PC Hardware in a Nutshell - Softcover

Thompson, Robert Bruce; Thompson, Barbara Fritchman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 059600513X ISBN 13: 9780596005139

Publisher: O'Reilly Media, 2003

Synopsis

PC Hardware in a Nutshell is the practical guide to buying, building, upgrading, and repairing Intel-based PCs. A longtime favorite among PC users, the third edition of the book now contains useful information for people running either Windows or Linux operating systems. Written for novices and seasoned professionals alike, the book is packed with useful and unbiased information, including how-to advice for specific components, ample reference material, and a comprehensive case study on building a PC.In addition to coverage of the fundamentals and general tips about working on PCs, the book includes chapters focusing on motherboards, processors, memory, floppies, hard drives, optical drives, tape devices, video devices, input devices, audio components, communications, power supplies, and maintenance. Special emphasis is given to upgrading and troubleshooting existing equipment so you can get the most from your existing investments.This new edition is expanded to include:

• Detailed information about the latest motherboards and chipsets from AMD, Intel, SiS, and VIA
• Extensive coverage of the Pentium 4 and the latest AMD processors, including the Athlon XP/MP
• Full details about new hard drive standards, including the latest SCSI standards, ATA/133, Serial ATA, and the new 48-bit "Big Drive" ATA interface
• Extended coverage of DVD drives, including DVD-RAM, DVD-R/RW, and DVD+R/RW
• Details about Flat Panel Displays, including how to choose one (and why you might not want to)
• New chapters on serial communications, parallel communications, and USB communications (including USB 2.0)
• Enhanced troubleshooting coverage

PC Hardware in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition provides independent, useful and practical information in a no-nonsense manner with specific recommendations on components. Based on real-world testing over time, it will help you make intelligent, informed decisions about buying, building, upgrading, and repairing PCs in a cost effective manner that will help you maximize new or existing computer hardware systems. It's loaded with real-world advice presented in a concise style that clearly delivers just the information you want, without your having to hunt for it.

About this title

Review

PC Hardware in a Nutshell relies on an eternal truth of the computer industry: legacy systems never die. This book focuses on the technologies that have provided Wintel personal computers with various capabilities over the years. Like most of its competitors, this book addresses the PC on a subsystem level, dealing with video cards, hard-disk interfaces, memory and other pieces of the componentry puzzle that hardware integrators need to figure out. The authors do a great job of explaining the differences between (and relative merits of) IDE and SCSI hard-drive interfaces, various video buses, competing processors and other technologies. They also prove themselves adept at explaining general assembly procedures and troubleshooting strategies.

This book distinguishes itself from its most popular competitors by emphasising the authors' opinions on hardware products. It's refreshing to see authors recommend Product A for high-performance systems in which price is not an issue, Product B for economical home systems, and Product C for organisational workstations. On the other hand, the recommendations, prices and similar values will change over time. The authors maintain a great Web site where you can find their current recommendations. (The Web site, on the other hand, doesn't include the book's high-quality tutorial on designing and assembling a system from zero.) Even the photographs that appear in this book--traditionally a weak point among hardware books--are clear. --David Wall

Review

An essential reference for any user who has the confidence to open a PC. -- Major Kearny, PC Update, Dec 2002

In this book, we get the benefit of the extensive experience of the authors, who tell us in plain language what will work and will not work. -- Ed Laskowski, Vista PC Journal, August 2002

While I hold O'Reilly books to a fairly high standard as a whole, I was very surprised as to the quality of PCHN2. -- David R. Hannum, Southeast Ohio Macromedia User Group, Jan 2003

You can use this as an informative encyclopedia as well as a practical user guide .It's all here! -- North Bay Multimedia Association Newsletter, August 2002

Edition details

• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 059600513X
• ISBN 13: 9780596005139
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 850