Rich,

Will you please send the following Que book review on "Upgrading and Repairing
PCs, 16th Edition" to our NJCC membership via our "NJCCMAIL" listserve. It will
be the basis of my September 14th NJCC Regular Meeting presentation.

This review is posted "as is" on our New Jersey Computer Club website at:

http://njcc.org/news/productreviews/SABINupgradingandrepairing_pcs.pdf.

It is also posted on Amazon.Com (they edited it to shorten it) at:


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0789731738/qid%3D1115659517/sr%3D2\
/104-5259061-9616744

Very best regards,

Fred


Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 16th Edition
Reviewer: Fred Sabin, President, NJCC
ISBN Number: 0-7897-3173-8
Posted at NJCC: http://www.njcc.org/news/productreviews/

The New Jersey Computer Club (NJCC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated
to educating the public about computer systems, software, and their uses;
providing community service to charities and educational groups; awarding an
annual NJCC Memorial Award; and sharing knowledge and social activities with
other computer enthusiasts. A frequent topic of discussion, and a major need of
all of our membership, is how to upgrade, troubleshoot, and repair their
computer systems. This book is an excellent guide and reference on everything
associated with this topic.

Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 16th Edition, authored by well-known Scott Mueller
and published by Que Publishing, is an up-to-date comprehensive (1625 page) book
that comes with a three hour instructional and reference DVD, including a
searchable hard drive database, vendor database, and eight prior editions of
Upgrading and Repairing PCs (in PDF format). Detailed technical information is
very well presented in an easy to read format with extensive diagrams, figures,
and tables that both illustrate concepts and organize historical and statistical
data for clarity of understanding and ease of use.

There are two main ways of using this book. First, you can utilize it as a
learning tool to gain knowledge about an area of interest, such as a particular
component of a computer system. Second, you can utilize it as a technical
reference, to find detailed information on a specific computer topic or
component. Of major importance is the fact that the text covers not only current
data and information, but also historical content on older systems and
components that may still be in use.

The chapters on “PC Diagnostics, Testing and Maintenance” and “File Systems and
Data Recovery”, and the “Troubleshooting Index” (Appendix C) are of special
interest, as troubleshooting problem systems is a significant concern for our
membership. The chapter on “Building and Upgrading Systems” is also very
important for those who need assistance in replacing or adding system
components.

The DVD is especially useful with a video presentation by Scott Mueller on Build
a PC From Scratch. This video includes segments on Tools To Have On Hand,
Chassis Considerations, Processor Installation, Memory Installation, Motherboard
Installation, Installing the Drives, Power Supply Connection, Card Installation,
Closing the Case, and Power Up the System. These clips will be valuable to both
novice and experienced users. Additional videos and other reference information
from prior editions are available at the
http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com/ website.

I have personally used prior editions of Upgrading and Repairing PCs for many
years, and I have always found the content to be very accurate, informative and
useful. I have never read an entire book, but I know what is available in each
book and where to find it, and when you need the information it is very
satisfying to know that you have it readily accessible.

This book is essential for our User Group personnel who provide technical
assistance and support for our membership, and it is very strongly recommended
to all our NJCC members as a learning and self help tool for their own benefit.
I will therefore be further describing and using Upgrading and Repairing PCs,
16th Edition as our main presentation topic at our September 16, 2005, NJCC
regular meeting (see our http://www.njcc.org/ website for details).