The Complete PC Upgrade & Maintenance Guide

This book will present you with the basics of computers and ever more techie stuff. The important thing more than just an actual book is hands-on learning. The publishers can improve this book by using colors and bigger font letters.

One of the first books I ever read in the computer industry was Mark Minasi's Upgrade & Maintenance guide 8th edition. From there I was hooked and a fan ever since. Minasi's style is one that makes the reader comfortable with the material without over stating. Minasi dos not over complicate that material so every level of knowledge and skill would be able to comprehend the text.The book is also well suited for several certification exams such ad CST or A+; and the material is technically accurate and up to date. The book covers all hardware topics from the hard drive to add-on cards to networking and everything in between.What the author has done for you is break down the topics and detailed information that allows you to grasp the concept(s). What I think is missing is a lab manual to go along with the material to make is easier to study from.If you are looking to break into the technical arena, study for the A+ exam or looking to enhance the knowledge base you have, then this book may be one to get a hold of. Overall Mark Minasi is a respected and trusted author and this release is certain proof of that.

I've taken several technical support certification courses, and this was the textbook I used in half of them. Mark Minasi is an excellent writer who is able to "dumb down" all the minute details and translates very well the technical jargon of the trade. Minasi is also the writer of several Windows 2000 books which I've also read, and I've taken a fondness for his ability to start really big and progress quickly into smaller details without ever losing my interest or attention.The chapters on hardware installation and introduction to networks are the best written and most authoritative material I've used to learn the subtle aspects of TCP/IP, ethernet, and token/bus ring topologies. Also, the chapters on computer upgrading and "building a dream computer from scratch" are well laid-out and detailed for avid geeks like me who like to destroy and build machines from scrap piles. I guess the best thing to say about this book is that it fostered an even deeper interest in computers than I had before reading. One of the best perks of this book is that there is a moderate balance of graphics, charts and diagrams to go with his text. There is hardly anything intimidating about his presentation; novice and intermediate learners will have no problem getting to grasp every topic in this book. The twelfth edition also makes several revisions, particularly with misstated bandwidth numbers for Firewire and USB in the last edition). I haven't had a chance to test out the CDROMs, but several of my peers have recommended the video installation procedures, where Minasi goes over all the basics (like how to ground yourself properly, installing master/slave IDE devices, setting up SCSI cards, etc.) I don't like giving heavily-biased support for any book, product or service, but in all honesty, this is by far the best and most authoritative source I've ever used to fix any hardware-related issue with a computer. There is no topic I can think of that doesn't get covered, and he throws in a little history and conceptual technology as well to spur more interest in the future technology. In conclusion, the book is well worth the price, and I highly doubt most beginning and intermediate-level IT people will ever need to go beyond this edition as a reference source.

I have been looking forward to the release of Minasi's 12th ed. and I was not disappointed! I found it to move way beyond just "the basics". If you take the time to read this book from cover to cover you will not have many pc questions that go unanswered. This book does a great job of introducing you to the basics while guiding you into the more advanced areas of pcs. The way the info in the book is sectioned makes it very easy to reference back to quickly. Wether you have never touched a computer before or have many hours into pc repairs, this book will help. I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in learning about pcs.

An extremely informative book. An essential guide for the beginning PC builder and troubleshooter. Not written in technical language and extremely easy to understand.