TechTV's Technology Survival Guide [Paperback]

Lorna Gentry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2001 | Series: TechTV

This keystone to the TechTV Series feeds the readers' personal interests in computer technologies, products, and processes, providing: quick, useful desk reference for general computer facts, trends, technical processes, and recent developments; Tech News, Help and How-Tos, Product Reviews and Previews of the latest developments in software, hardware and gadgets, home and home office management, gaming, and more; entertaining and insightful information and advice for making the most of the digital lifestyle; and up-to-dateGuides to Getting Productive with broadband, wireless, and mobile technologies.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Scattershot TechTV's Technology Survival Guide contains a little bit of everything, which means it's not too good for anything in particular. Lorna Gentry seems to have targeted her work at people who know their way around a Macintosh or Windows computer, but who don't enjoy their machines for their own sake and aren't technology gurus by any means. Fair enough, but her writing oscillates too much between the super-basic (the definitions of "upload" and "download") and the moderately complicated (editing configuration files with VI in Linux). For that reason, it's likely that this book will alternately bore and confuse you, and that's not good if your goal is to build competence and confidence.

In any case, the creators of this book have made a mistake by putting it in direct competition with some excellent online resources. The section on custom building a speedy computer for games is good in the sense that it inspires a bit of confidence in its readers, but bad because there are several topflight Web sites about home-building game machines, and these sites have more current information about products and their compatibilities. Similarly, the author resorts too often to puffy platitudes (about open-source software, Mac OS, or whatever) that make okay reading but don't enable you to do anything new. Overall, you'll find a few gems here--some of the performance enhancement tips are good--but they are, by and large, lost in the flood. --David Wall

Topics covered: Aspects of personal computing, including how to shop for hardware, select a high-speed Internet connection, and choose an operating system. More advanced stuff has to do with multimedia and Web site building.

From Library Journal

Last year, the cable channel TechTV (formerly ZDTV) and QUE Publishing joined forces to produce books and videos. Like earlier titles, this catch-all guide to computer technology has a built-in audience. From buying a home PC to making the leap to Linux to choosing a hybrid mobile device, the book provides enough basic information to familiarize beginning to intermediate readers with pertinent terminology and concepts. A "Lightning Round Q&A Wrap-Up" at the end of each chapter offers solutions to common problems, and minisidebars throughout list useful tips and resources. Recommended for all public libraries.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: TechTV; 1st edition (October 24, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789726017
• ISBN-13: 978-0789726018
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,997,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much I didn't know--so much I learned!, November 3, 2003

By 

aaron anderson (Sydney NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: TechTV's Technology Survival Guide (Paperback)

Having had good college results in I.T., I thought I knew as much as I needed to. This book woke me up to the speed at which I.T. moves. I picked up a lot of information--simple, user-level stuff, but useful and practical all the same. I can once again call myself ``well informed``.

I particularly enjoyed (& got benefit out of) all the fun stuff--stuff that my busy and technophiliac brain ignored because it looked so simple & frivolous. Before this book, I never knew how to find MP3s on the Net--now I can indulge in a orgy of free music any time! (see page 220). Imagine the fun I missed out on. No wonder geeks are looked upon with some disdain.

And sure, there's quite a bit here for the geek, and the geek to be. It covers an introduction to Linux, showing what questions to ask yourself before taking the Linux plunge, yet making it clear it is nothing to be feared.

All-in-all, a very readable, useful book.