Customer Reviews

Mark Minasi's Windows 2000 Resource Kit [4 books plus bonus cd-rom]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am somewhere in the middle of my prep for 70-240 and eating up this Resource Kit as if it were choice chocholates instead of four volumes. When I learned that a sixteen-pound package had been shipped via UPS, I ought to have had a clue. These four books are MASSIVE. And better yet - Minsai writes coherently. Very coherently. He is the first person I have come across who could explain unattended installs, answer files, etc. in something that approximates the English language. Minsai not only does an excellent job of explaining the Windows 2000 o/s, he very clearly dileneates the changes and the reasons Microsoft has for making the changes from earler versions of Windows NT and Windows 9.x. The Server volume alone is over 1500 pages. The print is small. It is slow-going to read - not because Minsai is difficult to understand (quite the opposite) but because he packs so much information into every page. Microsoft should hire this guy to write all of their technical documentation. Even when Examcram comes out with a quick cram review for 70-240 (or the four sequenced tests if you are new to Windows enterprise networking, EVERYONE who wants to be certified ought to purchase this 4-volume set and read it and read it and read it again. A cleaner, clearer more exhaustively complete compilation on Windows 2000 (complete with a review of the differences between NT 3.5x, Windows 9.x and Windows 2000)will never be written. In fact, amongst technical volumes, a more coherent more exhaustive series will probably never be written. At last, a technical writer who can and has proofread his work and who has complete and total mastery of the subject matter! If you want to learn Windows 2000 enterprise, buy these four books. Buy these four books if you buy absolutely nothing else. Yeah - they may represent an absolutely monumental amount of work just to read and digest. But believe you me, they are worth their weight (16 pounds) in gold. Probably platinum. CThomasBoone, CNE, MCSE, MCP+I, ctboone1@hotmail.com

To begin with, these days this collection of FINE books written by a GREAT writer is the only decent resource of Windows 2000 information. I am not totally accurate here because the Microsoft Press Windows 2000 resource kits are VERY GOOD. But there is one problem......they are filled with technical jargon that easy goers can't possibly comprehend. Plus if you buy those books individually they'll cost you a LOT! So apart from being a great resource for the Windows 2000 Administrator, its a very good value too! This will also be a very good investment by the NT 4.0 MCSE wanting to upgrade his current certification fast.

So the bottom line is that I highly recommend this SET...its a one-of-a-kind value!

This is one of many books that I own by Mark Minasi. Every book of his is well written and easy to comprehend. I've gotten several atta boys from my various individuals within my company due to his books. If I need an answer to an issue, I CAN FIND IT in one of his books.

Bottom line, I highly recommend Mark's books for IT Professionals and novices alike. If ya don't know it.... You will!!

This set is a very comprehensive explanation of all that is Windows 2000. I have read the Windows 2000 Server book in its entirety (all 1800+ pages) and have gained enough confidence in the operating system and my knowledge of such to implement it in a production environment. I've started the other three books and they all have the same easy to understand explanations that make these books enojoyable. This is the first Minasi book I've read and now I will seek out his books.

Mark does it again. This guy made me cancel my windows 2000 training classes. I have read his articles in Windows 2000/NT magazine for a few years now.

This set takes you inside the innerworkings of windows 2000. Mark shows you how to get things done in win2k, but also gives you a peak at how the simple tasks are performed.

This kit is best read by those familiar with windows 2000 and is perfect if you want to become an expert.

This Resource Kit is the Resource Kit of resource kits. Don't bother with the Microsoft kit. Mark has a way with disseminating information to humans in a way that most authors can't. The four volumes are packed with tips, hints and solutions for anyone who administers a Windows 2000 network. It's an excellent reference kit as well. Highly recommended! Thanks Mark for your humorous, witty way of teaching!

This is a "So far" rating. "So Far" I've read the W2K Professional Book and about 1/4 through W2K Server. Like ctboone said "These books are MASSIVE". If I recall the introduction says that these books are NOT intended for study for MCSE exams, however some people used these as a tool for MCSE, and "so far" I strongly agree. I wanted to get some spoon-fed type info, since my NT4.0 background is very limited. And that's what this is, I think. I find myself almost in a "conversation" with the text, like Mark Minasi and the other authors are standing there talking to me. There have been helpful comparisons of W2K topics to every-day life scenarios. There are many print screens of install/config processes. I think the books are ideal for getting familiar with W2K and or using as a "how to" resource. Sometimes while reading I find I get a little lost when the books says "click on Start, then programs, then click on accessories, then click on ...and so on". That type of info would be more valuable if I were actually doing it at the PC. Which is why I wish the info in these books were setup with a self-study system with actual training demo's on CD. I plan to purchase Alan R. Carter’s Windows 2000 MCSE Study Guide System to maybe get more of a "classroom approach" in pursuit of my MCSE/all around knowledge quest and use these books (Minasi's) to explain what other self-study books may not cover or explain very well. And "So Far", Minasi's Resource Kit may be matched but definitely NOT beat for this. No Certs, 1/2 A+ , Master's in "Wanna Be". ...

Mark Minasi is one of the most authoritative figures on Windows. His in-depth coverage of Win 2000 and his simple language make this one of the best books on the subject. I would recomend this book, and anything he writes on any Microsoft Windows product.