Mike Meyers' A+ Certification Passport, Third Edition (Mike...

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 674 pages
• Published by: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
• Edition: 3rd Edition May 3, 2007
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0072263083
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0072263084
• Book Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Weighs: 1.8 pounds

Product Review
Software developers make their programs ever more graphical; interfaces become ever more slick. But underneath the buttons and sliders, PCs are electronic systems comprising power supplies, logic processors, and specialized circuitry for such functions as video and sound. When the machine grinds to a halt, someone has to know how to identify the problem and get it straightened out. That's the function of the CompTIA A+ certification, and this new edition of Mike Meyers' A+ Certification Passport will help you earn it. Meyers combines reams of detailed information about IBM-standard PCs (which is to say, those running Intel, AMD, and Cyrix) with rock-solid troubleshooting advice. Look here for electronic details of the IDE and SCSI interfaces, as well as strategies for figuring out whether a problem is in a drive or in its controlling electronics.

Meyers has organized his book around the two A+ exams, which means you'll find great coverage of the subjects CompTIA includes (hardware from early days through the Pentium III era, and Microsoft MS-DOS and Windows operating systems through Windows 2000). Inversely, you'll find no coverage of potentially useful subjects that CompTIA doesn't test (Linux and Microsoft Windows XP, most notably). Updated coverage--of new USB and FireWire standards, as well as memory specifications--meets the high standard of the previous edition. This book will help you prepare for the A+ exams; it and a couple of supplementary texts will get you ready for the job site. --David Wall

Topics covered: The electronics of IBM-standard personal computers (motherboards, processors, memory, disk drives, video cards, network interfaces, and so on), and strategies for safely and efficiently troubleshooting and repairing them. Later chapters explain how to do configuration work in Microsoft MS-DOS, Windows 95/98, Windows NT, and Windows 2000 Professional. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Library Journal
Meyers's clear-cut guide is tailored for test preparation: the accompanying CD includes two interactive practice exams (on hardware and operating systems), review questions conclude each chapter, and handy exam tips are scattered throughout. A useful purchase for all public libraries; those owning older A+ guides should upgrade.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Mike Meyers' A+ Certification Passport, Second Edition (Passport) (Paperback) I am MCSE, A+, and CCNA certified and used this book as part of my preparation for the CompTia A+ exams. This book presents a decent overview of the CompTia A+ exam objectives, but lacks sufficient detail to actually pass the test without supplementing the material. I have provided 2 recommendations at the bottom of this review. The book covers both areas of the exam (hardware and OS), and provides a CD with tice tests. I noticed the review questions at the end of each chapter lacked worthwhile explanations, which necessitated searching through the text to figure out why you may have missed a particular question. This book overall presents a decent, but minimal, overview of both the hardware and operating system exams and should be used in conjunction with Mueller's "Upgrading and Repairing PCs" classic (ISBN: 0789727455), and Exam Cram's book (ISBN: 078983043x). Comment | | (Report this)