book with good examples and labs. This is a great book for people that want to get their hands wet with Vista and / or take the 70-620 test. It is apparent that Vista is much more complex than previous Microsoft client operating Systems, and this book more than does the job of showing you the new features, how to use them and some nice real life examples. I would say it is Part 1 of the Vista learning experience.

If you want to learn about how the new security features work, how user account control works, how to configure parental controls, power schemes and the like, this book is for you. If you want to learn how to debug the BSOD, how to roll out images or how the OS interacts on the Domain level this isn't the book for you, but I bet you could pick up a couple of good nuggets anyway. At the very least this is a great foundational book.

There are a couple of typos / mistakes. It is pretty early in the product lifecycle. Not as bad as my second edition "Cisco Secure PIX Firewalls" book with incorrect configs.

If you've read other MS Press books, then this is no different. The book is very straight forward on the features of Vista and what is required for you to know on the Microsoft test. The included practice test on the CD-ROM is HIGHLY recommended. All I can say is that the practice test is very close to the actual test and covers the book really well. If you can nail the practice test, then you should have no problems passing the actual test.
I did pass the 70-620 exam because of this book.

I used this book and only this book to pass the 620 Exam. First off, it's a first edition book and there are some errors in the book (words ran together, capital letters in the middle of words) and using the measureUP! software I found at least 5 questions that marked me as wrong but they were correct.

However, this should NOT stop you from passing the 620 Exam, this book goes into enough detail so you can pass the exam.

Another reviewer wrote that it's not for the I.T. Pro....and it's NOT. This is for the test, the test is titled "Configuring Windows Vista Client."

If you want to learn the kernel debugger, use Group Policies, learn how to setup an image of Vista, this is NOT the book for you and the title CLEARLY states that.

However, this book is good for passing 70-620 and I passed it in two weeks with an 815. I would have given the book five stars but being a first edition and having some errors, it will need to be fixed.

Overall: Buy this book if you want to become MCTS certified, or you are looking to get your MCSE before the tracks expire (for 2003). This test counts towards the client portion of the MCSE.

I found this book to be a great starting point for those IT professionals looking to become familiar with Microsoft's latest operating system - Vista.

This book was *not* written for the end user community. It strictly focuses on exam material and supporting Vista as an IT professional. It does an excellent job on introducing all the different flavors of Vista. In addition I feel it did a good job explaining all of the new features.

Prior to reading this book I felt lost when working on Vista; since I have completed the book and lessons, I feel totally comfortable working in the Vista environment.

Not too many cons here: I did feel the book at certain points failed to fully distinguish between what features where in each edition. For example, Chapter 12 discusses creating a Complete PC Restore and leaves the reader with the opinion that all editions of Vista supports it when only Business and Ultimate do. The other big con was the book did not come with an evaluation copy of Vista like previous MS Press training kits.

Overall, if you support Vista and want to get to know it better and/or you are planning on taking the 70-620 exam, then get this book!

I used this book to pass my Vista 70-620 exam yesterday - good book that was clear, well-written, and well-organized. Although there were a lot of typos. There are corrections/an errata list on the Microsoft Press site for some but not all the mistakes.

Each chapter is broken up into lessons covering objective sub-topics. To really get the full benefit from this book, be sure to actually DO and following along with the practices offered in each lesson and do the chapter end reviews, and it will really help the info sink in.

I was recommended the MS press kit books when I started studying for my MCSE and I am very thankful I took the advice.
Each book in the series (this one included) serves as an excellent resource for a thorough understanding of the concepts presented and technologies involved.
It also covers specifics, provides tips and enough details that it is helpful for knowing how to apply the knowledge in the "real" world (as opposed to the somewhat warped MS testing view.)
The only downside is that if you're looking for a reference book expecting very granular coverage of specific technologies covered, you will be somewhat disappointed.

If you are simply prepping for the test, this book (as well as the rest of the MS press series) is an excellent tool for that. Every objective required for the test (and more) is covered thoroughly enough that this should be the only resource that you need. There are very good labs in each section that if you go through, will give you a solid understanding of the theory and the practice. If you are looking for a cram type book, this isn't it. If you are looking to actually know the information and want to learn it rather than just cram your way through the test then this is the book for you.

Three nice things related to testing with the book. There is a 15% off the test voucher in the back that just about pays for the book. On the CD that comes with it is an excellent set of practice tests using the measure up engine. The questions are written by the authors and are in general, more difficult than the actual exam questions. If you can honestly get 70+ percent on the prep questions, you should be fine on the test. There is also an electronic copy of the book on the CD which is very handy to keep on screen while going through labs or testing in study mode. Using search in a PDF is a lot easier than reading through an index and flipping through pages.

All in all, a very good book for the intended audience.

I never used Vista until reading this book and within 2 weeks I passed the exam with a 884. If you want more active dir. information I think that the 70-622 and 70-623 covers more of that but not sure and the books arent even out yet.
THANKS ORIN

I have no real complaints about this book, provided you are purely using it to pass the 70-620 exam. EVERYTHING you need to pass the exam is in this book. It fully covers the entire objectives, and will rarely miss out on required details.

The book is a decent read as well, and the writing isn't overly dry like in some other MS Press books. I had no problem getting through the entire book and was consistently able to read several chapters in one sitting without dozing off from boredom. Its also very clear and concise, so I never found myself confused and wondering what the author(s) were saying.

For those of you who want to "learn" Vista, or become better at using Vista.. I'd say that there are much better books for that. This book is meant to help you pass the 70-620 exam, and the material involved is in some nebulous region in between "average user stuff" and "power user stuff". Regular users will find this material a bit over their head, while IT pros will get very little out of it.

Also, its worth noting that this is one of those rare cases where you don't really need more than one source of information. I didn't use any other books. The only thing you might want to do is set up a virtual machine and play around with Vista's control panel.

Take your time reading through this book, perform the examples, and use the test questions. If you don't rush it and have thoroughly explored the control panel, you will pass.



ABOUT THE TEST:

The 70-620 exam has got to be one of the easiest exams I've ever taken in my entire life. The scope of the objectives is about as deep as a puddle, and the material covered is not exactly rocket science. Its almost like a test for power users, not IT professionals. I'm sort of shocked that they allow this to be used toward the client portion of the MCSA/MCSE. The 70-270 is MUCH more difficult and requires knowledge of things like deployment, permissions, and the NT bootloader.

The questions were all well written and clear, without the verbosity found in some other Microsoft exams. The distractors, or wrong answers" some times bordered on ridiculous. Anyone who has simply used the operating system (as a power user) could probably get about half the questions right.

This test appears more reliant on simulations, which is a refreshing change. The only problem with the simulations is that they often only allow you to complete the task through specific menus. A lot of times you can configure or set things up from the start menu or command line, but these are often inaccessible. Some people may not be used to doing things a specific way, so they may be thrown by this.

Overall, anyone who puts a decent effort into this test should pass.

Took and passed the exam last week scoring quite well. This book touched on all topics that i saw on the exam with the exception of unattended and zero-touch/SMS installs (which I saw probably 6-8/64 questions on. Like the other books in the MS Press collection, the book almost seems that it is written to the basic user audience. Acronyms that everyone in the industry should know (DNS, TCP/IP, etc) are spelled out and then explained. Good if you need it, words to skim if you don't. Hands on examples are informative, if you get the book and plan to take the test, DO THEM! I got my MCSE 3 years ago, and in the whole run probably saw maybe 6 simulations over 9 tests. In the Vista exam however i had to do about 10-12 simulations. They loved to ask UAC questions where you had to go in and modify local security policy, saw one or two on parental controls and IE settings changes.

The book covers enough detail for this exam (its main purpose). I found the book concise and to the point. I was able to pass using this as my main study tool. If you have passed the 70-270 exam you find this easy reading, as this exam is closer to the MCDST 70-271. i.e.

+ no requiremnts for automated installs
+ AD or group policy etc

Basically it is an easy read if your familiar with the previous XP exams.