Customer Reviews

Upgrading and Repairing PCs

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Many people within the industry have long considered Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PC's the quintessential hardware guide; I whole heatedly agree. There is not a week that goes by that I don't pull this book off the shelf to look up something. Mueller updates his book yearly to reflect the changes within the industry. Perhaps the thing I love the most about Upgrading and Repairing PC's is that it is a combination tutorial and reference guide. The well-organized chapters and subheadings make it easy to find the info you want and need. Within a chapter, you can merely peruse through it, or study the sections you need to read for the objective at hand, whether that is a: 1) general overview of a topic, 2) specific hardware installation or troubleshooting solutions, or 3) the nitty-gritty details of the subject. (Also, the index is outstanding so you can find what you need.)

This is a very long book. The reason is that while Mueller updates the book every year with new information reflecting the latest technology and standards, he does not remove the old material, making the book a priceless tool when dealing with legacy systems. Conversely though, this information may appear to be - as one reviewer wrote - "just filler" at other times. Additionally, there are a plethora of reference pages - tables of pin configurations for various interconnects for example -- that one would not "read" when reading through the book, but are invaluable when troubleshooting or installing hardware. Because this book is an ever-growing entity, there are, unfortunately, a few typos and "broken links" (i.e. inaccurate cross-references). I have, however, never found any blatant technical inaccuracies that one reviewer alludes to.

Mueller has a great writing style. It is easily understood without treating the reader as a "dummy" or "idiot". "Upgrading and Repairing PC's" attempts to do a lot. It tries to be both a tutorial and a reference. A very difficult combination to pull off; Mueller however does so wonderfully. It attempts to cover a lot of material; and it does so very well.

This book is well worth the money. I have been a faithful reader of this book since the 8th edition, having purchased every edition since. As you read the other reviews for this book, you will see that many people have done the same. (Also, see the 45+ reviews written on the 11th Edition) Repeat buying is the biggest compliment and review any single book can hope to have. When so many people are willing to spend their money every year to have the latest edition, not much else needs to be said about the quality and superiority of this book.

Oh, I almost forgot... there are some wonderful & useful utilities on the enclosed CD.

Upgrading and repairing PC's Eleventh edition By Scott Mueller

Scott Mueller's Upgrading and repairing PC's the eleventh edition is a very usefully book to have in your library. It covers all aspects of computers from the different types of computers and operating systems to floppy drives and disk storage to local networking and the Internet. The author refers to the technical meaning of things, then compares what was said to terms that are more easily understood by your average home computer user, and then re-asserts the point that was trying to be made using the technical terms and the analogy. For certain task that are trying to be accomplished there are some good drawings accompanied by actual photographs for a more real world feel to help you visualize the components. Often there is an explanation of what is needed as hardware and software components. How to check if your computer is already set up with certain configurations, and how to go about changing anything to meet these requirements. This review of the book is not just merely experienced through the effort of reading. I used chapter 13 to aid in the installation of a CD-ROM device. The chapter was on optical storage and I used and older computer from work that did not have a CD-ROM installed on it. The beginning of the chapter gave a brief history and other facts that I did not find interesting, others might enjoy having such knowledge. After getting through the fluff of the chapter there was a lot of explaining and re-explaining followed by diagrams and pictures. The choice of words used to describe this technique was chosen well. The point was not lost in making you feel like in idiot, but allowed you to walk away from the experience some technical jargon. The chapter on local area networks was also written very well. Chapter 19 had diagrams of the OSI model along with an explanation of each layer and how it related to the other. It talked about cables, hubs, and topologies. The topics being discussed was more easily critiqued because of way I was taught these subjects. I really felt the author did an excellent job with the way that he was able to explain what was needed in order to complete a given the task. Through the use of diagrams, photographs, and a complete explanation of what to expect and how to perform the given task, one was able to be successful.

Everytime a new version of hardware and software emerge thereis bound to be bugs to follow. Normally books are the same, ScottMueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs has change that rule with the 11th Edition.

1600 plus pages of more information on pc repair and upgrades than the average technician will ever use is what you'll find once you open the cover. Mueller exceptional expertise is evident from page one.

Filled with diagrams, pictures, tables and tips and notes, every technician will be able to find the answers to most if not all hardware questions. Que Corporation is a trusted and respected name in computer books.

The books has a cd included, which gives you PartitionMagic and Drive Magic, a $100.00 value. Couple that with the extensive technical knowledge contained in the book and you have a certain unbeatable combination.

Many people within the industry have long considered Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PC's the quintessential hardware guide; I whole heatedly agree. Mueller updates his book yearly to reflect the changes within the industry. Perhaps the thing I love the most about Upgrading and Repairing PC's is that it is a combination tutorial and reference guide. The well-organized chapters and subheadings make it easy to find the info you want and need. Within a chapter you can merely peruse or study the sections you need to read for the objective at hand, whether that be a general overview of a topic, specific hardware installation or troubleshooting solutions, or the nitty-gritty details of the subject. (Also, the index is outstanding.)

This is a very long book. The reason is that while Mueller updates the book every year with new information reflecting the latest technology and standards, he does not remove the old material, making the book a priceless tool when dealing with legacy systems. Conversely though, this information may appear to be - as one reviewer wrote - "useless" at other times. Additionally, there are a plethora of reference pages - tables of pin configurations for various interconnects for example -- that one would not "read" when reading through the book, but are invaluable when troubleshooting or installing hardware.

Mueller has a great writing style. It is easily understood without treating the reader as a "dummy" or "idiot". Upgrading and Repairing PC's attempts to do a lot. It tries to be both a tutorial and a reference. A very difficult combination to pull off; Mueller however does so wonderfully. It attempts to cover a lot of material; and it does so very well.

This book is well worth the money. I have been a faithful reader of this book since the 8th edition, having purchased every edition since. As you read the other reviews for this book, you will see that many people have done the same. Repeat buying is the biggest compliment and review any single book can hope to have. When so many people are willing to spend their money every year to have the latest edition, not much else needs to be said about the quality and superiority of this book.

How many computer how-to manuals have you read and come away from with a sense of awe? Scott Mueller's writing style is wonderful. His ego has no need to bamboozle us with unnecessary techno-babble and geekaneese. When techno-babble is necessary, he explains and clarifies so that it is understandable. I came to this industry rather late in life (I changed careers in my mid thirties when a PII 300 was the baddest chip on the block) and read this book cover to cover. In my case, the background information he provides on chips and systems from the 286 on up to present day was especially helpful. With an understanding of the hows and whys of original computer design, the hows and whys of modern computer architecture become clear. Why is memory designed and configured the way it is? Why are hard drives laid out the way they are? Should you go with SCSI or IDE? The answers to these and countless other questions are answered in this book.

When I started repairing computers, I found this to be an invaluable resource that I returned to countless times. I concur with those that say if you can only have one technical reference manual, this is the one to have. If you want to understand computers, buy this book. It's the best value on the planet.

I own the 5th, 8th, & 10th Versions and am ordering the 11th for my workplace.

At first glance, one may think that this mammouth sized book is for power user's only. Afterall, it goes into exhaustive detail on literally every aspect of the modern PC. The book explains everything from basic maintenance, to partitioning a hard drive, to upgrading your processor etc. This new edition also gives extra SCSI coverage. But don't let the size and the technical jargon scare you away. This book is actually for everyone, from the novice computer user to the most advanced. Surprisingly, Mueller is able to take what is very complex and explain it with a clarity that any layman can understand. Added is a full array of diagramns and dialogue boxes with helpful hints and tips.

Most people will never use all of the information that this book provides. Nonetheless, whatever you are looking for, I guarantee you will find here. Plus you will find it easily. Mueller arranges the book so that it is easy to bypass any unrelevant information and swiftly locate your particular need.

It could be said that this book is to the personal computer what Gray's Anatomy is to the human body. It is a must for every PC owner!

I teach computers and computer repair and determining what text book to use is a tough decision since there are a number of great books to choose from. Scott Mueller 12th edition is certainly on of the best going and this makes the choice even tougher.

Starting off the book with key vendor contacts is only the beginning of what has to be one of the most comprehensive books out there today. Mueller puts a great deal of information in 1625 pages.

Covering motherboards, buses, bios, memory, drives, video, i/o devices, internet, networking, sound cards, printers, scanners, configuration, upgrading, maintaining, troubleshooting and repairing there is information for every technician no matter what the level.

Mueller's breakdown of each topic excellent and the information is more than enough to help out anyone. Finally there is a cd-rom included with excellent documentation and a host of utilities that round this package making it on of the best buys going.

Mr. Mueller is sure the true expert on computer hardwares with his concise yet clear writing which touches every aspect you want to know about your PC better than anybody else. I really love his discussion about system BIOS and memory in PC systems. It has virtually everything you want to know about fixing and upgrading your machine. The language is understandable even for the most inexperience computer user. Read this book cover to cover and you'll be amazed at how much more you have learned about your own PC.

Even better yet, this book comes with full version of Partition Magic and Drive Image software (both are excellent software) and the price is not exorbitant either for such a high quality publication.

I must admitt that this book does not include as much information regarding the actual upgrade and repair processes, however it includes info on just about anything else. This book is for people who really want to know what is going on inside the computer and understand a lot of computer jargon. It is clearly written, and has many graphics that help a lot. Recommended!

Scott Mueller's latest update of his popular Upgradind and Repairing PC's series has once again proven to be a useful and valuable addition to my technical library. Unlike other name authors of similar series, Scott actually adds current and insightful information for the professional. I was particularly impressed by the cutting edge information on the latest chips. Having in depth information on the current AMD, Cyrix and IDT offerings, and of course Intel, was suprising in hard back form and quite impressive. Clearly Mr. Mueller and Que books are very committed to staying on the cutting edge.

In addition to in depth analysis and how to's on all imaginable topics, a 90 minute video CD is included. Rather than slapping together a shareware collection and dumping it on a captive audience, Scott Mueller does a very good job of practicing what he preaches. The cd alone is reason for the novice, and not-so-novice reader to purchase the set. All in a worthwhile addition to anyone's computer library