Customer Reviews

A : Dos/Windows Study Guide (Certification Study Guide...

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

 

 

First, the good news. I passed both the core and the Dos/Windows exams by using these books. They offered very detailed information and presented it in an easy to read and generally understandable format. I would agree that the books' "intermediate" difficulty rating is accurate.

However, (You knew that this was coming) I would not recommend them as a good prep for the A+ Exams. My principal criticism is that the core module is riddled with flaws, errors, and innacuracies.(One can obtain a list of corrections, all three pages, from the Sybex website. The corrections are listed under "errata"). Additionally, because these texts are fairly detailed, they tended to include a lot of extraneous information that was not reflected on the exams. Examples would be the complete resistor color code, hexadecimal numbering system, lists of various manufacturers beep codes and error codes specific to a particular make or model. Also in the core text are chapters on networks & customer service, neither of which is even covered of the core exam. (O.K., customer service is covered but the answers are not scored and they do not count towards your score).

Dos/Windows...not much better. A lot of step by step by step on how to install windows 3.1 & Win 9x. "When the next screen asks for disk 4, remove disk 3 from your floppy drive, insert the disk labled #4...press any key or enter! See diagram below!)

I would look for a more concise text and then supplement it with internet resources like cramsession and its related links for a more complete test prep.

This book by David Groth proved to be a good choice for the exam. it covered the topics very well and provides a CD ROM with questions and answers. There are also Q&A at the end of each chapter. I found some of the answers to be in error, but that just means you are smart enough to catch them. I recommend this book for the exam. I passed passed both Core Modules of the certification exam with an overall 81% score.

The second A+ (dos & windows) module by Sybex really disappointed me. Very scant on Dos commands and not ideal for a dos 'newbee'. I rate this book very poorly against the core module book which I found very helpful.

Let me begin by saying that I am NOT a novice to the IT field. I have 4 years hands on experience with a variety of network operating systems, multiple hardware platforms and several years experience teaching DOS. I also graduated at the top of my class from a well-known University. Without this background, had I taken the exam with just this book, I would have certainly failed.

I passed the DOS/Windows module earlier this week. This book spends most of its time emphasizing DOS, and I have used it to supplement my lecture material. Unfortunately the vast majority of the test I took focused on Windows 95, with very few questions about DOS. I was caught completely off guard.

Note: THE EXAM HAS CHANGED SINCE THIS BOOK WAS PUBLISHED!

I have serious reservations as to whether or not the Hardware book will be reliable for passing the current Core exam. I hope my real world experience pays off. This book didn't. Unless you are extremely strong on Windows 95 DO NOT use this book and expect to pass the exam!

I am A+ Certified. I would not have passed the Windows/DOS test using this book alone. I also used Exam Notes from Sybex. Overall, David Groth's book seems aimed at people who have no experience at all with Win 3.x, Win 9.x or DOS, so, if you know these operating systems and want to focus on other test objectives, you'd probably be wise to check out some other available A+ Win/DOS study books.

The important information is lost in words, screen prints and file prints. It is hard to determine what is important except by the review questions and the questions sometimes cover material not even mentioned in the text. For example the answer to one question is DDL which is only presented in the glossery. I'm going to have to find another book to prepare for the test.

Since I am still reading it, I give it three stars for presentation, which is readable and recommended after trying to navigate through the logical messes Microsoft throws at you when pursuing the MCSE. One error I've found is Chapter 4, summary test question #46 asks, "Which Switch will cause Win95 setup to forgo the initial disk scan? The answer on page 549 states /id, but the correct answer is /is. So, there's one error and I'm only on chapter 4. Judging from the copy I've already covered, I recommend this book to all serious students who wish to read subject matter presented in a way which doesn't insult your intelligence, or play mind games with obsolete software scenarios, e.g. microsoft mail migration to exchange 5.0 (MCSE test). Have fun! Don't quit!

I already passed the previous A+ test (Core and DOS/Win 3.1) and had to retake the Win95 part. The book gave me the info I needed to pass. The computer based test that comes with the book is a nice addition.