Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Automation (Paperback)

by Mark Edward Soper (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Get the home of tomorrow, today! Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Automation will help you turn your ordinary home into a high-tech haven. Want to schedule your lights to turn on while you're on vacation? Stuck late at work and want to start the roast you put in the crock pot this morning? You can make it all happen with the help of existing 110V electrical wiring in your home and this step-by-step tutorial. Through simple, do-it-yourself instructions, you will walk through the process of outfitting every room in your home with a network connection that you can control with a few clicks on your computer keyboard. Complete with illustrations and photographs, Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Automation will have you riding the wave of the future in no time.

About the Author

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home AutomationAbout the Author

Mark Edward Soper is president of Select Systems and Associates, Inc., a technical writing and training organization.

Mark is a 22-year veteran of the technology industry. His previous experience in photography, creative writing, and journalism has helped him make high technology useful to everyone.

Mark has taught computer troubleshooting and other technical subjects to thousands of students from Maine to Hawaii since 1992. He is an A+ Certified hardware technician and a Microsoft Certified Professional. Mark's previous books on home technology subjects for Que include The Complete Idiot's Guide to High-Speed Internet Connections, Absolute Beginner's Guide to Cable Internet Connections, Easy Digital Cameras, and Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Networking. Mark is also the author of TechTV's Upgrading Your PC, Second Edition, published by another Pearson Technology imprint, Peachpit Press.

Mark coauthored both the first and second editions of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Technician's Portable Reference, Upgrading and Repairing PCs Field Guide (which has been translated into several languages) and Upgrading and Repairing PCs: A+ Study Certification Guide, Second Edition with Scott Mueller, one of the world's leading PC hardware experts. Mark also co-authored the original edition of TechTV's Upgrading Your PC with Patrick Norton. Mark has been writing technical documents since the mid-1980s and has contributed to many other Que books, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs (starting with the 11th edition through the current 16th edition); Upgrading and Repairing Laptops; Upgrading and Repairing Networks, Second Edition; Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition; Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (all editions); Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition (all editions); Platinum Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP. Mark has also contributed to MaximumPC Ultimate PC Performance Guide and MaximumPC Guide to Building a Dream PC.

Mark has been writing for major computer magazines since 1990, with more than 140 articles in publications such as SmartComputing, PCNovice, PCNovice Guides, the PCNovice Learning Series, and MaximumPC. His early work was published in WordPerfect Magazine, The WordPerfectionist, and PCToday. Many of Mark's articles are available in back issues or electronically via the World Wide Web at http://www.smartcomputing.com. Mark welcomes comments at [e-mail].

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Que; illustrated edition edition (June 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789732076
• ISBN-13: 978-0789732071
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #626,638 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars make an overall plan first, September 3, 2005

By	W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The book is mostly about developing nifty controls using X10. In this field, X10 is by far the dominant controller. Soper explains why, by describing numerous varied ways to have it control items in the typical household. It is probably simpler to read this book than thumb through the official X10 documentation. Soper does not require that you have a deep technical background to implement the book's methods.

Aside from the specific automation methods, he also offers a chapter on planning what you might want to and be able to automate in your home. Here is where you can start, to devise an overall plan, in a top-down fashion, rather than plunge into hooking up one or two gadgets. That can come later. The chapter is good for helping decide, especially within the constraints of a budget, which surely applies to many readers.

The book also points out a strong point about the latest X10 devices. These can be wireless, hugely easing installation. No awkward and unsightly wires trailing along your floors and walls.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but contains a VITAL mistake, October 11, 2008

By	Michael McAuliffe (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Maybe it's the copy I'm reading, but on page 80, the author is completely (and quite possibly dangerously) wrong about the following point:

"If you are installing a light switch that uses a neutral wire ...
it is essential that you determine which wire is the load wire (carries
current at all times; also called the hot wire) and which is the
line wire (carries current only when the switch is off; also called
the switched-hot wire)"

NO! It should read as follows (emphasis on changed words):

"If you are installing a light switch that uses a neutral wire ...
it is essential that you determine which wire is the *LINE* wire (carries
current at all times; also called the hot wire) and which is the
*LOAD* wire (carries current only when the switch is *ON*; also called
the switched-hot wire)"

In the very next section he uses the correct terminology but that is most definitely a serious mistake in the book that could have serious consequences should somebody confuse the two.