Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 912 pages
- Published by: Que
- Edition: 2nd Edition December 26, 2005
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0789733765
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0789733764
-
Book Dimensions:
9.1 x 7 x 2.1 inches
- Weighs: 3.1 pounds
Product Review
Laptops--call them notebooks, portable computers, or whatever else you like--are tightly engineered items. It's
hard to get all the required components to obey stringent performance and power-management requirements, and still fit into a small case. The job usually requires a custom motherboard and other specialized components, and so the laptop owner who wants to upgrade his or her machine faces a much more difficult task than the owner of a desktop machine with a similar wish. One can swap out the hard drive, add more RAM, and make tweaks in software, but almost everything else requires the addition of external components, which kind of defeat the purpose of a laptop. That's the message the reader takes away from
Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing Laptops. It's not Mueller's fault that such computers are hard to do much with, and that your best upgrade procedure is often a visit to an auction site.
That said, Mueller does a great job of explaining how laptops work--how the engineers went about cramming all those heat-generating components into those miniature chassis in the first place. He also explains a lot of interesting component theory, such as how magnetic hard drives store data and how various DVD standards differ. The information makes for good reading, and comes in handy when you're shopping. He also demonstrates his skill--long well-reputed among builders and repairers of desktop machines--in teaching diagnostics. He explains, for example, how to test a laptop power supply, and why you should consider it a prime suspect in a malfunctioning computer even if the LEDs come on and the cooling fan spins. A CD-ROM features videos that show disassembly procedures--a strategy that works better than photographs and numbered steps.
--David Wall Topics covered: How portable computers work (and sometimes fail to work), and how to diagnose their woes. Sections address general troubleshooting concepts, system disassembly, and various subsystems such as memory, CPU, storage, and video. Coverage of PCMCIA (PC Card) is particularly good.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Product Description
Scott Mueller has gone where no computer book author has gone before - right past all the warranty stickers, the hidden screws, and the fear factor to produce a real owner's manual that every laptop owner should have on his desk.
Upgrading and Repairing Laptops, Second Edition shows the upgrades users can perform, the ones that are better left to the manufacturer, and how to use add-on peripherals to make the most of a laptop. This second edition has been updated to include:
- The latest processors and motherboards
- Complete assembly and disassembly information
- Updated memory standards
- Upgrading your hard drive to increase performance
- Changes in networking and firewalls
The included DVD contains one-of-a-kind video showing just what's inside a portable PC. If you have ever wondered what goes on inside your portable PC, how to upgrade/repair it, or how to live on the road with it, this is the one must-have book of the year!
Reader Reviews
This review is from: Upgrading and Repairing Laptops (Upgrading and Repairing) (Hardcover)
In the 15 years I have been involved with computers there has never been a book written that covers the Laptop or portable computer with any real in depth information. That was until now; with the release of Scott Mueller's U&R laptop and this is certainly one to have in every technician's library. The 875 plus page reference manual has just about everything you need to take care of laptop computer, from assembly to hardware and upgrades. The author has certainly taken care of the research as there are a number of laptops covered. The material is very much up to date with the latest information and the technical accuracy of the book is highly evident. The book covers more that what to replace, it takes you through what to look for, what you can and can not do with certain hardware, how to ensure success in the upgrade or replacement and so much more. I have read the U&R PCs and this book is an extension of the material covered there. What is the most impressive part of the package might just be the Cd rom included since it has over an hour of video material that further enhance the learning process. There is material in here that is covered no where else today. Overall this is simply the best book on laptop repair I have read.
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