I'm technician with over 5 years of experience and got Server+, Network+ and hardware certification by some major computer manufacturer.I bought this book based on my experience with Server+ Bible which is very good.
A+ Bible made of 2 parts - hardware and software preparation.
software part is O.K., but hardware part is quite nasty.
it appears that somebody without serious (if any) hardware experience just grabed info from different sources and put it all together without really knowing what they were talking about.
examples:
book claims, that AC adapter for laptops "converts analog signals
into digital" which is complete idiocy.
book claims, that there are "ISA, PCI, AGP bus in portable computers" and you should consider it when "upgrading CPU on portable system"
book claims, that "dust and dirt on your shoes create static dischare and sintetic clothes promote static becasue they are good conductors of electricity", if that is not an outmost idiocy I don't know what it is then.
(static is caused by 2 non-conductors separating - just rob a comb on some wool blanket or something - and not by dust on shoes)
also book contains some incomplete and unsafe "advise" on discharging CRT with a screwdriver and a wire, which could get you hurt if you follow it.
in printing section stages of printing process are not described properly.
technical book that contains this kind of nonsense can't have any credibility and should not be on the market.
if you are technical person you'll be probably greatly outraged by that kind of writing, and if you are not technical you wouldn't want to put that kind of garbage into your head anyway.
my guess is, the book was written by some software-oriented network admin types.
there are some good pictures of cables and screenshots in the book, software section and exams on the CD are O.K., otherwise the book deserves 1 star.
The A+ Certification Bible is an addition to the rapidly expanding bookshelf of study guides which aim to address the new A+ objectives set out by the compTIA.Each chapter within this book, targets specific objectives by providing comprehensive information on the relevant technologies, end of chapter questions, scenarios, and a number of lab exercises.
By injecting an element of personality into its text, avoiding technical waffle and making liberal use of photos and diagrams, the A+ Certification Bible is as pleasurable to read as it is informative.
Due to its comprehensive and accessible content I recommend this book as an essential purchase for those who want a resource which will serve as a useful reference in the future as well as providing the necessary knowledge to pass the A+ exams.
CompTIA has released the newest version of the A+ exam and it is very important to make sure you stay on top of the objectives in order to ensure you pass both exams on the first go round.
In this 1,150 page book there is seven parts, each part taking a piece of the exams and breaking them down in a manner that makes it understandable and covers the exam objective very well.
From part 1 - Hardware like CPU, motherboards, RAM, CMOS to part2 - installing and configuring hardware, peripherals and portables. Part 3 is the troubleshooting section. While part 4 deals with the OS basics in the areas like commands and file management.
Part5 is the installation and configuration of Windows 9.x, NT Workstation and 2000 Professional followed up with part 6 as the troubleshooting section for the Operating systems. Finally Part 7 - networking. There are labs; review questions step by step instructions and cd with test question using the Boson engine.
Overall I would say the author has put together a real winner.
