If you're looking for a book that really gets you in-depth technical info--and not just the surface scum that passes for "tech" you'll find in most other guides--the A+ Exam Prep is an excellent place to start.

You see, previous editions of the A+ Exam Prep were utterly packed to the brim with technological wizardry that you wouldn't find anywhere else--but that was their downfall. They were packed with so much technology that you couldn't separate the testable gold from the "nice to know, but CompTIA doesn't care" chaff--resulting in a book that was a fine reference but not at all useful for those taking the test. But Coriolis has put a hard day's work into this edition, rearranging everything so that the testable facts stand out like the guys with the glowing sticks at the end of the runway, waving you on to a passing grade, yet still handing out many of the advanced facts that will ultimately help you in your techie career.

The book is written in a journeyman's style: it's readable and it gets the points across nicely, but it's nothing to write home about. Concepts are explained adequately and the evolution of the various PC advances are detailed with enough care that the reader should be able to get it--but unfortunately, the book is very light on illustrations and charts. The illustrations it does include tend to be simple line drawings and not photographs, which may ultimately hurt book-learning techies, who can read all about AGP cards in this tome without ever seeing what an actual card looks like. A few more charts would be nice to clarify the many lists of numbers and computer parts that make up the more tedious sections of A+ preparation.

The real strength of the book, though, is its depth of format, going beyond the pale to cover never-tested topics like the pinouts for DTE connectors and the topologies of uninterruptible power supplies; very few topics on the A+ aren't covered in solid depth. What is left out seems odd, however: the section on hard drives, for example, seems sparse when it comes to methods of interleaving and sector translations, both of which have been known to pop up once in awhile on previous versions of the A+. The A+ Exam Prep has some nice sections to make up for such strange losses, however, including troubleshooting flow charts and--a very handy feature--suggested real-world projects that the test-taker can do to prepare both for the exam and for real-world issues.

Each chapter ends with a set of twenty review questions, which are fairly simple and not anywhere near what you can expect to see on the exam ("What type of printer can print on multipart forms?"). And the answers to the questions, sadly, aren't up to the quality of Coriolis's Exam Crams, where they not only give the correct answers but also explain why the other answers were wrong. If you're the sort who prepares by obsessing over reams of sample questions, you may need a supplement.

In short, this weighty tome is a solid reference that will help you prepare for the exam, but it will also come in handy long after the exams are over. A solid value. --William A. Steinmetz


Book Description
Covers full all the new exam objectives and items in the following areas: Windows 98, Windows 2000 Windows NT, version 4.0, and Linux - baseline information. Contains a complete practice test in the book with answers and explanations, in addition to the practice exams on the CD-ROM. Features an exclusive Self-Assessment section that will help the reader evaluate their knowledge base against the requirements for A+ certification under both ideal and real circumstances. Includes practice exams that are created specifically to cover the new A+ exam scheduled to launch in December 2000.


Book Info
A text and CD-ROM specifically designed as a tutorial for the A+ computia certified computer technician certification exams, 220-201 and 220-202. The CD-ROM cotnains a database of practice questions, a graphic analysis of test results, and a wide variety of testing formats. DLC: Electronic data processing personnel--Certification.


About the Author
Scott Reeves (Gettysburg, PA) is a CNE, MCNE, MCP, and Compaq Accredited Systems Engineer. He is currently the Vice President of operations at MicroAge Computer Centers in York, PA. Kalinda Reeves (Gettysburg, PA) has 13 years experience in research, technical, and engineering writing. She has written over 53 manuals on equipment such as tandem and single systems and circuit boards, as well as documentation for government and military communications systems. Steve Weese is an instructor and consultant for Enterprise Technology Group, Inc. based out of Vienna, VA. He is now certified to instruct over a dozen courses including those in the areas of Windows NT, Windows 2000, Visual Basic, and Web Technology. Christopher S. Geyer (Reston, VA) owns a consulting firm that specializes in Internet application development. Chris has started two Internet companies and has been instrumental in developing the Internet presence of a third, positioning it for sale to a larger company. Prior to developing Internet applications, Chris was a computer instructor in the hardware installation and configuration and networking disciplines.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
There's a brand-new A+ exam -- and it's about time. Yes, computer technicians tend to repair old computers, but even so, the last one was woefully out of date. Just check out last year's A+ books: they had to use carbon-dating to check all that Windows 3.1 coverage!

If you're preparing for the new A+ exam, you need a new book. Here's an excellent one: Coriolis's A+ Exam Prep. The authors cover everything you need to know, for both the operating systems and hardware components of the exam. On the OS side: Windows 98, Win2K, even a little Linux. File systems through NTFS5. Troubleshooting Windows GUIs. On the hardware side: LCDs, PDAs, USB and FireWire, networking, and lots more. There's a new practice exam in the book, and more of them on disk.

A+ is finally ready for the 21st century, and with this book, you will be, too.(Bill Camarda)

Bill Camarda is a consultant and writer with nearly 20 years' experience in helping technology companies deploy and market advanced software, computing, and networking products and services. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Covers full all the new exam objectives and items in the following areas: Windows 98, Windows 2000 Windows NT, version 4.0, and Linux - baseline information. Contains a complete practice test in the book with answers and explanations, in addition to the practice exams on the CD-ROM. Features an exclusive Self-Assessment section that will help the reader evaluate their knowledge base against the requirements for A+ certification under both ideal and real circumstances. Includes practice exams that are created specifically to cover the new A+ exam scheduled to launch in December 2000.

SYNOPSIS

A text and CD-ROM specifically designed as a tutorial for the A+ computia certified computer technician certification exams, 220-201 and 220-202. The CD-ROM cotnains a database of practice questions, a graphic analysis of test results, and a wide variety of testing formats.

AUTHOR DESCRIPTION

Scott Reeves (Gettysburg, PA) is a CNE, MCNE, MCP, and Compaq Accredited Systems Engineer. He is currently the Vice President of operations at MicroAge Computer Centers in York, PA.

Kalinda Reeves (Gettysburg, PA) has 13 years experience in research, technical, and engineering writing. She has written over 53 manuals on equipment such as tandem and single systems and circuit boards, as well as documentation for government and military communications systems.