PC Hardware: A Beginner's Guide [Paperback]

Ron Gilster (Author)

Book Description

Series: Beginner's Guides (Osborne) | Publication Date: April 26, 2001

Ideal for PC owners looking for an accessible, easy-to-follow reference, this beginner's guide to PC hardware offers expert advice on every component--processors, motherboards, memory, BIOS, CD-ROM and DVD drives, video cards, and much more. You'll also get details on external devices, including monitors, printers, keyboards, and modems. The book covers both Intel and non-Intel CPUs and USB and AGP ports.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Very few people know what all of the gadgets on their desk do, never mind how to set them up or get them to talk to one another. Like other beginner's guides, this book offers the mandatory evolution of personal computing and a discussion of terminology, but it goes on to fairly advanced concepts in Parts 2 and 3. Readers will get a handle on everything from digital logic and memory to external components such as monitors and printers as well as CD-ROMs and DVDs. This comprehensive, approachable resource is recommended for all libraries.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover

Learn how your PC works--and what to do when it doesn't

Understand the function of each component of your PC and learn how they all work together. PC Hardware: A Beginner's Guide first introduces you to the underlying principles of the PC, such as digital logic and electronics, then covers internal components, including GHz processors, high-speed data buses, and DVD drives. Next, you'll get details on external components--monitors, printers, keyboards, mice, modems, and more. The final section explains how to troubleshoot your PC, detect viruses, make repairs, and optimize your system.

• Become familiar with your PC's motherboard components, including the CPU, chipset, cache, and memory
• Learn how the chipset enables communication among all the motherboard devices
• Maximize existing memory capacity and install more RAM
• Add expansion cards to enhance graphics, video, and sound
• Configure system resources for maximum efficiency
• Protect your PC from power fluctuations using surge suppressors and UPC devices
• Select the best monitor and printer for your needs
• Connect to a network--dialup, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the Internet, or a wireless network
• Troubleshoot, maintain, and upgrade your PC

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Product Details

• Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: Osborne/McGraw-Hill; 1st edition (April 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072129905
• ISBN-13: 978-0072129908
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,403,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ron Gilster was born in Vallejo, California in 1947. Which is the last time he actually lived in any one place for very long at all. Ron began his computing and technology career in 1965 in the Air Force, in which he took refuge from the draft, but ended up a Vietnam vet anyway. Over the years, he has been a punch-card machine operator, a computer programmer, a systems analyst, a database manager, a manufacturing production manager, a consultant for what was then a Big 8 accounting firm, an executive in the audio/visual and telecommunications industry, a college instructor and administrator, and, oh yes, a writer.

Ron has had a number of best-selling books, including his first "A+ Certification for Dummies," "CCNA For Dummies," "Cisco Networking For Dummies," and a dozen more. He lives in Spokane, WA and continues to write at least four books per year; the latest being "MCAS: Exam Guide."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for beginners..., January 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: PC Hardware: A Beginner's Guide (Paperback)

I do not consider myself a beginner to PCs, but I still found this to be a great book. The chapter on printers, a very under represented technology in books, makes it worth the price. It is really easy to read, but not so easy as to be talking down to you. This would be a good book to read if you are interested in how that box on your desk works or if, for once, you'd like to know what that techie at work is talking about. Good read!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All the details, but in plain language, January 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: PC Hardware: A Beginner's Guide (Paperback)

I am a newbie to computers, but I want to learn how they work. This book explains the details of how a PC works and much of what I should do when it doesn't. Mr. Gilster explains things in a no-nonsense, clear way that doesn't try to blow me away with all of the technical jargon. He obviously knows his stuff and how to explain it to someone like me. Great book for anyone who wants to move past the newbie level!