Mike Meyers' A+ Certification Passport: Amazon.co.uk: Michael Meyers, Tracey J. Rosenblath: Books

Amazon.co.uk 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 specialised 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 organised his book around the two A+ exams, which means you'll find excellent 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). Conversely, you'll find no coverage of potentially useful subjects that CompTIA doesn't test (most notably Linux and Microsoft Windows XP). 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, Amazon.com

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. --Simon Priestley, Amazon.com. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

Ideal as a stand-alone exam preparation tool, or as a complement to any study guide, the Mike Meyers' Certification Passport series is a focused exam preparation programme. This "passport" provides intensive and concise exam preparation plus practice exam software from recognized experts. With free practice exam software included on the CD the reader experiences exactly what it's like to take the real exam. The book's interior features a unique design that plays off a "travel" theme, making difficult material more interesting. Design icons make learning more fun than the traditional approach of other exam guides. Focusing on only what the candidate needs to know to pass the exam, the reader gets intensive and concise coverage of each official exam objective. Sample questions and answers are at the end of each chapter. All answer options, correct and incorrect, receive detailed explanations as to why the answer is or is not the correct one. The book's compact design is very portable for candidates on the road.

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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

Well presented but not as good as the All-in-One guide 26 April 2002

By martin.collings@ntlworld.com

Format:Paperback

After reading through the book and trying out the exam disc, I felt confident that I could take on the exams. It is a good book to review what you already know, but it does lack in explaining some things in depth.

Don't get me wrong this is a good book, it is a good read and easy to digest, but if you are going to buy a book on A+ make it the All-in-one book (ISBN 0-07-222274-3) It is by the same chap but huge in comparison.

I think that this book is really meant for those who just want to look at the topics without too much depth. Mind you, at least this book fits in your brief case.

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

Excellent for revision 12 Aug 2002

By A Customer

I used this book to revise for both A+ exams (Hardware and O/S), and found it very helpful in my preparation for the exams. It is a great book if you already know the basics and have some experience of PCs.
It is great because it goes straight to the point, however if you are looking for a more in depth coverage of specific topic, you should look for example to Minassi's "complete PC upgrade and maintenance guide" or other A+ books.
So, in conclusion, a book to read in the last stage of your studies for the A+ exams, to make sure you have covered all the exam's objectives.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

A+ Dead Cert 12 July 2003

By Mr. P. Griffiths

Mike Meyer's A+ Certification is a great starting point for any person wishing to get a foot in door of the IT world, it does exactly what it said on the book, it takes you through everything you'll need to know for both the hardware & software exam step. It even comes with a prep test cd to test your knowledge after you've finished reading. Well I'm glad I purchased this book, I passed first time on both exams,