Sebastopol, CA--O'Reilly's new second edition of PC Hardware in a Nutshell is a comprehensive-and concise-guide to buying, building, upgrading, and repairing Intel-based PCs, for novices and seasoned professionals alike, presented in O'Reilly's practical, no-fluff "In a Nutshell" format. The authors, Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson, were determined to emphasize the useful--not just the interesting--in this handy reference.
"We quickly found out why there was so much interesting information, but relatively little useful information in most PC hardware books,' says Barbara Fritchman Thompson. "Interesting is quick and easy to write. Useful is slow and hard, because you actually have to do all the stuff you've written about."
Carefully researched and written, "PC Hardware in a Nutshell, Second Edition" is packed with unbiased information, including how-to advice for specific components, ample reference material, and a comprehensive case study on building a PC. Concise but complete, this book provides an enormous amount of timeless information intended for anyone who buys, builds, upgrades, or repairs PCs in a corporate, small business, or home setting.
"If you want to buy a PC, this book tells you what to look for-and what to look out for," says coauthor Robert Bruce Thompson. "If you want to build a PC, this book explains, component-by-component, the key parts of a PC, describes the important characteristics of each, provides buying guidelines, lists recommended products (by brand name and model), and takes you step-by-step through building the PC. If you have an older PC, this book tells you what you need to know to upgrade it--if it makes sense to do so--as well as when it makes more sense simply to retire it to less demanding duties. Finally, if your PC breaks, this book tells you what you need to know to troubleshoot the problem and then choose and install replacement parts."
"PC Hardware in a Nutshell, Second Edition" is a compact guide, accessible to the ordinary reader and invaluable for the seasoned professional.
What the critics said about the first edition:
"I have to read books like this for a living, and this is the first one I've come across which is actually enjoyable. It contains the right amount of sensible advice and information on relevant topics without going over the top into useless detail and is, I'm sure, going to become indispensable. Highly recommended to both beginners--whom it won't bamboozle--and experienced hands, whether they're looking for information on what to buy or more detailed reference material."
--Chris Ward-Johnson, The Times (of London)"There's not another book like this, and if you do much with computers you need a good reference work on hardware. Of course there are massively larger books on the subject, but that's just the point: most of the time you're not looking for a long essay on the subject, you need information, and reliable judgment, both of which Robert Bruce Thompson is highly--I am tempted to say uniquely--qualified to give. You have here a well written book by someone who understands the subject. It's about computer hardware and nearly everyone needs a good opinionated reference work on that subject, provided the opinions are sound, which in Thompson's case they certainly are. It's published by O'Reilly, which means it's well edited by editors who resist the temptation to become unacknowledged collaborators. It's really the best book you'll find on this subject. And if that doesn't persuade you to buy this book, I doubt anything else I can say would."
--Jerry Pournelle, Chaos Manor"I kept a copy of "PC Hardware in a Nutshell" at my elbow. Chapter 2 is likely to save you the cost of the book by itself."
--Jim Aiken, Keyboard"An excellent book for anyone who uses or is shopping for a PC."
--Phil Smith III, Monitor"In this superb new release authors Thompson and Thompson produce a wonderful work on computer hardware that stands above many existing hardware works now on the market."
--Dale Ferris, Golden Triangle PC Club
Additional Resources:
PC Hardware in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition
By Robert Bruce Thompson & Barbara Fritchman Thompson
ISBN 0-596-00353-6, 804 pages, $39.95 (US), $61.95 (CAN)
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