The A+ Complete Study Guide, Second Edition is interesting, mainly because it is neither fish nor fowl--it tries to prepare the reader for life in the field, yet ignores some critical new technologies that are pretty much required knowledge. It readies you for the A+ exams, yet entirely skips some of the lesser-tested sections. But in the end, the book becomes a fish with wings, because in spite of these drawbacks, it's engagingly written and astoundingly comprehensive when it counts.

First, the good news: the folks who wrote this book know what they're talking about, and can write rings around most of the other certification writers. Many certification books are written as if you're a Thanksgiving turkey waiting to be stuffed with a miscellany of acronyms and computer facts, whereas the A+ Complete Study Guide actually takes the time to explain things from a repairperson's perspective, giving tips and hints along the way. The book is peppered with real-life examples, reminders of good practices, and history that will help you to understand why things are the way they are today. (They often don't make much sense anymore, but there was a reason for that way back then.) If you're looking for a friendly teacher, this will do nicely.

The end of each chapter is punctuated with a summary and 20 multiple-choice questions, all of which are pretty close to what you'll find on the exam. The explanations given for the answers are terse and don't necessarily tell you why the other answers are wrong, but they suffice.

The book takes some shortcuts along the way, however, and has some odd focuses. The idea is to prepare you for what you'll find in the field, and it frankly admits that practically no one is going to work with DOS commands or 80286 processors anymore. As such, it barely mentions DOS at all, giving a brief list of commands and some quick takes on memory management, and gives Windows 3.1 only a side note, not even bothering to provide pictures. However, there is a staggeringly large section on Windows 95/98 installation. Admittedly, DOS and Windows 3.1 questions are very few and far between on the most recent round of A+ exams, but all it takes is two or three surprise questions to shoot a big hole through your score. Fortunately, the section on the more recent (and more often tested) Windows 95 section is very thorough and should prepare you without a hitch.

Unfortunately, although the field preparation is a good idea, it leaves off mentioning some major technologies. The A+ Complete Study Guide barely mentions that it is possible to burn a CD-ROM in your own home, and doesn't even touch on video accelerators. Although it's tough to keep up with the ever-changing world of hardware, it would have been nice to have some newer technology.

Still, in the end this book means well, and it will serve you in your quest for an A+ certification, as it has for thousands of others. If you can overlook some minor flaws that (probably) won't get in the way of your passing, this book comes highly recommended. --William Steinmetz


From Book News, Inc.
This guide to A+ Core Hardware and Operating Systems exam preparation covers the information represented on the tests. The section on core hardware discusses installing, configuring, upgrading, making diagnoses and troubleshooting, as well as preventative maintenance, the mother board, processors, memory, printers, and basic networks. The section on operating systems discusses the basic concepts, installation, configurations, upgrades, diagnosis, networks, and Windows 2000 preventative maintenance. A companion CD-ROM includes self-tests, electronic flashcards, and a searchable version of the text. The authors are consultants and trainers.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


Book Description
-Complete A+ courseware in a single volume! This Deluxe Edition covers both the Core Hardware and Operating System Technologies exams, covering all exam objectives in depth. -Includes over 1,000 review questions in the book and on the CD! -The bonus CD includes twenty video segments of key hands-on procedures. The standard companion CD contains an advanced testing engine with adaptive testing capabilities, electronic flashcards for PCs and Palm devices, and the complete book in PDF format.


Book Info
Certification manual for the CompTIA A+ certification exams, with authoritative coverage of all exam objectives. The CD-ROM includes a custom testing engine, flashcards for PCs and Palm devices, bonus exams, and additional practice questions. CD-ROM also includes Adobe Acrobat reader for some of the exercises in the text. System requirements not listed.


From the Publisher
This new edition of the A+ Complete Study Guide is your key to success on CompTIA's new A+ exams-Core Hardware and Operating System Technologies. Organized for optimal learning, this book maps to the latest CompTIA objectives and provides a pedagogically proven approach to learning the topics on which you'll be tested. Best-selling author David Groth applies his years of classroom instructional experience to the task of clearly and concisely explaining how PC hardware and software work in the real world.


From the Back Cover
Here's the book you need to prepare for the A+ Core Hardware and Operating System Technologies exams. This proven Sybex Study Guide provides * In-depth coverage of every exam objective-all the information you need * Practical information on essential hardware- and OS-related tasks * Hundreds of challenging review questions, in the book and on the CD * Leading-edge exam preparation software, including our custom testing engine and electronic flashcards Authoritative coverage of all domains for both A+ exams Core Hardware *Installing, configuring, and upgrading *Diagnosing and troubleshooting *Preventive maintenance *Motherboard/processors/memory *Printers *Basic networking Operating System Technologies *OS fundamentals *Installation, configuring, and upgrading *Diagnosing and troubleshooting *Networks


About the Author
David Groth is President and Chief Geek of Practical Training Solutions, a global franchise system of training centers, and the author of Network+ Study Guide, i-Net+ Study Guide, and other certification titles from Sybex. He holds many technical certifications, including Network+, A+, MCP, and CNI. Dan Newland is an independent consultant and trainer. He holds MCSE, MCT, CNA, Server+, and A+ certifications and has worked on a number of titles for Sybex, most recently MCSE 2000 Jumpstart: Computer and Network Basics.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Here￯﾿ﾽs the book you need to prepare for the latest versions of CompTIA￯﾿ﾽs A+ Exams. This Deluxe Edition of Sybex￯﾿ﾽs Best Selling A+ Study Guide provides:
Full coverage of every exam objective
Practical information on network hardware
Hundreds of challenging practice questions, in the book and on the CD
Leading-edge exam preparation software, including a test engine and electronic flashcards

Authoritative coverage of all exam objectives, including:
Core Hardware
Installation, configuration, and upgrading
Diagnosing and troubleshooting
Preventive maintenance
Motherboards, processors, and memory
Printers
Basic networking

Operating System Technologies
OS fundamentals
Installation, configuration, and upgrading
Diagnosing and troubleshooting
Networks

On the CD
SYBEX TEST ENGINE
Test your knowledge with advanced testing software. Includes all chapter review questions with hundreds of practice exam questions. Includes six bonus exams.

ELECTRONIC FLASHCARDS
Reinforce your understanding with flashcards that can run off your PC, Pocket PC, or Palm handheld.

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
Gain crucial insights into PC maintenance and repair with 20 instructional videos of key hands-on tasks.

Also on the CD, you￯﾿ﾽll find the entire book in searchable and printable PDF. Study anywhere, anytime, and approach the exam with confidence.

About the Author
David Groth, A+, Network+, Security+, MCSE, CNI, is a full-time author and consultant. He is the author of the Sybex's best-selling Network+ Study Guide as well as i-Net+ Study Guide and Cabling: The Complete Guide to Network Wiring.

SYNOPSIS