Customer Reviews

Understanding Personal Computer Hardware: Everything You Need to Know to be an Informed PC User/ Byer/Upgrader

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

 

 

Great explanations and diagrams packed into a relatively short book. I was able to read most of this in a couple evenings, yet I felt I learned quite a bit, for example the difference between a controller and adapter and why the IDE hard drive standard was considered an advance over ESDI and ST506. A relief from the plethora of 1500 pg "upgrade" books on the market, with their scholarly compendia of Intel chip specs and pinouts, and the superficial beginners books that are so broad-brush that you wonder if you've learned anything.

One drawback is that the book is a few years old. Almost all the material is still useful, but some recent topics (Pentium III/IV, wireless, Windows 2K/XP, USB 2.0) aren't covered.

It is written for the reader who is not a computer or electrical engineer but who wants enough information so that they can make intelligent buying or upgrading decisions, maximize their productivity, and become less dependent on others for help with their computer questions and problems. It is a great reference resource.

It is written for the reader who is not a computer or electrical engineer but who wants enough information so that they can make intelligent buying or upgrading decisions, maximize their productivity, and become less dependent on others for help with their computer questions and problems. It is a great reference resource.